The teaser dropped and the internet basically imploded. Steel Wool Studios isn't just making another DLC; they are pivoting the entire timeline of Five Nights at Freddy's. Honestly, if you've been following the lore crumbs since Security Breach and the Ruin DLC, you knew the Mimic was going to be the center of the universe eventually. But nobody expected the Secret of the Mimic release to take us all the way back to 1979.
It’s coming in 2025.
That’s the big takeaway from the August 2024 trailer. We don't have a specific day or month yet, which is typical for Scott Cawthon and Steel Wool. They like to keep us guessing until the last possible second. The game is already listed on Steam and the PlayStation Store, which confirms it’s a full standalone title and not just an add-on. That’s a massive deal because it suggests the scope is way bigger than a simple escape-room style game.
What the Secret of the Mimic Release Means for the Timeline
The 1979 setting is the most disruptive part of this announcement. For years, the community assumed everything started with Fredbear’s Family Diner in the early 80s. 1983 was the "golden" year for the bite. Now? We are looking at a pre-Afton era, or at least the very infancy of Fazbear Entertainment.
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You’ve probably seen the box. That pink-spotted, jack-in-the-box style container in the trailer is where the Mimic lived. It’s creepy. It’s manual. It doesn’t look like the high-tech, AI-driven nightmare we saw in the basement of the Pizzaplex. This is the origin story. We are likely going to see how Edwin Murray—if the books are indeed 100% canon to the games—created this thing to entertain his son, only for it to learn all the wrong behaviors.
Actually, let's talk about the books. The Tales from the Pizzaplex series introduced the Mimic as a literal "mimicking" endoskeleton. It saw violence, so it did violence. In the games, we saw it wearing a makeshift lion/bird costume. In Secret of the Mimic, we might see the very first thing it tried to be. If the Secret of the Mimic release delivers on this, we're finally getting an answer to whether the "Mimic program" is what actually caused the glitchtrap virus, or if it's something more supernatural.
Gameplay Shifts and Expectation
Steel Wool has been evolving. Help Wanted was pure VR horror. Security Breach was an ambitious, albeit buggy, open-world experiment. Secret of the Mimic looks like it might return to a more claustrophobic, atmospheric style of horror.
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The trailer shows a dark, industrial-looking basement or workshop. It’s cluttered. It feels heavy. There’s a specific focus on the year 1979 appearing on a computer monitor.
If you're wondering about platforms, it’s confirmed for PC and PlayStation. Considering Help Wanted 2 eventually made its way to most platforms, it's safe to bet on an eventual Xbox and Switch release, though they might lag behind. The big question is VR. While not explicitly labeled as "Help Wanted 3," the perspective in the teaser feels very much like a VR-first experience. Steel Wool thrives in the VR space. The tactile nature of winding a music box or hiding behind crates just works better when you’re physically moving your hands.
Why 2025 is a Crowded Year for FNAF
The Secret of the Mimic release isn't the only thing on the horizon. We have the Five Nights at Freddy's 2 movie hitting theaters in late 2025. This creates a huge marketing window for ScottGames.
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Usually, when a movie drops, a game follows closely to capitalize on the hype. It’s a smart business move. Scott Cawthon has always been a master of "the drop." He’ll say a game is coming in six months and then release it in three just to mess with the theorists. But with a studio like Steel Wool involved, they have to stick to more professional production cycles. 2025 feels realistic given the polish seen in the brief teaser.
Debunking the "Afton is Back" Rumors
Let’s be real for a second. Some fans are desperate for William Afton to return. "I always come back" is the catchphrase, after all. But the Mimic is the narrative replacement. It’s the "new" villain that explains away why the old villain seemed to keep coming back.
The Mimic isn't Afton. It's an AI mimicking Afton. By going back to 1979, the developers are showing us the birth of the machine that would eventually adopt the "Springtrap" persona. This game is the final nail in the coffin for the "Afton is still alive" theories. It’s a story about a machine that didn’t know better until it was too late.
Actionable Steps for the FNAF Community
Don't just sit around waiting for 2025. There are things to look for right now that will likely play into the Secret of the Mimic release.
- Watch the Steam Page: Wishlisting the game is the only way to get the ping the second a specific date is set. Steel Wool updates these pages with screenshots periodically.
- Analyze the "Tales from the Pizzaplex" Books: Specifically, read the story "The Mimic." It details the creation of the robot by Edwin Murray in a timeline that matches the late 70s.
- Replay Ruin: Look at the way the Mimic moves. It’s jerky and unnatural. Notice the costume it wears—it’s a hodgepodge of different mascots. This likely hints at the different "roles" it played between 1979 and the modern day.
- Monitor the ScottGames Website: While it’s often just a black screen, any change in the source code or a hidden image is usually the first sign of a release date leak.
The mystery of 1979 is just beginning. We aren't just looking at the origin of a monster; we are looking at the origin of the entire Fazbear tragedy. The Secret of the Mimic release will be the bridge that finally connects the classic era of the 80s with the high-tech nightmare of the 2020s. Keep your eyes on the pink box.