Cronos: The New Dawn is Bloober Team’s first original IP in the survival horror genre, marking a significant step forward for the Polish studios’ evolution as the masters of horror, known most recently for the acclaimed Silent Hill 2 remake.

Set in a grim world where Eastern European brutalism meets retro-futurist technology, Cronos: The New Dawn lets you experience a gripping story that straddles the line between past and future.

In the past, you will witness a world in the throes of The Change, a cataclysmic event that forever altered humanity. Meanwhile, in the ravaged wastelands of the future, every moment is a fight for survival against dangerous abominations that will test both your reflexes and your tactical thinking.

This eerie first look at full gameplay showcases THE MERGE, an innovative new mechanic that changes the way players confront enemies, turning every encounter into a mind-bending nightmare and struggle for survival.

Set across two time periods - the grim ruins of a post-apocalyptic future as well as in 1980s-era Poland - Cronos: The New Dawn thrusts players into the decaying district of New Dawn, inspired by real-life Nowa Huta. You play as a Traveller, an agent of the mysterious Collective, emerging from a dystopian future to dive back into time and extract key people before they perish in the apocalypse. As you explore a world on the brink of annihilation, you’ll encounter grotesque enemies known as the Orphans — twisted, body-horror monstrosities born from humanity’s darkest nightmares.

Kill Them. Burn Them. Don’t Let Them Merge.

In this latest reveal, the tagline “Don’t Let Them Merge” points to one of the game’s core mechanics: downed enemies don’t stay dead for long! If you don’t burn their bodies, these fallen monsters can be absorbed by existing enemies. Through a grotesque process known as Merging, enemies evolve into faster, stronger, more resilient, and far more horrifying abominations, gaining additional abilities in battle.

Jacek Zięba, Co-Director and Producer at Bloober Team, warns: “Imagine this: a distorted mix of sci-fi, time travel, retro-futuristic dread, and body horror—all set against the gritty backdrop of 80s Poland. What a ride, right? And whatever you do… don’t let them merge.”

Wojciech Piejko, Co-Director and Designer at Bloober Team, adds: “How do you fight them? Fire! Burn the fallen before they merge with living creatures. The merge changes the game, adding a whole new layer of strategy to combat. Push your survival instincts to the max.”

A World Warped by Time and Terror

Alongside the newly revealed combat system, Cronos: The New Dawn shows many upcoming and exciting features. Players will get a sneak peek of the game’s ferocious weapons and terrifying new enemies, all set against the backdrop of Brutalist architecture falling apart, twisted by the anomalies that warp reality itself. There are also glimpses of enigmatic new characters, all with their own agendas and hidden secrets. Cronos: The New Dawn promises a story packed with cryptic secrets and a creeping sense of dread that doesn’t let up.

Adding to the tension is the game’s soundtrack, created by award-winning composer Arkadiusz Reikowski. The result of a collaboration between Arkadiusz and the Polish-Ukranian indie folk band Zazula, this track in particular features haunting traditional vocals, creating an ethereal soundscape that blends synth horror with surreal, avant-garde textures. The result is a score as eerie and immersive as the world you’ll explore.

You are a Traveler acting as an agent for the enigmatic Collective, tasked with scouring the wastelands of the future in search of specific time rifts that will transport you back to 1980s-era Poland.

Your mission is to locate key people from the past who perished in the ensuing apocalypse. Using your all-powerful Harvester, you can extract their Essences and have them accompany you into the future.

In a desolate world filled with ever-present danger, your survival hinges on your ability to strategize and plan ahead. The enemies you’ll encounter are nightmarish creatures, born from the remnants of humanity – defeating them will require you to make full use of your arsenal. During battle, quick decisions can mean the difference between life and death.

Cronos: The New Dawn is coming to PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2025.