To help promote the single, Pendulum also released a Space Invaders themed video game which offered players a chance of winning an official framed gold disc of In Silico.

[2][3] Although primarily influenced by drum and bass, the song contains prominent elements of both early hard rock and techno,[4][failed verification] and has even been described as "dance metal" by some critics.

Angry Ape reviewer David Adair described the single as "a snappy and slightly abrasive number that will keep their new found fans amongst the Kerrang reading community, very happy".

[7] David Knight observed that "you won't hear a better riff on a dance track without a great amount of searching", but described the remixes released with the single as "absolutely terrible".

[5] The music video for "Showdown", directed by Nick Bartleet, was released on MyspaceTV on 12 December 2008 to promote Pendulum's upcoming single.

It also depicts controversial scenes of women being kept in cages and men gambling on the outcome of fights, which contributed to Knight describing the video as "highly problematic".

The single was later released on a 12-inch picture disc, containing the album version and Excision remix of "Showdown", on 9 February by Warner Music UK.

[12] The track is also featured in the first trailer for Forza Motorsport 3, on the Xbox 360 as well as in the game itself during races, and CSI: NY episode "Green Piece".