The first time we saw that endoskeleton in the Security Breach basement, nobody really knew what they were looking at. It was just a weird, gangly thing that could shape-shift. But now? Steel Wool Studios is taking us back. Way back. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic is the next big swing for a franchise that has spent a decade confusing us, and honestly, it looks like it might actually give us some answers for once.
The teaser trailer dropped like a bomb. It showed a vintage setting—1979, to be exact—and a jack-in-the-box that looks like it crawled out of a nightmare. This isn't just another sequel. It’s an origin story. We're looking at the birth of the Mimic program, long before Glamrock Freddy or the Mega Pizzaplex were even a thought in Fazbear Entertainment’s corporate hive mind.
If you've been following the books, specifically the Tales from the Pizzaplex series, you know the Mimic isn't just a random robot. It’s an AI designed to observe and replicate. In the games, we saw it try to "be" William Afton (as Burntrap or Glitchtrap, depending on which theory you subscribe to), but this new game is taking us to the source. It’s 1979. The era of wood paneling and CRT monitors.
Why 1979 matters for the Mimic
Chronology in FNAF is a mess. We know this. But 1979 is a very specific choice. It predates the "Bite of '83." It predates the missing children's incident. By setting Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic here, Steel Wool is showing us the "clean" version of the tech before everything went sideways.
The Mimic was originally created by a man named Edwin Murray. He just wanted something to play with his son while he worked. It’s a sad story, really. But as is tradition in this series, grief leads to bad engineering. The Mimic learned by watching, and unfortunately, it watched things it shouldn't have. By the time we get to the events of this new game, we’re likely going to see how that innocent AI started turning into the apex predator we encountered in the Ruin DLC.
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Scott Cawthon has a habit of hiding things in plain sight. Look at the teaser again. The "Jackie" character—that's the fan name for the jack-in-the-box—isn't just a toy. It’s a vessel. It represents the Mimic's core ability to fit into anything. Think about that for a second. It doesn't have a fixed form. It’s a shapeshifter. That makes for a terrifying gameplay mechanic if Steel Wool plays their cards right.
Breaking down the gameplay shift
We’ve moved past the "sit in an office and click buttons" phase of FNAF. While the VR games (Help Wanted 1 and 2) brought back some of that tension, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic seems to be leaning harder into atmospheric, narrative-driven horror.
Expect a mix of classic survival and "hide-and-seek" mechanics. If the Mimic can change its appearance, how do you know if the prop in the corner is just a prop? You don't. That’s the point. It’s psychological. It's about the paranoia of knowing the environment is actively working against you.
The sound design in the teaser is particularly nasty. That mechanical grinding? That’s the sound of 70s-era hydraulics trying to mimic human movement. It’s clunky. It’s loud. It’s unnatural. Honestly, the shift back to the 70s is the best move the series has made in years because it strips away the high-tech safety nets of the Pizzaplex. No Faz-Watch. No high-definition security cameras. Just you, a flashlight, and a very confused, very angry robot.
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The Edwin Murray connection
You can't talk about the Mimic without talking about Edwin. In the books, Edwin is a parallel to Henry Emily, but his story is arguably darker because his creation wasn't possessed by a ghost—it was programmed by violence. When Edwin beat the Mimic in a fit of rage, the robot learned that violence was the primary mode of interaction.
Will we see Edwin in Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic? It’s highly likely. Whether it’s through voice tapes (like the Vanished tapes in Security Breach) or direct interaction, his presence is necessary to ground the story. This game has a chance to bridge the gap between the book lore and the game lore, which has been a major point of contention in the community for a long time. Some fans hate the books. They think the "Mimic" reveal in Ruin was a cop-out because it wasn't Afton. But this game is the chance to prove that the Mimic is a worthy successor to the purple-clad villain of the past decade.
What to expect from the release
Steel Wool has confirmed a 2025 release window. That feels far away, but given the scale they're aiming for, it’s probably for the best. They need to get the "feel" right. The 70s aesthetic has to be thick—musty carpets, dim lighting, and that specific type of analog dread.
The game is expected to launch on PC and consoles, with a strong possibility of a VR component later on, given the studio's history. But even on a flat screen, the Mimic’s presence is going to be oppressive. The community is already dissecting every frame of the teaser, looking for the "pink room" or any sign of the original Fredbear’s Family Diner. While we might get a cameo, this feels like its own beast. It’s a standalone story that happens to explain everything.
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Actionable steps for the FNAF-obsessed
If you want to be ready for the launch, you shouldn't just sit around and wait. The lore is too dense for that. Here is how you actually prepare for the secrets this game is going to throw at you.
Go back to the Ruin DLC. The ending of Ruin is the most direct setup for this game. Pay attention to the Mimic’s vocal patterns. It uses Gregory’s voice to lure Cassie. That’s its core power. In the 1979 setting, it probably won't have digital voice synthesis, so listen for how it mimics mechanical sounds or distorted human speech. It’s creepy as hell.
Read "The Mimic" short story. It’s in the Tales from the Pizzaplex book #6. It’s not a long read, but it’s the blueprint. It explains the "inflection point"—the moment the Mimic stopped being a toy and started being a monster. Understanding Edwin Murray’s workspace will give you a massive leg up on identifying the environments in the new game.
Track the "Jackie" merchandise. Believe it or not, the merch usually leaks details first. Keep an eye on Funko or YouTooz drops for Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic. Sometimes the character names on the boxes reveal more than the trailers do. For example, if we see a "Withered" version of the Mimic or a specific variant of a classic animatronic, we’ll know exactly where in the timeline certain levels take place.
Watch the "1979" details. Look for technology from that specific year. If you see a certain model of computer or a specific toy brand, Google it. Scott Cawthon loves using real-world dates to anchor his supernatural nonsense. The transition from manual labor to early robotics in the late 70s is a goldmine for horror, and knowing the limitations of that tech will help you predict the gameplay puzzles.
The Mimic isn't just a new animatronic; it’s the new backbone of the entire series. We are moving away from the era of "haunted" robots and into the era of "learning" machines that learned all the wrong things. It’s a different kind of horror. It’s not a ghost in the machine—it’s the machine itself, reflecting our worst traits back at us. Get ready. 1979 is going to be a long year.