Developer clarifies free game not titled 'Furry's Rage'

During Sony's last State of Play presentation, we got our first look at the next chapter in the extremely popular, jumpscare-tastic franchise Five Nights at Freddy's.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach will transition the typical CCTV action of its best-selling predecessors into full-on first-person game??play. Players will gingerly pick their way through a "Wacky Warehouse"-style play center, des??perately trying to remain at claws' length from a band of murderous animatronics, led by terrifying host Freddy Fazbear.

While no release date for FNAF: Security Breach has been announce?d, series creator Scott Cawthon suggested this week that the scale and ambition of the new sequel are keeping the project on the drawing board longer than the development team origina??lly expected.

"As you all know, Security Breach was originally planned to come out at the end of 2020, but as we kept working on it and kept adding to it, it just kept getting bigger and bigger and needed more time to finish," said Cawthon in an official Reddit post. "And now, again, I’ve made the decision to put more time and money into it to make sure it’s finished properly, and? that means a late 2021 release instead of ?an early 2021 release like I had originally wanted. It will be worth it!"

As something of a commiseration to fans while they wait for the new game, Cawthon has released a goofy FNAF-themed brawler to the Game Volt platform. Available to download free-of-charge, Security Breach: Fury's Rage is a short 'n' sweet slapfight which sees FNAF "heroes" Freddy, Roxanne, Monty, and Chica take to the mean streets to bust a few heads. It's hardly Streets of Rage 4, but it's a fun little bonus for the Five Nights faithful.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach launches later this year on PlayStation and PC.

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Fear Factory

During today's State of Play presentation, Sony showed off the first gameplay video of first-person horror sequel Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach.

Stepping away from the strict CCTV setting, the new sequel will see ou?r hapless security guards pick their way through a Wacky Warehouse-style environment in first-person gameplay, while dodging t??he murderous army of sentient animatronics - once again led by Freddy Fazbear - who are out for blood, or at least once all of the obnoxious children's pizza parties are done and dusted. Bring a torch and an extra set of batteries, it's going to be a long night.

You'r?e the birthd??ay... You're the birthday... You're the birthday Boy or Girl.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach will launch on PS4, PS5, and PC later in 2021.

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With a new setting

In a more low key trailer sandwiched between two fairly big releases, a new Five Nights game made its debut during the PS5 event.

Security Breach seems to have moved into a bigger, more ornate setting, much like the grand halls of the arcades you frequented as a kid. I'm actually loving the playground/laser tag aesthetic. Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach does not currently have a rele?ase date, and will be handled by Steel Wool Studios.

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Alright

As is customary for several Five Nights games, the Switch edition of Five Nights At Freddy's: Sister Location just got a random out of nowhere launch last ??night.

Strangely, it wasn't even listed in the official Nintendo Download list, but it's definitely right here on the eShop for $7.99, and you can check out the trailer below. In case you haven't been catching up, Sister Location is actually the fif?th game, but is also spinoff-like for multiple reasons. It deals with new mechanics like a deeper foc??us on exploration and new characters in a different location.

It originally arrived in 2016 on PC ?and mobile devices, but has yet to? hit consoles until this week.

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Chica still makes my skin crawl

The Five Nights train hasn't stopped rolling on Nintendo Switch. Today, Steel Wool Studios released the Switch version of Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted on the Nintendo eShop for $29.99.

If you're thinking of jumping into the animatronic survival series relatively blind all these years later, you can do way worse than Help Wanted. It's a multifaceted experience that covers a lot of ground – almost like a "greatest hits" take on FNAF – and?? it's discernible enough for uninitiated players to follow.

Three of the modes are inspired by Five Nights at Freddy's 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and you'll have to keep the creeps at bay without running out of power until dawn, but Help Wanted has several other activities. Dark Ro?oms and Night Terrors are flashlight-based games that require you to listen intently and trust your gut, while Parts and Service involves fixing on-the-fritz animatronics wi??thout making any sudden movements. My favorite mode, Vent Repair, is a claustrophobic puzzle-cracking nightmare.

I didn't dig every aspect of the collection, but I appreciated that it was a collection. There's somethin?g to be said about a horror game that lets you work your courage up and take breathers as n??eeded.

