The next mainline title for the beloved horror series isFive Nights at Freddy’s:Secret of the Mimic. This new game is a sequel toFive Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breachand its DLC,Ruin, by Steel Wool Studios. So far, details onSecret of the Mimichave been sparse, buta short demo at select conventions in 2024 and a teaser trailer have revealed key aspects of what fans can expect from the sequelwhen it releases in 2025.
As per the title,Secret of the Mimicwill explore thevillain last seen inRuin,the Mimic, and potentially explain how the Fazbear Entertainment brand evolved into such a successful business by showing its origins in the 1970s.Secret of the Mimicwill also introduce a brand new enemy animatronic, a jack-in-the-box named Jackie, whose clown styling and accompanying music create striking parallels to past villains in theFive Nights at Freddy’sseries. LikeSecurity BreachandRuin, this sequel will be another free-roam survival horror game that allows players to explore their surroundings with more freedom than other mainline entries in the series.
Secret of the Mimic Is Releasing In 2025
The Latter Half Of The Year Is More Likely
While there’s no specific release date forFive Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimicyet, the first official trailer for the game did confirm it would release in 2025. Since bothSecurity BreachandFive Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2came out in December of their respective release years,it’s possibleSecret of the Mimicwill also come out near the end of the yearto continue that pattern. There’s no indication yet when an official announcement for the release date will come, but it will likely also be in the latter half of the year.
Unfortunately, Steel Wool Studios and Scott Cawthon, the creator of the series, have been radio silent onSecret of the Mimicsince the first trailer came out. Sincemost information on upcomingFNAFgames is usually kept close to the chest, it does make sense that this upcoming game would get the same treatment, especially since there was already a gameplay demo at PAX West 2024 for fans to get a sneak peek.
Secret Of The Mimic Trailer & Story Details
A New Animatronic, Retro Setting, And Origin Story
Not much is known about the story ofSecret of the Mimic, beyond what was revealed in the short teaser trailer dropped by Steel Wool Studios in August 2024. The description posted below the video reads, “To see the future sometimes you need to understand the past.”That hint, alongside the retro-style carpet and film shown in the teaser,indicates that the game will take place in a past decade like the 1970s.
FNAFas a series has recently been opting to go back into the past rather than further in the future, since Mega Cat Studios’potentially canonFive Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pitwas set partially in the mid-1980s.Security Breachand its DLC,Ruin, were both set in the near future, so it’s likely that the developers don’t want to continue setting the series too far into the future. Since the Mimic will be the focus of the game,perhaps this game will explain its origins and the building of the Pizza Plexand its vast underground sections to elaborate on some of the messy lore ofSecurity Breach.
The only character shown in the teaser trailer was an unnamed jack-in-the-box, later revealed to be called Jackie.Jackie is a clown-like animatronic, with white makeup, red hair, and glowing yellow eyes. As her toy box is wound up throughout the trailer, the song that plays is the same one from when The Puppet’s music box is wound up inFive Nights at Freddy’s 2, which may hint to a connection between the two characters. The Puppet is an incrediblyimportantFNAFcharacterfor the series' lore,so any sort of connection could be important.
More information has come out about Jackie since the first trailer, asshe was added for a small cameo in an update toHelp Wanted 2.With that small appearance, players got a better look at Jackie’s full model rather than just her face. It seems that Jackie may be attached to her box, lacking a bottom half beyond her skirt. However, she does have extremely long arms that may make up for a lack of feet. Her clown aesthetic continues with her white and red dress and classic yellow clown hat, which draws similarities to the look of Circus Baby fromSister Location.
Secret Of The Mimic Gameplay Details
Another Free-Roam Title For The Horror Series
LikeFive Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breachand its DLC,Ruin,the next title by Steel Wool Studios will also be a free-roam survival game. A short demo was available in both VR and standard gameplay style to attendees of PAX West 2024 and at Fantastic Fest 2024, but no official information was released online. The demo, according to attendees of the two conventions, was a short chase by Jackie through two different areas in a large building.
The two areas were a manager’s office and a factory-like setting with a series of crawlspaces and catwalks. To navigate these spaces and escape Jackie,players had to pull levers and push buttons to activate the surrounding machinery. The style of gameplay could be similar to when Gregory has to work with the button and camera systems to keep enemies like Roxy and Monty out of the security office.
The most notable parts of the demo forFive Nights at Freddy’s:Secret of the Mimicare the connections toRuin, the DLC forSecurity Breachthat featured a new protagonist exploring a dilapidated Pizza Plex. As players flee Jackie, they see the elephant and crow suits from the Mimic’s room inRuinin good condition, but equally empty and lifeless. Other hints in the demo include supplies for a Fredbear’s Family Diner, which means players may discover how the Fazbear Entertainment franchise grew into a giant Pizza Plex.
Source:Steel Wool Studios/YouTube
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Five Nights at Freddy’s is a multimedia horror franchise created by Scott Cawthon that began with the first entry in the video game series, Five Nights at Freddy’s. The core story of the franchise focuses on a pizza franchise known as “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza,” a kid-friendly entertainment center with animatronic hosts. The stores are closed when the animatronics begin to go berserk, slaying some of their guests. However, for most entries, a security guard is tasked with observing them at night, completely unaware of the horrible history behind the mysterious, murderous robots.
