FNAF: A Complete Chronological Timeline

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Quick Links

  • Five Nights at Freddy’s 4
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s 3
  • Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach – Ruin DLC
  • Why Aren’t All the FNAF Games Listed?
  • Has All of This Been Verified as Canon?

For over a decade, the renowned Five Nights at Freddy’s series has left players on edge due to its terrifying game mechanics. Each installment subtly introduces intriguing bits of storyline to keep gamers eagerly anticipating further developments.

Initially, the show started off as a straightforward survival-horror experience, but soon evolved into a complex tale encompassing various time periods. It centers around haunted animatronics, chilling tales of child murder, and an unwavering protagonist determined to conceal the truth behind these events.

Over the last ten years, more than a dozen Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) games have been launched, providing us with a more distinct understanding of the haunting tale that this series aims to convey.

Regardless if you’ve been following the Freddy Fazbear saga for years or just starting out, this guide is designed to clarify the intricate backstory of Freddy’s haunting history, exploring each game as we go along.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 4

1983

Regardless of which fan theories you prefer, there’s general agreement within the community that Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 serves as the starting point for most of the storyline.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 starts by following a frightened young boy, who is later revealed to be William Afton’s youngest son. He endures terrifying nightmares involving the animatronics from Fredbear’s Family Restaurant, a joint venture between his father and Henry Emily, the restaurant’s co-owner.

The game narrates the boy’s harrowing experiences with mechanical creatures that stalk and frighten him within his residence at night.

In time, the young sibling falls prey to an unkind trick devised by his elder brother, Michael Afton, who derives amusement from the boy’s terror towards the animatronics in their family’s restaurant.

Together with a few companions, he playfully shoved his small brother’s face into Fredbear’s mouth, aiming to frighten him. However, something shocking and terrifying happened when the animatronic’s jaws inexplicably snapped shut. This unfortunate event resulted in the child’s demise, an incident now infamously known as the “Bite of ’83.

This occurrence signifies the start of Michael Afton’s journey into despair and pursuit of atonement, along with his father’s slide into genuine insanity. Following this game, William Afton initiates his “fear tests” on abducted kids.

Just a short while later, I embarked on building the establishment that eventually became famous as Circus Baby’s Entertainment and Rentals, the primary backdrop for Sister Location in my gaming universe.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit

1985 – 2020s

In an unusual twist, this game presents a dual viewpoint spanning two different eras – 1985 and the early 2020s. This dual perspective is achieved by means of time travel; it’s worth noting that the future portrayed in the game coincides approximately with the events of Five Nights at Freddy’s 3.

The tale, titled “Into the Ball Pit,” centers around Oswald, a youthful resident from the year 2020, who plunges into the ball pit at Jeff’s Pizza restaurant. It doesn’t take long for him to discover that this seemingly ordinary play area is capable of transporting individuals through time. Remarkably, he finds himself whisked away to the year 1985, which happens to be two years after the demise of the youngest child in the Afton family.

It later comes to light that Jeff’s Pizza is merely the new name for William Afton’s original eatery, which was known for its robotic inhabitants.

or

The truth eventually surfaces that Jeff’s Pizza is simply a revamped edition of the restaurant owned by William Afton, famed for its robots.

or

It eventually becomes clear that what we know as Jeff’s Pizza is just a facelift of William Afton’s original establishment, characterized by its mechanical inhabitants.

1985 marked the peak of William Afton’s horrific series of child murders, during which he would don a yellow robot costume, known as Spring Bonnie, to entice children away from their guardians.

In the event that later came to be known as the initial “Lost Children Case,” Oswald finds himself entangled, with the fate of five missing children remaining unknown, as their bodies were never discovered.

The game narrates his struggle to survive while dealing with the aftermath of Spring Bonnie’s actions – past and present. Later, it emerges that the bodies of the five slain children were placed within William Afton’s original robots, giving birth to the franchise’s mechanical menaces.

Back in 1985, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was shut down after the tragic “The Missing Children Incident.” Despite this, the initial five robotic characters were preserved for potential use if the pizzeria ever reopened.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2

1987

As a devoted fan, I found myself standing at the threshold of the newly-relocated Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria for its long-awaited grand reopening. The anticipation was palpable!

To divert customers’ attention away from its past scandals, this relaunch showcased fresh Toy robots alongside the comeback of The Puppet character. Notably, The Puppet is one of the original animatronics from Fredbear’s Family Diner, but it now holds the spirit of Charlotte Emily, Henry Emily’s daughter, within it.

