Bloober Team Reveals Spine-Chilling Gameplay Trailer for Cronos: The New Dawn

Bloober Team, the renowned Polish developer celebrated for psychological horror successes like Layers of Fear and the impending Silent Hill 2 remake, has launched the initial gameplay trailer for its forthcoming spine-tingling project: Cronos: The New Dawn. This sci-fi survival horror title is slated for release in 2025 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, and vows to provide a harrowing combination of time travel, retro-futurism, and body horror.

A Disturbing Perspective of 1980s Poland

Cronos: The New Dawn immerses players in a haunting alternate reality of 1980s Poland, devastated by an enigmatic apocalyptic incident. The game’s environment, the deteriorating area of New Dawn, draws inspiration from the real-life Nowa Huta — a socialist neighborhood in Kraków. Bloober Team transforms this historical setting into a grim, retro-futuristic nightmare where past and future intersect in disturbing manners.

Players take on the role of a Traveler — an elite operative for a mysterious group known as the Collective. Their objective: to venture back in time and rescue key figures who perished in the apocalypse, ensuring their safety in the present. This time-traveling storyline sets the foundation for a deeply immersive survival horror adventure, where every choice can dramatically impact the future’s outcome.

The Merge: A New Form of Horror

One of the most captivating aspects introduced in the trailer is a gameplay feature titled “The Merge.” This terrifying system turns combat and exploration into a tense challenge. When a Merge takes place, defeated foes combine with living beings, giving rise to grotesque, unpredictable monstrosities. The sole method to avert this horrifying transformation? Incinerate the deceased before they can merge.

Co-director and producer Jacek Zięba portrays the experience as “a warped blend of sci-fi, time travel, retro-futuristic despair, and body horror — all set against the gritty landscape of ’80s Poland.” He cautions players to remain alert and prevent the creatures from merging, underscoring the high-stakes nature of the game’s battles.

Wojciech Piejko, co-director and designer, expands on the strategic depth The Merge introduces: “How do you contend with them? Fire! Eliminate the fallen before they unite with living creatures. The Merge alters the gameplay, adding an entirely new dimension of strategy to combat. Maximize your survival instincts.”

Dual Timelines, Increased Terror

Cronos: The New Dawn will showcase two distinct eras for players to explore — the ravaged future of New Dawn and the pre-apocalyptic iteration of 1980s Poland. This dual-timeline framework not only enriches the narrative but also provides unique gameplay possibilities, as players must traverse changing environments, solve time-sensitive puzzles, and uncover the sinister truths behind the Collective’s real ambitions.

The game’s visual style heavily embraces retro-futurism, featuring CRT displays, analog technology, and brutalist architecture that evoke a sense of unsettling nostalgia. Coupled with Bloober Team’s hallmark psychological horror elements, Cronos: The New Dawn is evolving into one of the most atmospheric and disquieting titles of 2025.

A Bright Horizon for Horror Enthusiasts

With its groundbreaking gameplay mechanics, intricately crafted setting, and a narrative steeped in sci-fi and existential unease, Cronos: The New Dawn is expected to emerge as a notable contender in the survival horror genre. The newly unveiled trailer provides a tantalizing preview of the terrors that lie ahead, leaving fans of Bloober Team’s past projects — along with newcomers to the genre — with much to anticipate.

Cronos: The New Dawn is anticipated for launch in 2025 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. In the meantime, horror aficionados can view the official gameplay trailer via IGN and prepare for a journey that distorts time, alters reality, and tests the boundaries of human survival.

Watch the trailer here: Cronos: The New Dawn Gameplay Reveal (via IGN)