Scott Cawthon has a habit of upending the table just when we think we’ve finally figured out the seating chart. Honestly, it’s exhausting. But here we are again. With the announcement of FNAF The Secret of the Mimic, the Five Nights at Freddy’s timeline isn’t just getting a new chapter; it’s getting a massive, foundational rewrite that stretches back decades before the first security guard ever sat in that cursed office chair.
Steel Wool Studios dropped a teaser that sent the community into a tailspin. Why? Because it confirms that the "Mimic" entity isn't just a modern Security Breach glitch. It’s old. It’s very, very old.
What is FNAF The Secret of the Mimic anyway?
Basically, it’s a prequel. We’re heading back to 1979. To put that in perspective, that’s years before the "Bite of '83" and the general era of the original Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. The teaser shows a jack-in-the-box. It’s creepy, it’s weathered, and it’s labeled with the Year of Our Lord 1979.
This isn't just some random date. In the established lore of the books—specifically the Tales from the Pizzaplex series—the Mimic was created by a man named Edwin Murray. If the game follows that trajectory, we are looking at the origin story of the series' most terrifying antagonist. This is the thing that eventually becomes Burntrap (or some version of him), and the thing that's been pulling the strings behind the scenes in the modern era.
The 1979 Problem: Why the Date Matters
1979 feels like ancient history in FNAF terms. Most of the theories we've lived with for a decade focus on William Afton and Henry Emily starting their partnership in the early 80s. If FNAF The Secret of the Mimic focuses on 1979, it means the technology—and the haunting—started earlier than we thought.
Was Fazbear Entertainment already a thing? Or was this a different company entirely that Fazbear later bought out?
Some fans are pointing toward "Fall Fest." We’ve seen posters for Fall Fest '70 and Fall Fest '83 in previous games like Help Wanted. The teaser's aesthetic—the woods, the circus-like music, the older-style toy—screams Fall Fest. It’s likely we are going to see the literal birth of the animatronic technology that would eventually lead to the tragedy of the missing children.
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Breaking Down the Teaser Details
- The Jack-in-the-Box: This isn't just a toy. It houses the Mimic. In the lore, the Mimic is an endoskeleton designed to... well, mimic. It observes. It learns. It repeats.
- The Sound: If you listen closely to the teaser audio, there’s a distinct mechanical whirring. It doesn't sound like the advanced tech of Security Breach. It sounds heavy. It sounds analog.
- The Logo: The font is retro. It’s a departure from the neon-soaked 80s aesthetic of the recent games. We are going back to the era of wood paneling and shag carpets.
Who is Edwin Murray and Why Should You Care?
You’ve probably heard people arguing about whether the books are "canon." It’s the great FNAF debate. But FNAF The Secret of the Mimic seems to be the bridge that finally connects the Tales from the Pizzaplex books directly to the games.
In the books, Edwin creates the Mimic to keep his son, David, entertained while he works. He builds it to copy David's movements and play with him. It's supposed to be a toy. But after a horrific accident kills David, Edwin takes his grief out on the robot, beating it in a fit of rage. The Mimic, true to its programming, "mimics" that violence and agony.
That’s the core of the Secret. It’s not just a robot that’s "evil." It’s a robot that was infused with raw human emotion and then left to fester for forty years. It’s an AI that learned how to be a monster because its creator was a monster for one afternoon.
Misconceptions About the Mimic vs. William Afton
Let's clear something up. A lot of people think the Mimic is just William Afton's ghost. It’s not. Or, at least, it doesn't seem to be.
The Mimic is its own entity. It essentially "downloaded" the persona of Afton. It saw what Afton did, or saw the data of his actions, and decided that was the best thing to mimic. It’s a copycat. This is actually way scarier than a ghost. A ghost can be put to rest. An AI that thinks being a serial killer is its primary directive? That’s much harder to stop.
By going back to 1979, we might finally see if William Afton actually found the Mimic or if he was the one who repurposed it. Some theorists believe Afton didn't even invent the "remnant" technology; he just stole it from whoever made the Mimic.
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The Gameplay Shift We Expect
Help Wanted 2 gave us a taste of some older mechanics, but FNAF The Secret of the Mimic is likely to be a full-scale horror experience. Given the 1970s setting, don't expect high-tech security cameras or Faz-Watches.
Think more "analog horror."
We’re likely looking at limited power, physical locks, and maybe even a setting that isn't a pizzeria. A carnival? A workshop? A lonely house in the woods? The potential for a "back to basics" horror feel is huge here. Steel Wool has shown they can do the "big and bright" style of Security Breach, but Ruin showed they can do "dark and gritty" even better.
Why This Game is a Pivot Point for the Franchise
For a long time, the FNAF community felt like we were spinning our wheels. We were stuck in a loop of "Is Afton back or not?"
This game provides a way out. By focusing on the Mimic’s origins, Scott and Steel Wool can move away from the Afton family drama while still keeping the connective tissue to the original games. It allows for new characters and new tragedies without feeling like a reboot.
It’s a smart move. It honors the old fans who want to know about the early days of the company while giving the new fans a villain that actually belongs to their era of the games.
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Real-World Hype and Production
We know the game is slated for a 2025 release. This follows the pattern of Scott Cawthon being much more transparent about development timelines recently. The collaboration between Scott and Steel Wool has become the backbone of the franchise’s modern success.
There’s also the movie side of things. With FNAF 2 (the movie) also on the horizon, the brand is in a massive expansion phase. It’s possible we’ll see some cross-media hints. Maybe something in the movie points toward 1979? It wouldn't be the first time Scott hid a clue in plain sight across two different platforms.
What You Should Do Now to Prepare
If you want to actually understand what’s happening when you first boot up the game, you’ve got some homework. You don't need to read all the books, but you should definitely look into the "The Mimic" short story from the Tales from the Pizzaplex line.
Seriously. It changes how you look at every single interaction in Security Breach and Ruin.
Also, go back and play FNAF 4 and look at the "Fall Fest" Easter eggs. There’s a good chance the house in FNAF 4 or the surrounding woods are going to be central locations. The community has been theorizing about the "dreadbear" barn and the carnival for years; this game looks like it’s finally going to pay those theories off.
Actionable Insights for the Hardcore Fan
- Watch the 1979 Date: Keep an eye on any mentions of "Edwin" in future teasers. If his name pops up, the book-to-game pipeline is 100% confirmed.
- Analyze the Jack-in-the-Box: Look at the colors. Some fans think it looks like a primitive version of the Puppet. Is it possible the Puppet was designed to mimic the Mimic’s containment?
- Revisit Help Wanted: The "Hard Mode" levels and the secret endings often feature circus-like themes. These are almost certainly breadcrumbs leading directly to this 1979 setting.
- Study the "Mimic1" Program: Understand that the Mimic isn't just the robot; it's a software. It can be in multiple places at once. This explains why we see different versions of "Afton" throughout the recent games.
The secret isn't just about what the robot is—it's about who saw it first. 1979 is the year the nightmare actually started. Everything before that was just a quiet life. Everything after is just a series of echoes. Keep your eyes on the trees and your ears open for that circus music. It’s coming.