At first, the idea was to modernize the old robots from the former site using advanced tech. But in the end, these robots ended up being stored in a storage room and repurposed as spares.

During the course of the game, you assume the role of a character called Jeremy Fitzgerald, a night security guard, who experiences relentless torment from mechanical creatures known as animatronics.

Using a dummy Freddy Fazbear costume head allows you to deceive the animatronics into leaving you alone. During the seventh night, the security position was taken over by Fritz Smith, replacing Jeremy Fitzgerald.

For approximately two weeks, this place stayed operational, until it was shut down due to another case of missing children and the infamous event known as “The Bite of ’87”. This occurrence, which remains largely mysterious, involved a human suffering severe damage to their frontal lobe from a bite received during daylight hours, allegedly from an animatronic.

After the attack, it was decided that the animatronics could no longer wander freely during daytime hours due to the incident. Consequently, in future installments of FNAF, these robots were restricted to moving around only at night.

With the shutdown of the establishment, the latest Toy animatronics were discarded, yet the remaining ones were preserved for potential future use if the place reopens again.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location

Late 1980s/Early 1990s

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve pondered over the years where Sister Location fits into the lore of Five Nights at Freddy’s. After examining the clues and hints we’ve uncovered, it appears that Sister Location transpires prior to the happenings in the original FNAF game, with the story unfolding immediately after the shutdown of Freddy Fazbear’s second establishment.

In this game, you assume the role of Michael Afton, the eldest living son of the Afton clan. When he takes up a job as a technician at one of his father’s establishments, he stumbles upon a shocking truth.

The place under discussion is the “Circus Baby’s Entertainment and Rentals” establishment, a project initiated by his father following the demise of his youngest child in the early 1980s.

(Note: I have attempted to make the sentence more conversational and easier to read while maintaining the original meaning.)

During his stay, he discovers a series of robots known as “Funtime Robots,” which have been engineered with the autonomy to chase, abduct, and collect children against their own free will.

The dad permits these robot characters to be borrowed for kids’ birthday parties and functions, with the aim of attracting more customers; originally, though, they were intended for use at a fresh Fazbear Entertainment venue named Circus Baby’s Pizza World.

Preparing for the grand opening of Circus Baby’s Pizza World, I found myself in an unexpected predicament. As we were fine-tuning the animatronics, Circus Baby herself took a tragic turn, inadvertently claiming the life of William Afton’s daughter, Elizabeth, during our practice runs.

1. Circus Baby’s Pizza World’s debut got called off, and the authorities disguised Elizabeth Afton’s demise as an unfortunate accident instead.

2. The launch of Circus Baby’s Pizza World never occurred, and they claimed that Elizabeth Afton had met an untimely accidental death.

3. The unveiling of Circus Baby’s Pizza World was scrapped, while her tragic death was falsified as a mere mishap – Elizabeth Afton’s.

4. Instead of opening Circus Baby’s Pizza World, they made up the story that Elizabeth Afton passed away in an accident.

5. The grand opening of Circus Baby’s Pizza World was nixed, and Elizabeth Afton’s death was fabricated as a freak accident.

After her demise, Elizabeth’s ethereal presence took over the mechanical form of Circus Baby. This possessed animatronic was transported to the Circus Baby’s Amusements and Leasing center, where it joined the ranks of the other homicidal Funtime Animatronics.

In disguise at his job, Michael Afto grew increasingly dedicated to aiding and liberating the spirits of the children who had been brutally slain. Particularly focused on rescuing his sister’s spirit from Circus Baby, he endeavored to maintain proximity to her as she led him further into the complex.

Without him realizing it, the entity leading him on his journey was not his sister but rather Ennard, a clown-themed animatronic endoskeleton. Interestingly, Ennard is inhabited by almost all of the souls that were taken from the facility, including that of Elizabeth.

Eventually, this distorted mix of tormented spirits draws Michael into what’s known as the “Extraction Chamber.” Tragically, in this chamber, the very souls Michael had been striving so hard to rescue turn against him. The horrifying act unfolds when his inner organs are removed to make way for Ennard.

In simpler terms, Ennard sneaks into Michael’s physical form to disguise itself as human and break free from the facility. But, during a small game, it was revealed that Ennad was expelled from Michael’s corpse through vomiting, surprisingly leaving Michael still alive and lumbering away.

As Michael Afton, haunted by the tragic demise of my dear brother in 1983, I find myself drawn towards the third Freddy Fazbear establishment that my father has recently opened. My resolve remains unwavering – to rectify the wrongs committed not only by my father but also by myself. The ghost of that fateful past continues to spur me onward.

