Scott Cawthon hasn't exactly made it easy to keep track of the math. If you're looking for Five Nights at Freddy's 10, you've probably realized the timeline is a total wreck. Honestly, trying to count the mainline entries in this series is like trying to explain the lore to someone who thinks it's just about a purple guy—it gets complicated fast. Depending on who you ask, we might have already passed the tenth game, or we're still waiting for a "true" milestone entry to claim the title.
The franchise has ballooned. Since 2014, we’ve gone from a simple point-and-click indie title to a massive multimedia juggernaut. We have VR spin-offs, AR experiments, a literal Hollywood blockbuster, and a mountain of Scholastic books that are somehow canon. But the community is currently laser-focused on what comes after Help Wanted 2 and Security Breach.
Is there a Five Nights at Freddy's 10 on the horizon? Well, kinda.
The Math Behind the Tenth Game
Let's look at the lineup. If we count the original tetralogy, Sister Location, Pizzeria Simulator, Ultimate Custom Night, Help Wanted, Security Breach, and Help Wanted 2, we are technically already at ten games. That’s the "official" count most purists use. However, some fans exclude the spin-offs like FNaF World or Freddy in Space, while others argue that Special Delivery (the mobile AR game) deserves a slot.
The reality is that Steel Wool Studios and Scott Games have moved away from simple numbering. We don't get "FNaF 5" anymore; we get Sister Location. This shift matters because it changes how we view "Five Nights at Freddy's 10" as a concept. It’s no longer about a number on a digital storefront—it’s about the next massive evolution in the gameplay loop.
Into the Pit and the Shift to "Small" Horror
One of the most interesting developments in the 2024-2025 era of the franchise is the move toward 2D, retro-style games like Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit. This game, developed by Mega Cat Studios, caught people off guard. It wasn't the AAA, free-roam experience people expected after Security Breach.
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It was better for some. It went back to the roots of the Fazbear Frights books.
If you’re searching for Five Nights at Freddy's 10 because you want that next big, "Next-Gen" experience, you might be looking in the wrong place. The franchise is currently diversifying. We have the "big" games coming from Steel Wool, and then we have the "Fanverse" and smaller collaborative projects that keep the lore alive between major releases. This strategy keeps the brand relevant without the five-year dev cycles of other major gaming IPs.
The Steel Wool Factor: What’s Next?
Steel Wool Studios basically saved the franchise from stagnating. When Scott Cawthon "retired" (though we all know he's still the puppet master behind the scenes), Steel Wool took the reins for the 3D era. Security Breach was... messy. Let’s be real. It launched with more bugs than a swamp, but the RUIN DLC and Help Wanted 2 proved they actually listen to the fans.
Speculation for the next "big" entry—the spiritual Five Nights at Freddy's 10—often points toward a continuation of the Mimic storyline. We're done with the Afton family, mostly. Or at least, we should be. The Mimic, introduced in the Tales from the Pizzaplex books and solidified in RUIN, is the new big bad.
The next game is likely to lean harder into the "Analog Horror" aesthetic that has seen a massive surge on YouTube. You've seen the VHS-style fan tapes. You know how much scarier they are than a bright, neon-lit mall. The developers know this too.
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The Movie's Influence on Game Design
We can't talk about the future of the games without mentioning the Blumhouse movie. The film was a massive success, but it also created a bit of a divide. There are "Movie Fans" and "Game Fans."
The games are starting to reflect this. We’re seeing more emphasis on the 1980s/90s aesthetic again. The upcoming projects seem to be leaning away from the futuristic, high-tech vibes of the Pizzaplex and back toward the grimy, carpet-stained reality of the original pizzerias. If Five Nights at Freddy's 10 exists in the mind of the creators, it probably looks a lot more like the first game but with the budget of a modern title.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
People think the lore is a straight line. It’s not. It’s a web.
When you're looking for the "next" game to explain everything, you're going to be disappointed. Scott Cawthon’s storytelling style is famously cryptic. He uses "parallelism." This means a character in a book might not be the character in the game, but they represent the same idea.
This leads to a lot of frustration. "Why hasn't Five Nights at Freddy's 10 answered the Crying Child's name?" It probably won't. The games aren't designed to give you answers; they’re designed to give you pieces of a puzzle that might not even have a finished picture.
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The Technical Reality of Indie-AAA Crossover
FNaF occupies a weird space. It’s too big to be indie, but too weird to be AAA.
Steel Wool has to balance the expectations of a massive fanbase with the reality of a relatively small team. This is why we see long gaps between the major entries. If we consider the next "unannounced" major project to be the milestone tenth game, we have to look at the job postings and technical leaks.
There have been whispers about more "Interactive Cinema" elements. Think Until Dawn but with animatronics. While nothing is confirmed, the franchise has always experimented with how the player interacts with the world. Whether it's the limited power of FNaF 1 or the VR immersion of Help Wanted, the "tenth" game will likely push a new gimmick.
Actionable Steps for the FNaF Fan
If you're trying to stay ahead of the curve and find out when the next major reveal is happening, don't just wait for a trailer.
- Watch the Steel Wool Socials: They are much more active than the old ScottGames teaser site.
- Read the "Tales from the Pizzaplex" series: Whether you like the books or not, they are currently the primary source of lore for the games. Most of the plot points for the next game are likely buried in a short story about a teenager getting stuck in a ball pit.
- Follow the Fanverse: Games like The Joy of Creation (Ignited Collection) are officially sanctioned by Scott. These often have higher production values than the original games and are essential playing for anyone tracking the series' evolution.
- Check the Anniversary Windows: August is usually a big month for FNaF news because of the original game's release date.
The concept of Five Nights at Freddy's 10 is more of a symbol than a specific title. It represents the decade-long journey of a developer who started with a game about a religious beaver and ended up creating a cultural phenomenon. Whether the next game is called FNaF 10, Secret of the Mimic, or something entirely different, the formula remains the same: sit in a room, watch the cameras, and try not to scream when the power goes out.