Developer Bloober Team is adding an easier difficulty option to its psychological horror game Chronos: The New Dawn. The update, arriving in early 2026, aims to make the experience more accessible without altering core gameplay. This follows the game's September 2025 launch, which received positive reviews but limited attention.
Chronos: The New Dawn, a time-travelling psychological horror game from Polish studio Bloober Team, launched in September 2025. Set in a suffocating portrayal of 1980s Poland, the title explores themes of immersion and deception, earning praise in reviews. Eurogamer awarded it four stars, with writer Kelsey describing it as "Bloober Team's best original game yet. An immersive romp through a suffocating portrayal of 80s Poland, where your journey is far from what it first seems."
Currently, the game offers two difficulty modes: the standard Anvil of the Collective and the harder Forged in Fire, which unlocks after completing the standard mode. However, some players found the base difficulty challenging, contributing to its lower profile at launch—reportedly overshadowed by the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong the day before.
To address this, Bloober Team announced an update for early 2026 introducing Temporal Driver Mode, an easier option that doubles player health and halves enemy health. This change preserves the overall experience while reducing the gameplay challenge, potentially broadening the game's appeal. A demo is available on Steam and Epic Games Store for those interested in trying it out.
The addition reflects a growing trend in gaming to include accessibility features post-launch, ensuring more players can engage with titles like Chronos: The New Dawn without excessive frustration.