The title “Sister Location” gains a fresh interpretation when you understand that it refers to the real place where Michael Afton’s deceased sister is found.

Five Nights at Freddy’s

1993

The first installment of Five Nights at Freddy’s is set in the year 1993, immediately following the occurrences detailed in Sister Location.

In the course of this game, Michael Afton assumes the identity of Mike Schmidt to secure a night guard position at the latest Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. It’s this character that players control during the gameplay in FNAF.

After spending a week navigating the animatronics and discerning their behaviors, Michael decides to manipulate the AI settings of these machines, altering their level of aggression. Unfortunately, his meddling is discovered, leading to his dismissal from work. To add insult to injury, there were also rumors about an unpleasant smell he allegedly produced during his shifts.

At a later time, following Michael Afton’s termination, his father decided to pay a visit to the establishment with the intention of dismantling the original animatronics. By demolishing these mechanical entities, which still housed the spirits of the children vanished in 1985, he believed he could set them free and absorb their souls, thus achieving immortality for himself.

During his exploration on fear-related phenomena, William uncovered a unique ability: he could capture the essence or life force of children, which he could then attach to ordinary items or assimilate within himself. This essential energy is often called Remnant, but it only receives this name once it has been connected to an object in the process known as binding.

Once William annihilates the primary animatronics, the spirits of the slain children grow agitated and retaliate. Among these vengeful entities, one was yet tied to a container; a child called Cassidy within the Golden Freddy costume. While still tethered to the suit, Cassidy starts chasing him throughout the facility.

While being chased, William sought refuge in a concealed safe space within the establishment as the ghostly cries of the tormented children echoed around him. Subsequently, he stumbled upon his former Spring Bonnie outfit and contemplated using it to frighten the spectral children, since he had donned it during the times when he took their lives. He subsequently decided to wear it.

Immediately after he slipped on the suit, a surprising event occurred: the robust spring mechanisms within the suit sprang to life, inadvertently imprisoning and ultimately taking his life. This tragic incident resulted in his spirit being tethered to the robot’s body, which later evolved into the notorious Springtrap animatronic.

Following his demise, it’s revealed that the spectral forms of the original Lost Kids fade away, finding peace since their oppressor no longer exists.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 3

Early 2020s

Following the occurrences in the initial Five Nights at Freddy’s game, William Afton disappeared for approximately three decades, confined within the safe room of the final Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza establishment. Thirty years later, the storyline of FNAF 3 unfolds.

Following the vanishing act of William Afton, Henry Emily stepped up to manage and make decisions for the entire Fazbear Entertainment enterprise alone. The company had been tarnished, and the abrupt disappearance of its second co-founder only added to its woes.

Instead of shutting down the business, Henry opted to leverage its questionable history by establishing a spooky theme park attraction within a nearby amusement park.

opting to employ vintage items from former Freddy Fazbear Pizza restaurants, Springtrap is dug up and installed within the exhibit.

In this scenario, individuals assume the role of Michael Afton, a character who miraculously seems to be alive despite all odds, as he applies once more for a security guard job at Fazbear Frights.

The player learns via prerecorded announcements that they must safeguard the facility for an entire week before its inauguration. During this time, the players will be continuously pursued by Springtrap and haunted by the ghostly remnants of past Fazbear robots.

In the game, while there are other robotic characters, it’s only Springtrap that can harm the player, as the others are merely illusions or figments of imagination.

Should you make it through Nightmare Mode and reach the finale, it’s unveiled that Michael Afton, under the pretext of malfunctioning wiring, intentionally burned down Fazbear Frights as a desperate attempt to eliminate his father forever.

Michael uncovered the mysteries of soul-linking, learning that Remnants could potentially be annihilated by excessive heat.

Only those very close to the individual who uncovered this secret could possibly know about it, strongly hinting that Michael Afton might indeed be the one who set fire to Fazbear Frights.

Despite the uncertainty about the method, it’s evident that Springtrap found a way to break free from the flames and live on, albeit in a severely damaged state.

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator

Mid 2020s

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator stands out among the series due to its distinct gameplay approach. Unlike the other games that are horror titles based on pointing and clicking, this one is more about managing a restaurant, creating a simulation experience instead.

As a gamer, I uncovered the grim reality behind the missing kids and William’s connection to them—even his role in the tragic death of his daughter, Charlotte.

