FNAF Shocks Fans with Major Tradition Break in May 2023
May 2023 marks a pivotal moment for the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise as it finally breaks free from a frustrating tradition, signalling a new era for the cryptic world of FNAF
Five Nights at Freddy's Cryptic Reputation Caught Up With It
The Five Nights at Freddy's franchise has been around for almost a decade and has always had a unique approach to releasing its products. Fans have had to work their way through cryptic images and virtual code to uncover important information about the series, such as release dates and lore reveals. Though this approach was initially well-received, it has caused frustration in recent years due to long periods of silence. However, this tradition has been broken as of May 2023, which marks a significant change in the series' history.
Scott Cawthon is the creator of Five Nights at Freddy's, which he developed after receiving negative feedback on his previous game, Chipper and Sons Lumber Co. Despite Chipper and Sons being his passion project, it was criticized for unintentionally terrifying gameplay and a protagonist compared to a "scary animatronic animal". Cawthon released the first Five Nights at Freddy's game in 2014 and followed it up with a sequel shortly after. He attempted to end the series multiple times over the next four years but ultimately decided to keep it going, releasing sequels and cryptic messages. The announcement of FNAF: Security Breach in 2019 marked a new chapter in the series' history and has yet to be received by fans. However, the new approach to Help Wanted 2 and other recent announcements is a refreshing change.
The Five Nights at Freddy's franchise made headlines in 2015 when Warner Brothers announced an official movie adaptation. Fans were elated, but as time passed, the film's development went quiet, leaving many to wonder if it would ever see the light of day. Meanwhile, the game series continued to evolve, with the announcement of the survival horror title Five Nights at Freddy's Security Breach in 2019. Despite the franchise's growing popularity, its cryptic reputation remained, leaving fans to question every development update from Steel Wool Studios, the game's sole developer.
As fans eagerly awaited news about Security Breach, Steel Wool struggled to meet the high expectations set by the previous games. The game was originally scheduled for release in 2020, but the COVID pandemic delayed its official reveal until September of that year. It wasn't until December 2021, over a year later, that the game was finally released. However, the long wait proved to be detrimental, as the game suffered from technical issues and a storyline that failed to connect with the larger FNAF lore.
May 2023 Has Broken A Longtime FNAF Tradition, For the Better
After the mixed reception of Security Breach, Steel Wool Studios decided to switch things up. Departing from the franchise's usual cryptic and extensive development process, Steel Wool released a mysterious poster teasing the release of a free DLC called Ruin, just five months later. The studio then kept fans in the loop on the DLC's progress, engaging with them to make the wait more bearable while keeping the details under wraps. A year later, Steel Wool delivered, teaming up with the community to create the most fruitful month in the fandom's history.
Blumhouse broke its 8-year silence on May 16, 2023, with the release of the first trailer for the highly anticipated FNAF movie adaptation. Shortly after, Steel Wool surprised fans with a lengthy trailer for Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach Ruin, making it a week to remember for FNAF enthusiasts. Steel Wool then exceeded expectations by announcing a new title, Help Wanted 2, for the PSVR2 at the PlayStation Showcase. These announcements signal a shift in the often toxic traditions of the FNAF series, paving the way for more transparency and informed expectations from both fans and developers.