Help Wanted VR is the ideal way to play, and it's worth pointing out that the Oculus Quest version is "making an immense amount of progress," but if you're unwilling or unable to grapple with virtual reality, today's Switch p?ort is another option. You can get a feel for it with the trailer and screenshots.

This series has such ridiculous legs. It's touching, in a way??.

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It's a surprisingly good game!

Steel Wool Studios is bringing Five Nights at Freddy's Help Wanted to Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Oculus Quest "in the next couple of months." In a short blog post, the team said that "things are very fluid with the COVID-19 pandemic," but f???or the time being, "everything is currently on schedule."

If you're confused, some quick housekeeping: yes, thi?s was originally conceived as a VR-only game.

Since I reviewed Help Wanted on PlayStation VR last year, the developer came out with an update to make VR optional with a new "flat" mode. The game is a collection of scenes, set pieces, and stories inspired by Five Nights at Freddy's 1, 2, 3, 4, and Sister Location, and it ended up being one of my favorite VR experiences ??of ??2019. If you're a Quest owner, I would try to keep tabs on the upcoming port.

The non-VR ports won't be as impactful, but fans might still want to add this to their Switch collection. Help Wanted was the first Five Nights game to truly draw me in – it's enjoyable even as a newcomer?.

And when I say "enjoyable," I mean unsettling. Imagine ??solving wire and gear puzzles in a dimly-lit shaft while a dagger-toothed animatronic clown tries to sneak up on ?you in one of a few possible vents.

You're gonna die, clown!

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One two Freddy's coming for you

Five Nights at Freddy's re??ally falls into that "single developer" ca??tegory that's been so prevalent in the 2010s.

Scott Cawthon is responsible for a multi-million-dollar empire, alongside of recent solo studio names like Matt Thorson, Toby Fox and Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. It really is amazing when you think about it, but a recent string of Switch eShop releases got me thinking: how much of the general public plays Five Nights?

Me? I like to dabble in a bit of everything. Some of it's for research, and the rest I just have no excuse: I love games of all shapes and sizes. Also, I have young cousins and neighbors who constantly ask me if I play it (and Minecraft/Fortnite/Roblox) so I like to have an answer ready.

You've probably seen the merch at some point (or the above Fazbear/friends face), but let us know if you've ever played a Five Nights game before.

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Ready, Senor Beaverotti?

If you fancy making Black Friday darker than ever, then publisher Clickteam has got the release for you. Today sees the infamous Five Nights at Freddy's franchise fin???ally creep its way onto console platforms.

The Five Nights series, created and developed by programmer Scott Cawthorn, has built a huge following since its inception with its tense gameplay, grim atmosphere and notorious jumpscares. The initial premise of the series sees the player in the role of a h??apless security guard, who must survive the night shift in a beat-up children's restaurant, populated by homicidal animatronic characters.

The first four mainline entries - Five Nights at Freddy's, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Five Nights at Freddy's 3, and Five Nights at Freddy's 4 - are all available to download on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch today. Not joining the party is the fifth mainline game Sister Location or any of the FNAF spin-off titles. Each entry is priced around $8.

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You're the birthday boy or girl

[Update: Five Night's at Freddy's 4 has just recently been added to the Nintendo Switch listings on Nintendo's European site, with a release date of November 29. (Thanks, Nintendo News)]

I'm not quite sure anybody saw the phenomenal success of Five Nights at Freddy's coming. At first glance it was easy to dismiss Scott Cawthon's spooky indie title as another in a long line of independently-made jump-scare horror titles for the streaming crowd. But since its initial release back in 2014, Five Night's has undoubtedly become a household name, spawning several seque?ls, novels, a planned movie, and a glut of weird Rule 34 fanart... So I'm told.

And now, we have the opportunity to get freaky with Freddy Fazbear all over again, as publisher Clickteam has announced that the first three Five Nights at Freddy's games will be crawling onto Switch on November 29, bringing the camera-staring, door operating action to the Nintendo platform. Listings for these releases are now live on the Nintendo store, but it should be noted that there are currently no similar listings for third sequel Five Nights at Freddy's 4 or spin-off title Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location.

Five Nights at Freddy's, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 and Five Nights at Freddy's 3 will be ?available to download on Nintendo Switch November 29, costing around $8 each??.