To rectify the situation, he tries to entice all the remaining animated characters, including Springtrap, into a fresh Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza restaurant.

Henry makes a decision to post an advertisement looking for someone to manage the new branch. This person turns out to be Michael Afton, though it’s unclear if they were aware of each other’s intentions initially. For the entire game, players control Michael Afton.

During the entire game, the player is encouraged to gather and recover any discarded mechanical bits and antiquated animatronic figures from the initial Freddy Fazbear’s venues.

After gathering everything and confining it within, Henry sets fire to everything to ashes, aiming for one last chance to liberate the spirits of the children and annihilate Springtrap once and for all.

It’s uncovered subsequently that Michael Afton decided to remain behind and perish alongside his father, as he thought this act would at last free him and his kin from the burden of their transgressions.

Immediately following his death by fire, William Afton’s soul gets transferred into a torturous nightmare realm known as purgatory. This tormentor, who is one of the kids Afton had murdered, remains largely unknown, but he is frequently called The One You Shouldn’t Have Let Live.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted

Late 2020s/Early 2030s

It might have seemed like the ordeal concluded with the Pizzeria Simulator, considering that William Afton and his child allegedly perished in a fire. However, your assumption would prove incorrect.

Even though William Afton’s spirit was destined for eternal torment in Hell, it was halted instead by the entity known as The One You Shouldn’t Have Killed. Instead of going straight to Hell, his soul was sent to a limbo-like realm, where he would endure continuous torture for an infinite amount of time.

Despite technically remaining alive, he found a way to evade death yet again. By transferring a portion of himself into a circuit board within the remnants of the Springtrap costume, he ensured his comeback in Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted.

Following the demise of the Afton family, Fazbear Entertainment, now under the management of Henry Emily, strives to restore its sullied image by developing a virtual reality (VR) game as a means to conceal its troubled past, attract fresh supporters, and ultimately regain financial stability. This innovative VR creation is essentially a game within a game in the realm of virtual reality.

On this occasion, gamers will assume the character of a fresh protagonist – a game tester named Vanessa, who is assigned the responsibility of testing the game titled Help Wanted.

As she progresses in the game, her awareness unexpectedly blends with that of William Afton, who, in a chilling twist, has taken the form of a virus within the aging Springtrap’s electronic system.

This event leads to the emergence of an entity similar to a virus called Glitchtrap. Somehow, Glitchtrap breaks free from its virtual prison using Vanessa (also known as “Vanny”). Later on, due to her continued affiliation with the company, Vanny is relocated to a different Fazbear Entertainment venue – Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizza Plex.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach

2035

In the thrilling world of Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach, I find myself stepping into the shoes of a brand-new character named Gregory, much like how I took on different roles in Help Wanted. The game promises another chilling adventure!

In this game, the action unfolds several years following the incidents in Help Wanted, and during that period, a venue called “Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizza Plex” was constructed.

This venue was intended as a correction from past Fazbear Pizza restaurants, yet it’s revealed in one of the game’s tragic endings that nine additional children have vanished since its opening.

In Security Breach, players take on the role of Gregory, a youth who finds himself confined within the shuttered Pizza Plex.

Inside, he is persistently chased by the Glamrock animatronics and Vanny, whose role involves tracking down any unauthorized individuals. Vanny’s awareness has been tainted by fragments of William Afton’s spirit; she is predominantly operated by Glitchtrap now and serves as the Pizza Plex’s head of security.

In an unexpected turn of events, it’s Glamrock Freddy who steps up as a helpful figure for Gregory, actively preventing his encounters with Vanny and assisting him in making a hasty exit.

While there’s been much discussion about it, there’s no evidence suggesting that the robots in Security Breach are inhabited by the spirits of deceased kids. Instead, they appear to be managed by an advanced AI system and manipulated by the character known as Vanny.

It’s thought that Glamrock Freddy might be an anomaly, considering his apparent sincere feelings and mentioning that something occurred to him while at the Pizza Plex.

It’s possible that the spirit within Glamrock Freddy might belong to Michael Afton, a soul unable to find peace until his father is permanently destroyed. Some fans also propose the possibility of it being the spirit of Henry Emily’s daughter Charlotte, although this hasn’t been officially verified as true in the storyline.

No matter what, the real conclusion of Security Breach shows that Gregory successfully escapes the Pizzaplex with assistance from Glamrock Freddy. At the same time, Vanessa is liberated from Glitchtrap’s influence.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2

Late 2035/Early 2036

In terms of unpredictability, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 stands out even within the series, which is quite remarkable.

