Overview
Cronos: The New Dawn is a survival-horror action-adventure developed and published by Bloober Team. Set across two eras—a brutal, post-apocalyptic future and 1980s Poland—the game follows a Traveler, an agent of the Collective, tasked with rescuing individuals from cataclysmic timelines. The horror-rich journey features dismemberment mechanics, grotesque body-horror creatures known as Orphans, and the constant threat of monstrous “merging.”
Key Details
- Developer / Publisher: Bloober Team
- Genre: Survival Horror (third-person)
- Mode: Single-player
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam, Epic)
- Engine: Unreal Engine 5
- Mechanic Highlight: Enemies must be disposed of with fire—undead corpses can merge and evolve into stronger monsters if not burned promptly.
Release Info
- Release Window: Fall 2025 (Q3/Q4 2025)
- Availability: Digital release across all platforms; wishlists now open on Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store, PlayStation
- Early Access: Not mentioned; full release
Gameplay & Features
- Shift between the future and 1980s timelines, using time rifts to change outcomes and save key individuals
- Combine melee (like arm-slam) and firearm combat with tactical burn-and-clean tactics to prevent enemy merging
- Set in brutalist, dystopian environments inspired by Kraków’s Nowa Huta and retro‑futurist devastation
- Influences include classics like Dead Space, Dark Souls, Resident Evil, The Thing, and sci-fi thrillers like 12 Monkeys and Dark
Developer Commentary
Co-directors Jacek Zięba and Wojciech Piejko emphasize the game’s old-school brutality and difficulty (no easy mode), body-horror intensity, and immersive time-bending narrative. Senior team members describe Cronos as a “deadly fusion of survival horror and sci‑fi thrills” following Silent Hill 2 and The Medium.
Community & Press Reaction
- Early previews liken the game to a “body-horror Dead Space-like experience,” with chilling atmosphere and visceral combat
- Trailers prompted strong buzz over the merging mechanic and timeline interplay
- Reddit threads praise the lethal, old-school difficulty and horror visuals, with some excitement (and trepidation) about execution
Final Thoughts
Cronos: The New Dawn appears to be Bloober Team’s boldest original horror yet—blending gruesome combat, strategic burning mechanics, and time-manipulation to challenge players through a harrowing two-era storyline. With Fall 2025 slated across major platforms and deep survival systems, this one qualifies as must-watch for fans seeking next-level horror.