Bloober Team has released the first full gameplay trailer for Cronos: The New Dawn, its newest original survival horror title. The video showcases key elements of the game’s setting, mechanics, and tone, offering a closer look at what players can expect when the game launches in 2025.
Set between two time periods—the 1980s and a bleak post-apocalyptic future—Cronos: The New Dawn puts players in the role of a Traveller, an operative of a mysterious organization known as the Collective. The mission is clear: travel back in time to extract specific individuals before they’re lost in the collapse of civilization. The setting spans the decaying district of New Dawn, heavily inspired by the real-world Nowa Huta district in Poland, with a strong focus on Brutalist architecture and deteriorating urban environments.
The gameplay reveal introduces a central mechanic called “The Merge.” When enemies, referred to as Orphans, are defeated, they don’t remain down unless players take an additional step—burning their remains. If left unattended, fallen Orphans can be absorbed by other enemies through a process called Merging. This results in more powerful, aggressive, and unpredictable creatures. Players must adapt their strategy accordingly, balancing combat and crowd control with environmental awareness.
According to the developers, Cronos: The New Dawn combines elements of body horror, science fiction, and psychological suspense. The atmosphere leans heavily on tension and the unknown, amplified by a soundtrack composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski. The music was created in collaboration with Zazula, a Polish-Ukrainian folk band. The result is a mix of traditional vocal stylings and ambient horror themes, designed to match the unsettling environments and narrative tone.
Combat features include both melee and ranged weapons, with a focus on managing limited resources while navigating warped environments. The trailer also teases several enemy types, each with unique behaviors and designs, adding variety to encounters. Visual effects such as environmental distortion, lighting shifts, and glitch-like transitions support the time travel theme, while also contributing to the unsettling aesthetic.
Narratively, the game hints at multiple characters with complex motives, suggesting a layered story that unfolds across timelines. While exact plot details remain limited, the focus on rescuing key individuals implies branching objectives and possible consequences tied to player choices.
Cronos: The New Dawn is scheduled for release in 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The game is currently available to wishlist on Steam, Microsoft Store, and PlayStation... Additional updates and reveals are expected in the coming months as development progresses.
Source: Bloober Team
