Creature taming in No Man’s Sky has always been a nice side activity, something you do between warping across galaxies and hoarding resources. The Xeno Arena update changes that. Your companions are no longer just for show or utility. Now they can throw down.
Creature Battles turn your collection into a strategic team. It is a deep system. If you have been casually feeding alien wildlife and moving on, it is time to start paying closer attention. There is a whole competitive side waiting just beneath the surface. Here’s what you need to know about creature battles.
How To Get Creatures To Battle
Before you can participate in Creature Battles, you need to build up a roster of companions. This starts with taming. Most creatures in No Man’s Sky can be tamed simply by feeding them Creature Pellets, which you unlock automatically after completing the Awakenings questline.
Mechanical creatures follow a similar process but require an Ion Battery instead.
Once a creature is tamed, it can be registered as a companion if you have an available slot. From there, you can summon them, interact with them, and eventually include them in your battle lineup.
Since battles require a team of three, having more than three trained creatures gives you flexibility when choosing your lineup before each match.
No Man’s Sky: How To Find Crystallised Hearts
Defeat the Corrupted Sentinel Quadruped to tear out its Crystallised Heart.
How To Start A Creature Battle
You can start Creature Battles by interacting with Holo-Arena tables found in major hubs across the game. The easiest place to find one is the Space Anomaly, where a table is located near Oceanus. You can also find Holo-Arenas at space stations, planetary outposts, archive buildings, and within settlements.
Once you locate a table, simply interact with it to queue up a match and select your team.
What Are The Creature Types And Their Counters
At the core of Creature Battles is the Affinity system, which functions similarly to elemental matchups in other monster-battling games. Each creature has an affinity tied to its home biome, and understanding these relationships is important if you want to win.
There are eight main affinities in the system: Fire, Frost, Radioactive, Toxic, Tropical, Mechanical, Anomalous, and Desert. Each one has strengths and weaknesses compared to others. Here are those:
|
Affinity |
Strong Against |
Weak Against |
|---|---|---|
|
Anomalous |
Mechanical |
Desert |
|
Desert |
Radioactive |
Frost |
|
Fire |
Frost |
Radioactive |
|
Frost |
Desert |
Fire |
|
Mechanical |
Toxic |
Anomalous |
|
Radioactive |
Fire |
Toxic |
|
Toxic |
Tropical |
Mechanical |
|
Tropical |
Anomalous |
Toxic |
How To Win Creature Battles
Each battle is turn-based, and your goal is to defeat three of your opponent’s creatures. You do this by taking turns attacking and reducing their health to zero before they do the same to your team. Winning Creature Battles is mostly about using the right creature, picking effective moves, and managing your health.
Start by paying attention to matchups. Each creature type has strengths and weaknesses, so you should always try to use a creature that has an advantage over your opponent.
If you are using the wrong type, you will deal less damage and take more in return, which quickly puts you at a disadvantage.
Use your strongest moves when you have a good matchup. High-damage abilities will help you end fights faster, especially if your creature already has the upper hand.
Healing is just as important as dealing damage. If your creature has access to healing moves, use them before your health gets too low. Recovering early can keep you in the fight longer and prevent you from getting knocked out in a single turn.
If a battle is not going your way, adjust your approach. This usually means you are dealing with a bad matchup or using the wrong moves. Switching strategies or playing more aggressively depending on the situation can help turn things around.
No Man’s Sky: How To Find Portals
Hey there interloper, what’s it like in Vy’Keen City? You’re a thousand light years away, but tonight I found a Portal. Yes, it’s true.
