Cronos: The New Dawn – Everything We Know

Survival horror fans, something dark is coming. Cronos: The New Dawn is the next big project from Bloober Team, and it’s not your typical monster-chase game. This one blends survival with time travel, heavy choices, and a world that seems to break apart the more you try to fix it. The game promises tense exploration, shifting timelines, and enemies that grow more disturbing the deeper you go. Players will scavenge for supplies, manage limited resources, and face tough moral decisions that ripple through time. Here’s everything we know so far about Cronos: The New Dawn.

What is Cronos: The New Dawn?

Cronos: The New Dawn is an upcoming third-person survival horror game from Bloober Team. The game combines horror, sci-fi, and smart combat, similar to titles like Dark Souls and Dark. 

Story

The world of Cronos ended in the 1980s due to a mysterious disaster called The Change. Now, in a future filled with ruins and horror, you’re one of the few who can still do something about it. As a Traveler working for a group called The Collective, your mission is to jump through time and find people who died during the apocalypse. You’ll use a tool called the Harvester to extract their essences and bring them into the future.

These essences can help you, but there’s a catch. The more of them you carry, the more your mind starts to break down. You’ll hear whispers, see strange visions, and start losing grip on reality. So every time you rescue someone, you’re also risking your sanity.

And then there are the Orphans, mutated horrors created from human remains. Kill one, and another might absorb it and become something much worse. That’s why fire is key. Burning bodies quickly stops monsters from growing stronger. This mechanic adds fun and strategy to every battle.

Gameplay

Cronos: The New Dawn isn’t your usual survival horror game. Sure, there are monsters, limited resources, and creepy environments, but the real twist is time. You’ll jump between timelines to solve puzzles, rescue people, and slow down the spread of something truly awful. But time travel isn’t free. Every jump drains your energy, opens up new dangers, or changes the world in ways you might regret later.

You play as a Traveler, part scavenger, part problem solver. Consequently, players will explore ruined cities, abandoned facilities, and warped versions of the past, looking for tools, clues, and survivors. Now, some areas are locked unless you trigger something in another timeline. Others change entirely depending on the order of your actions. Think of it as a mix between strategic planning and panic-driven survival.

In this survival game, combat is tense. Of course, you’re not some action hero; you must pick your fights carefully. Ammo and supplies are scarce. That means players will be forced to decide between fighting, sneaking, or running. Some enemies react to sound or light. Others warp reality around them, making encounters unpredictable. Now here is the twist: just when you think you’ve got the upper hand, the timeline shifts, and now you’re the one being hunted.

Choices matter too. Save someone in one timeline, and they might show up later to help or not. Mess up a small detail in the past, and your future safe zone might not even exist when you get back. It's all about cause and effect. Therefore, between scavenging, surviving, and rewiring time itself, Cronos: The New Dawn keeps you thinking just as much as it keeps you on edge. Every run is different, and the more you try to fix things, the more twisted it all becomes.

Development

Bloober Team is the studio behind Cronos: The New Dawn, and they’re no strangers to unsettling experiences. Known for titles like Layers of Fear and The Medium, the team has a strong track record in psychological horror. For Cronos, they leaned into their love of sci-fi and horror storytelling, drawing inspiration from films such as The Thing, 12 Monkeys, and Dark. That mix of body horror, time loops, and reality-bending choices became the foundation for the game.

From the start, they didn’t want to make a simple scare-fest. Instead, they set out to build a brutal world where survival is earned, not handed to you. The visuals are raw, pulling players deep into a setting that feels dangerous and scary. Similarly, the story is designed to play with your head, blending emotional moments with disturbing revelations. The game has been in development for several years, slowly evolving into a full-blown nightmare that’s part survival, part puzzle, and fully focused on tension. Now nearing release, Cronos: The New Dawn looks like Bloober’s most ambitious project yet. 

Trailer

The trailer for Cronos: The New Dawn wastes no time showing what sets this game apart. From the opening shots of ruined cities and flickering lights to chaotic scenes of fire-lit combat, the tone is clear: this world is falling apart, and you’re right in the middle of it. We see the Traveler navigating eerie, abandoned zones while twisted creatures stalk the shadows. The monsters stand out immediately, not just because they’re terrifying, but because they change. Some mutate mid-fight while others attack without warning.

Combat isn’t all about guns and explosions. Yes, the Traveler can use fire, throw punches, or stomp enemies when needed, but that’s not your go-to strategy. The trailer makes it clear: you’re meant to survive, not dominate. Careful movement, quick decisions, and avoiding danger matter more than brute force.

Release Date and Platforms

There’s no exact release date for Cronos: The New Dawn just yet. But during the Xbox Partner Preview on October 17, 2024, Bloober Team confirmed the game was set to launch sometime in 2025. So the wait won’t be too long.

When it drops, Cronos will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC. You can already wishlist it on Steam if you want to stay in the loop. Cronos: The New Dawn is shaping up to be one of the most promising and unique survival horror games coming later this year.