A big-budget Five Nights at Freddy's game is in the works

Five Nights at Freddy's creator Scott Cawthon said in a Steam update posted today that "there are a lot of great things being worked on," most of which will see the light of day in 2019. The FNAF movie announced in February will not be one of them, however, and not just because it takes a long time to make a movie: Cawthon said he had a script completed and everyone was happy with it, but then he decided that he wasn't, so he tossed it and started over. 

"It’s been a real challenge for everyone, including myself, to come up with a good screenplay for this. But I’m determined to find the right story," Cawthon wrote. "I’m sticking to what I’ve always said, either the right movie gets made or no movie gets made. I hate delaying a project that’s already seen so many delays, but I have to go with my instincts on what I think will be exciting and interesting, and what I think the fanbase will really want to see."

He also warned that he'll scrap it and start over again, as many times as it takes, if he decides it's necessary. 

On the videogame front, Cawthon said that Five Nights at Freddy's VR is about 40 percent complete and "looking terrific," while the AR game is further from the finish line but  "well underway." He also made mention of Five Nights at Freddy's: Into Madness, "a compilation of several previous gameplay ideas" that he'd like to put together as a free game for fans, but which may or may not happen depending on how things shake out.   

The biggest news is the tease of a 'triple-A' Five Nights project that's in the works. "There is a BIG deal in the works to create an incredible big-budget game!" Cawthon wrote. "I can’t reveal any details yet as this project is still in its planning stages, but I’m working closely with the studio involved to ensure that it delivers what (I think) FNAF fans will want to see!" 

The most recent Five Nights at Freddy's Game, a sort of DIY horror experience called Ultimate Custom Night, was released for free in June.   

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.