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The spooky scary animatronics are back for more

Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted freaked me the hell out earlier this year, and I say that both as a compliment and as someo??ne who isn't invested in the wider series. It hit the spot. Thinking back on everything I played on PlayStation VR in 2019, it's pretty high up there, w??hich I never expected.

With Halloween fast approaching, Five Nights at Freddy's VR has gotten a batch of DLC called Curse of Dreadbear, available now on PS4 and PC with additional levels com??ing next Tuesday, Octobe?r 29.

The gameplay video probably won't look like much unless you've played FNAF VR, but here goes.

I appreciate seasonal game content,? especially when it comes to Halloween. That said, while many games lean?? into free limited-time updates, this one is a premium (and permanent) addition at $10.

Curse of Dreadbear has a handful of mini-games like Corn Maze, Mangle Repair, and Cap'n Foxy's Pirate Adventure. From this bare-bones footage, it looks like more of the same – and that's not a bad thing.

Please don't let Nightmare Bonnie eat my soul.

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Night moves

Leave it to virtual reality to get me swept up in the Five Nights at Freddy's craze.

While Help Wanted will resonate best with players who are already familiar with Scott Cawthon's wacky world of killer animatronics, it's still perfectly palatable to a less invested audience. This built-for-VR adaptation works ?as a collection of greatest hits, borrowing and building upon familiar characters, sequences, and lore from the popular point-and-click horror series. It's fun for the whole family.

I didn't come in with expectations one way or another – just curiosity. With that said, I kinda love it.

Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted (PlayStation VR [reviewed], Oculus Rift, HTC Vive)
Developer: Steel Wool Studios
Publisher: ScottGames
Released: May 28, 2019
MSRP: $29.99

My favorite part of Five Nights at Freddy's VR is that it isn't merely the main-series games reimagined for virtual reality (although that would'v?e been fine in its own right). Rather, this is a bunch of separate modes, all of which are entertaining for different reasons. It's a surprisingly well-balanced spread.

After keeping your eyes glued to security cam feeds in the bread-and-butter survive-the-night modes that span the events of Five Nights 1, 2, 3, and 4, you could try to catch your breath with the shorter, more puzzle-oriented offerings. Parts and Service lets you fix your scary friends up close and personal. One wrong move – say, popping the wrong fuse box in Foxy's chest cavity or hastily performing a procedure out of order – and it's jump-scare central. You need a d??elicate touch and nerves of steel.

Vent Repair, another side mode, sends you down a spooky elevator shaft and asks you to solve rudimentary hands-on VR puzzles with gears and levers while also keeping tabs on animatronics that can come barreling toward you at any moment from your left, right, or center. Recall that scene in Aliens, but replace the Xenomorphs with Mangle and En?nard. I'll never unsee the way they slink around.

My most feared mini-game, Dark Rooms, involves listening intently for telltale audio cues and strategically waving around a flashlight at the exact right moment. It starts off easy enough with Plushtrap – just wait in darkness for a hint of rustling and beam your light to stop him dead in his tracks – but then there's these three little dolls, PlushBabies. They're up to no good. Your flashlight battery can only run for so long before it needs to recharge, leaving you oh so vulnerable, and the creeps are hide-and-seek experts. I yelled. I yelled a lot. I even kicked the air. Five Nights VR is a spectator sport.

Five Nights at Freddy's VR can be played out of order, so you thankfully aren't tied to a chronological progression or anything of the sort. (Survive the night, and you'll unlock the next level for that particular mode.) As a newcomer, I preferred getting my feet wet with the less overwhelming puzzle challenges before tackling the stressful, paranoia-inducing main course. Steel Wool Studios did a stellar job adapting the mechanics of the first three Five Nights games for virtual reality. Everything just works.

Instead of clicking your mouse to blast the hallway lights, slam doors shut, or swap between camera feeds, you physically reach out to touch buttons. If you need to wear the ol' Freddy Fazbear ??Head to blend in and ward off threats, you simply grab ??the mask and toss it on. If your systems need a reboot, just peek to the left and initiate that tense-as-hell process. The UI is all sprawled out in front of you.

For my fellow PlayStation VR folks, Five Nights VR works best with two (and I do mean two) PlayStation Move controllers, although a single DualShock 4 can get the job done once yo?u learn to keep its li??ghtbar as visible as possible when reaching horizontally. There's a slight learning curve and then it's tolerable. I didn't test the Oculus Rift or Vive versions, but I'm sure they're super smooth given their tracking tech.