The narrative of Help Wanted 2 commences through the eyes of the last human worker at the Pizza Plex, strongly suggested to be the father of Cassie, a key character from the Ruin DLC in Security Breach.

As a gaming enthusiast, diving into the world of Pizza Plex, I found myself taking on the role of an employee. The tasks at hand are reminiscent of what one might expect in real life. However, the twist is that everything is presented in a delightfully gruesome fashion – from serving up pizzas to handling customer complaints. But as I progressed deeper into this digital workplace, the cheerful horror turned darker and more ominous, hinting at sinister secrets lurking beneath the surface.

As an ardent fan, I must admit that this game doesn’t appear to contribute significantly to the broader narrative of the franchise. However, its inclusion is justified by the unique, thought-provoking endings it offers. These endings seem to carry profound implications for the past and future of Fazbear Entertainment and its creators, making me eagerly anticipate what unfolds next in the storyline.

In one of the conclusions, a Bonnie mask subtly hints that Cassie’s father might have been among Michael Afton’s high school friends in 1983. If this is true, he would have been present during the “Bite of ’83,” an incident that ultimately claimed Michael’s brother’s life.

In an alternate scenario, Cassie’s father can be seen assembling fragments of an electronic circuit board, inadvertently reawakening Glitchtrap once more.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach – Ruin DLC

Late 2035/Early 2036

In the sequence of events within the FNAF timeline, the concluding segment is represented by Ruin, an additional content expansion designed for the Security Breach video game.

In this expansion pack, we are introduced to a new character, a youthful girl called Cassie. She is the child of the main character from Help Wanted 2 and has a friendship with the main character of Security Breach, named Gregory.

Contestants guide Cassie towards the remnants of the Pizza Plex, seeking out Gregory following a puzzling missive he supposedly sent her. A character asserting to be Gregory dispatched this message not too long after the happenings of Security Brech, expressing distress over being stuck and in need of rescue.

At the Pizza Plex, it’s impossible to locate Gregory. As a result, Cassie is compelled to delve further and further into the dangerous labyrinth to find him. During her exploration, she maintains contact with who she assumes is Gregory, though her trust in these interactions seems to dwindle as the game unfolds.

Actually, Cassie was drawn towards Pizza Plex by The Mimic, a being yearning intensely for release, aiming to create chaos worldwide.

In the community, there’s a lot of debate about who or what The Mimic really is. Some supporters believe it to be a unique entity on its own, while others propose that it shares an identity with Glitchtrap.

Despite the debates about their validity, there appears to be strong hints suggesting a close connection between The Mimic and any remaining fragments of William Afton, often referred to as “Glitchtrap”.

Whether these theories are true or not, it seems that The Mimic is closely linked with what remains of the character called Glitchtrap, who was once William Afton.

Towards the close of the Downloadable Content (DLC), an unexpected twist unfolds: “Gregory,” as it turns out, had been disguised as The Mimic throughout. Unbeknownst to Cassie, she inadvertently released The Mimic during their interactions.

Why Aren’t All the FNAF Games Listed?

If you’re really into the FNAF game series, you might have spotted a few titles that seem to be missing from this timeline of releases.

In other words, these types of games, such as “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery,” are considered spin-offs and don’t significantly impact the main storyline within the franchise.

There’s been a lot of discussion about whether Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 and Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator can be considered main series games, as they don’t adhere to the traditional FNAF format. However, despite this, they were still included in this list because of their significant role in advancing the game’s storyline. Moreover, many events within these games align with established canon.

At present, the game titled “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic” hasn’t hit the shelves yet, but there are whispers suggesting it might unfold in the year 1979 – a significant timeline that could kick off a fresh chapter for the franchise.

Has All of This Been Verified as Canon?

In the earlier Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) games, most happenings are generally recognized as part of the main story due to official announcements, in-game hints, and additional resources. However, this level of confirmation may not apply equally to the newer FNAF installments.

These games such as Help Wanted, Help Wanted 2, Security Breach, and its Ruin expansion pack provide plenty of room for speculation and theory due to their ambiguous aspects.

In other words, while we, as a community, have formed our own theories based on clues found within the game, these ideas haven’t been officially accepted or rejected as absolute facts in the game’s storyline.

To be honest, a large portion of this timeline is more like well-informed speculations from the community, rather than concrete facts about the exact sequence of historical events.

With each fresh game launch, the intriguing narrative of FNAF is gradually unveiled, implying that the hidden truth behind it will soon be brought to light.

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2025-01-10 18:41