Bloober Team is returning to its horror roots with Cronos: The New Dawn, an original sci-fi survival horror game set to launch in Fall 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. After the successful Silent Hill 2 remake, the studio is stepping back into the spotlight with a brand-new IP—one that’s already drawing comparisons to Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol. However, one newly revealed gameplay mechanic sets Cronos apart: mutated enemies that can Merge mid-battle.
Enemies That Evolve Through Merging
As detailed in the latest Dev Diary and official PlayStation Blog, players will face off against grotesque creatures known as Orphans. These enemies have a horrifying ability: the Merge mechanic, which allows them to absorb the bodies and essence of fallen allies, transforming into more powerful versions of themselves in real time.
This means that simply defeating one enemy doesn’t necessarily make the battlefield safer. If a nearby Orphan remains alive, it can consume its fallen comrade, gaining strength, altering its form, and acquiring new attack patterns. This keeps the tension sky-high throughout encounters.
Strategic Combat in a Time-Twisting World
In Cronos: The New Dawn, players won’t just need sharp reflexes—they’ll need tactical awareness. According to Bloober Team, the Merge mechanic is designed to punish reckless or rushed approaches. Positioning, crowd control, and target prioritization become essential skills for survival.
The game’s core narrative involves time travel, requiring players to jump between the past and future to gather lost souls and attempt to reverse a mysterious cataclysm. This dual-timeline mechanic adds another layer of complexity to combat scenarios, as players may encounter different forms of the Orphans depending on the timeline.
Dev Diary Insights
In the video breakdown, Bloober Team emphasizes that no two battles will feel the same. The Merge mechanic introduces randomized elements to enemy behavior, forcing players to adapt constantly. The development team also hinted at boss-tier Orphans that result from multiple merges, posing massive threats and unlocking rare lore entries.
A New Chapter for Bloober Team
Cronos: The New Dawn is the studio’s first original project since the Layers of Fear and Observer franchises. Fans of narrative-driven horror with a twist will likely find Cronos a thrilling evolution. The gritty sci-fi setting, strategic combat, and chilling creature design make it one of the most anticipated horror titles of 2025.
With its enemy merge mechanic, disturbing lore, and time-bending setting, Cronos: The New Dawn is more than just another survival horror game—it’s a bold reinvention of the genre. If you’re a fan of strategic combat and horrifyingly unpredictable foes, this is a title you’ll want to keep on your radar.