The game encourages you to revisit levels to search for hidden coins (used to buy trinkets) and audio tapes (lore for anyone who wants to know what's going on with the creepy rabbit chilling in the background). You can also unlock hard-mode variants that distort the visuals, add complications, and otherwise try to trip you up. This isn't the kind ??of VR game that you'll burn through in a single afternoon.

In short, Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted is the real deal. It's a genuine celebration of everything that has come before and a fresh lens for long-time fans. Even if you've never touched a Five Nights game before in your life, you'll have a lot to latch onto. I'm as surp?ris??ed as anyone!

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Coming to PlayStation VR, Oculus, and Vive in April

[Update: Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted is now releasing on May 21. "The truth is that the game has become much bigger than it was initially conceived to be," said creator Scott Cawthon. "That's a very good thing, but because of that, I want to spend a l??ittle extra time with Ste??el Wool doing more testing and adding more polish before release, and maybe even throw in a few extra surprises!"]

Sony's half-hour-long State of Play news stream wasn't good for much, but it did check a few boxes for PlayStation VR owners. One such announcement was Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted, a "??collection of VR experiences" inspired b?y the original games. It looks better than expected!

"Unlike the PC or tablet, players will use either DualShock 4 or ?PS Move motion controllers to interact with the door and light controls in the offices, pick up objects in the repair games, press buttons on the video switcher, solve puzzles, and activate your flashlight." There's also collectibles like plushies to find.

While our first look came from Sony, Five Nights at Freddy's VR won't just?? hit PlayStation VR. It's also confirmed for Oculus Rift and V??ive. All three versions will be available in April 2019.

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'You are dead'

Would you mess with a Five Nights at Freddy's VR game? I?? think I probably would. As ambivalent as I often am about the series, I could see the killer animatronic house of horrors concept really coming into its own with the heightened immersion and sense of place that virtual reality brings to t??he table.

We've had vague-ish notions of a Five Nights VR project for a bit now. When we last heard from series creator Scott Cawthon in November 2018, he said the virtual-reality game, now known as Help Wanted, was around 40 percent complete at Steel Wool Studios. "If you liked repairing Funtime Freddy up-close in Sister Location, just wait until you try to do somethi?ng like that in VR, up close, personal, with these huge animatroni?cs that are just one mistake away from jumping at you," he teased at the time.

T?o?day, we have more detail to go on thanks to a summary from the title's ESRB rating:

This is a VR puzzle/horror game in which players assume the role of a repair person tasked with monitoring/repairing animatronic characters at a pizzeria. From a first-person perspective, players explore dark  hallways, complete ?puzzles, and try to avoid menacing, malfunctioning animatronic figures. The game contains frequent screams and jump scares, with the words "You Are Dead" appearing on screen after players are attacked.

The key words here are "explore" and "puzzles." Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted is only listed for PS4 on the ESRB site, but I'd fully expect it to? come to Oculus Rift and Vive as well.

Help Wanted is just one of many Five Nights projects lined up for 2019. Notably, console ports of the originals are also in t??he works, in addition to a hopeful big-budget AAA project getting off the ground.

Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted [ESRB]

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2019 will bring new games, books, and ports

It's been relatively quiet on the Five Nights at Freddy's front lately, but that's not to say plans aren't in motion. In a wide-ranging blog post, creator Scott Cawthon shared status updates on numerous Five Nights projects inclu?ding the movie adaptation, the VR game?, HD re-releases, and a triple-A title.

Five Nights at Freddy's for virtual reality is "looking terrific," acco??rding to Cawthon, and the game is currently about 40 percent complete at Steel Wool Studios. "If you liked repairing Funtime Freddy up-close in Sister Location, just wait until you try to do something like that in VR, up close, personal, with these huge animatronics that are just one mistake away from jumping at you."

Meanwhile, the long-awaited console ports of the original Five Nights games are only about 20 percent complete. Cawthon says he's "working closely" with Clickteam and the plan is to bring these "ne??w, improved, HD ports" over to Nintendo S??witch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS, and Android.

There are also new short stories coming from Scholastic -- "some connected directly to the games, and some not" -- as well as an augmented-reality game "that will kee??p you up at night."

