Summary
The teaser trailer for next year’sFive Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimichas already hinted towards the game having a particularly intriguing place within theFNAFtimeline. With concrete details about the games’ lore and setting often hard to discern, it can be difficult to definitively place many of the franchise’s depicted and referenced events on a timeline. However, puttingtheFNAFgames themselves in chronological orderis generally much easier, andSecret of the Mimichas given an early hint which continues this trend.
Within theFNAFgames, the Mimic is an animatronic first encountered duringthe ending ofSecurity Breach’sRuinDLC, although it also appeared far earlier within the franchise’sTales from the Pizzaplexbooks. Between the books and games, the Mimic has rapidly grown in significance withinFNAFover the last few years, and this trend is now set to continue inSecret of the Mimic. However, between the Mimic’s design and other indicators seen throughout the trailer, it seems that the new title will shed light on a point in time that could have widespread implications for the franchise’s lore.
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Secret Of The Mimic Will Show Events From 1979
The Origins Of Freddy
Towards the end ofSecret of the Mimic’s teaser released bySteel Wool Studios, it dissolves into imagery reminiscent of a film reel running out and perhaps even burning up. During this ending sequence, there is a brief flash of white text best viewed by pausing and viewing the teaser frame-by-frame. When done so, this is revealed to be ‘1979’ written sideways, a detail which naturally suggests thatSecret of the Mimicis set during the year 1979. Notably,this would makeSecret of the Mimicthe earliest-set game in the franchiseso far.
Prior to this, the earliest-setFNAFgame wasFive Nights at Freddy’s 4, which takes place (at least partially) in 1983. This is apparent due to the copyright of “Fredbear & Friends”, which is shown on a television during one of the minigames which follow the events leading up to the death of the ‘Crying Child’. As such, until now, 1983 was undoubtedly the earliest-depicted point in the timeline, with all other games having been explicitly set in later years.
1983 has been repeatedly referenced as the founding year of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, such as onHelp Wanted’s Faz Tokens. With this being said, however, it is likely that various animatronic characters actually existed within separate smaller companies and brands before this point, including Fredbear’s Family Diner.
Interestingly,the 1979 setting is corroborated by the carpet visible within the teaser, which has a design reminiscent of patterns common to the Seventies. This strongly implies thatSecret of the Mimicis set in 1979, or else its plot will revolve heavily around events taking place during that year. In any case, there has never beenFive Nights at Freddy’sgame set in the Seventies, and so the promise of lore being provided for this era of the timeline is intriguing, particularly as the Seventies have already been referenced in other ways within recent games.
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Secret Of The Mimic Could Also Explore Fall Fest
The Importance Of The Event
Another concept that has been referenced repeatedly throughout recentFNAFtitles is Fall Fest, which appears to be a funfair or carnival that took place on multiple occasions in the franchise’s distant past.Help Wanted’sCurse of Dreadbearis set at the Fall Fest of 1983, according to a prominent banner, and a poster for a 1970 Fall Fest can be found inHelp Wanted 2. This indicates that Fall Fest was an annual event that ran throughout the Seventies until at least the early Eighties. Moreover, the origins of the entire Fazbear brand may lie within the history of Fall Fest.
Ruin’s Mimic encounter includes several circus or carnival-themed costumes hidden in the darkness, and the new teaser even has a glimpse of the Mimic dressed as a red-nosed clown. As such, it seems thatthe Mimic has a strong connection to Fall Fest. Moreover, considering the Fazbear brand is also clearly tied to Fall Fest in some way, it seems possible that the Fredbear character may have originated here. This may be the “Fredbear’s Singin’ Show” attraction seen referenced in an old black and white poster inSecurity Breach, which would fit well with the idea of a carnival sideshow.
Fall Fest seems all but guaranteed to be the focus of an upcomingFNAFgame, and while it may wellintroduce newFNAFcharacters, the existence of the carnival now seems to be part of an exploration of the Mimic’s place within the franchise. In addition to this,Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimicis evidently poised to explore a part of the timeline that may well be the origin point for Freddy Fazbear. It is an incredibly exciting prospect and could reveal secrets that lie at the very core of the Fazbear brand.
