The Five Nights at Freddy's series is finally taking it's first steps into the triple-A realm with Steel Wool Games' upcoming Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach. To prep players for the next horror experience of the franchise, a new trailer appeared during Sony's State of Play, with a strange voice seeming to guide the player safely around the new location.
For longtime fans of Five Nights at Freddy's, this type of mysterious, helpful voice is an immediate red flag that the developer may be setting up for an unfortunate twist later on in the story. It's a trick that the original developer of the franchise has used before to set up for some seriously dark endings for some of the most recent titles.
There are a few options for who it could be, specifically characters from previous entries like Help Wanted, the VR title that acts as a new inflection point into the new direction the series is taking. A few earlier characters like Baby, who tried a similar trick in Sister Location might also fit the bill, though some guesses fans have already begun spreading around the internet seem to conflict with the established lore of previous games. Still, whoever this speaker is, players may want to prepare themselves for the type of betrayal and twists that older games in the series have become known for.
The Many Voices in the Trailer
While the latest trailer for Security Breach doesn't give too much away for most players, those that have made it a habit of tearing apart the secrets hidden within every piece of Five Nights at Freddy's media already have guesses for who these people may be. The male voice that opens the trailer is fairly obviously the real killer that's behind the ongoing events of the current series, whether that be the original William Afton, or some strange digital clone. Diving into the deeper lore can be difficult, even for fans that have dedicated hundreds of hours to investigating the hidden details behind website source codes and spectrometer readings.
One specific voice that has caught the attention of series fans is the one who speaks to Gregory, the supposed protagonist of Security Breach. She appears to be guiding the small child that players will be controlling through the 80's-inspired, Glam Rock mall that this new game tasks players with navigating. Most importantly, this new voice might be trying to save the player from the animatronics that seem to be stalking the location in an attempt to kill both the woman and the child.
The Female Security Guard
A somewhat obvious option for who is trying to protect Gregory is the female security guard that is seen seemingly looking for the child on a couple occasions throughout the trailer. Given that previous games in the Five Nights at Freddy's series have had the player take on the roll of a security guard, it's a familiar position for the franchise of characters trying to help, or survive, but are somewhat powerless against the animatronics. Similarly, someone with that job would be in a position to take care of and protect a child like Gregory, making her the most likely candidate for the one attempting to offer a helping hand.
However, on the other end of this, Gregory could also be trying his best to avoid this security guard, since he appears to be sneaking around the mall after hours. So, getting caught by this woman could work into Security Breach's game mechanics by being a losing scenario in which the child is either forced out of the mall or progress is set back temporarily. If that's the case, then this could mean that someone else is guiding Gregory around the area, specifically someone who would want to avoid the building's security.
Bunny Killer Vanny
The big mystery of Security Breach, that had initially been introduced in certain versions of Help Wanted, is the identity of the new bunny masked killer, Vanny. In fact, at this point in the mystery, it isn't even confirmed among fans that this new antagonist has actually killed anyone yet, or if they ever really intend to. That being said, some fans think that they've heard the voice of the character before, both in this latest trailer, and throughout a series of hidden tapes in Help Wanted.
It isn't confirmed, but some fans do believe that she might be the Tape Girl from the previous game, having been coerced into taking on the roll of Vanny by the Glitchtrap that appears in Help Wanted. So, this voice in the trailer could be her, guiding Gregory to a similar fate as the somewhat bad endings found by mistakenly following her in the last Five Nights at Freddy's game. Then again, there's nothing confirming or denying any of Vanny's motivations at the moment, even with the plotlines going on within other titles and source code Easter Eggs show her as still being hesitant.
Is Vanny Friendly or Sinister?
Indie games have a bit more leeway when it comes to how to end their stories, specifically when it comes to making good or bad endings that gives a satisfying feeling to players that engage better with the mechanics. While many triple-A titles have the expectation to reward players for making good decisions or completing the game's challenges, indie development of similar games like the endings of Bugsnax aren't under the same scrutiny. As a result, Vanny could go in either direction; if she really is the one guiding Gregory, either to safety as would be expected of a triple-A experience, or to a terrible fate.
Knowing the way many of the most recent games with more in-depth story content sprinkled throughout the series have approached their endings, chances are high that Security Breach won't be uplifting in the end. This is especially the case if Vanny turns out to be the same character players met in Help Wanted through the tapes hidden throughout the game. While there is a chance that this latest game could be reaching out for a more mainstream crowd with a happier ending, the hesitation in Vanny is likely going to change into embracing the killer mindset, with Gregory and the player as her first victim.
Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach is set to release in 2021 for PC, PS4, and PS5.