Looking much further out, Cawthon says "a BIG deal [is] in the works to create an incredible big-budget game." This "AAA" project is only in the planning stages, and it's unclear which studio is on board. Beyond that, the Five Nights creator also wants to eventually make FNAF: Into Madness, "a compilation of several previous gameplay ideas in the same vein as Update 2" intended as a free thank-you to fans. This one may not come to fruition?? given that Cawthon is "still recovering from the first four years!"

Finally, there's an update on the Five Nights at Freddy's movie. It's slow-going.

"I had a script written; Jason [Blum] liked it, and Chris Columbus liked it too, but I tossed it," wrote Cawthon. "I had a different idea for it, one that I liked better. I take responsibility for this delay??."

As it stands, the Five Nights movie won't cover all the games. Everything post-FNAF3 "wi?ll not exist in the movie universe." Cawthon believes "this was the best portion of th?e storyline to really focus in on."

"I'm sticking to what I've always said, either the right movie gets made or no movie gets made. I hate delaying a project that’s already seen so many delays, but I have to go with my instincts on what I think will be exciting and interesting, and what I think the fanbase will real??ly want to see. If that means that I have to start over ten more times, then that’s what I'm going to do.?? The good thing is that each attempt gets better and better, in my opinion. So, despite the delays, it's going in the right direction."

I respect that hustle.

Upcoming Projects Mega-Thread! [Steam]

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'More news coming soon'

The Five Nights at Freddy's console ports have been in limbo for a bit.  After the explosive viral horror romp was released in 2014 (which doesn't feel like that long ago) it quickly spread everywhere, including merchandise and toys, but the original set of gam?es have yet to hit anything but PC and mobile devices.

Creator Scott Cawthorn noted that console ports were coming a few years back but we haven't heard much since (instead he pumped out four more games and two more books) -- until this week, that is. Posting on the Steam community of the latest spinoff game Ultimate Custom Night, Cawthorn explained that a deal has been signed and that the ports are in progress. More news is "?coming soon."

Love it or hate it you've probably seen Five Nights at your local big box reta??iler in t-shirt or toy form, so it's not going away anytime soon.

Ultimate Custom Night [Steam]

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Ah yes, the auteur behind Pixels

Chris Columbus is writing and directing a film adaption of Five Nights At Freddy's. No, not the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria dude. Rather, the American filmmaker responsible for the first two Harry Potter movies, along with old classics like Home Alone and modern movies-that-sure-do-exist like Pixels.

The film will be produced by Blumhouse Productions, which has been responsible for horror films including Insidious, Paranormal Activity, Split and the Oscar-nominated Get Out. Studio founder Jason Blum was ultimately awarded t??he film rights ?from game creator Scott Cawthon back in March of 2017.

As the video gaming (and especially streaming) community knows well by now, the Five Nights games take players through a horrific and twisted Chuck E. Cheese-like restaurant after hours, with jump scares galore. And if there's anyone we can trust to bring this subtle concept to screen in a nuanced fashion, it's the screenwriter of Christmas with the Kranks.

Mr. Columbus, are you ready for Freddy? #FiveNightsatFreddys pic.twitter.com/4F7QEnw16x

— Blumhouse (@blumhouse) February 12, 2018

Chris Columbus To Write & Direct ‘Five Nights At Freddy’?s’ For Blumhouse [Deadline]

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Uh huh, sure

Five Nights at Freddy's developer Scott Cawthon has released another game on Steam, and at first glance, it looks like a departure with its simple aesthetic and arcade-minded mechanics. As a restaurant owner in Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator, you'll "Design pizzas, feed kids, and get h??i??gh scores!"

It's never that simple, though.

A quick scan of the Steam user reviews suggests there's a more detailed (and intriguing) game hiding just beneath the friendly exterior. Some slightly spoiler-y choice quotes:

• "This game is not what it claims to be..."
• "Do not be tricked by the screenshots and trailer..."
• "What just happened?"
• "After you get past the opening sequence in this game (which is just throwing pizzas as Freddy Fazbear), the game turns into an amazing hybrid of a Tycoon game and a traditional Five Nights at Freddy's game."

If any of that has you feeling curious, Pizzeria Simulator is free on Steam.

Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator [Steam]

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