Bendy 3 now in pre-production, game dev hints new stories may be made

Bendy 3 will be the final installment in the main series of games, but it’s been hinted that other stories set in this universe will be told.

Bendy 3 is currently in pre-production

Various horror series have gained notoriety thanks to the internet and Let’s Play YouTube videos. Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) and Poppy Playtime are prime examples, and Bendy and the Ink Machine is no exception. The official Bendy X (formerly Twitter) account has confirmed that a third game is in the works and is currently in pre-production. Bendy developer @themeatly even joked that Bendy “always comes back” (a clear nod to major FNAF antagonist William Afton, AKA the Purple Guy).

Bendy will return… in the third game.#BENDY #BENDY3 pic.twitter.com/t8zPQFnGWP

— Bendy (@Bendy) April 18, 2024

Besides this teaser, not much else has been revealed regarding this third entry. @themeatly responded to an X user before the announcement, saying that “all good stories come to an end and need to” and that Bendy 3 will be the last mainline Bendy game, though he also teased that other stories can be told in this universe.

All good stories come to an end and need to. 🙂 Conclusion is what makes a journey meaningful. I expect a third game would be the last one of the mainline games. But I will say that the Bendy universe itself has lot of other stories that could be told. 🙂

— theMeatly (@themeatly) April 17, 2024

What is Bendy and the Ink Machine?

What if Disney tried bringing Mickey Mouse to life, but things went south? That’s basically what the Bendy series is. Joey Drew, the owner of Joey Drew Studios, tried to bring studio mascot Bendy (a cute devil) to life, and the results aren’t pretty.

The first game, Bendy and the Ink Machine sees the in-universe creator of Bendy, Henry, venturing into the Studio after 30 years have passed and discovers the Ink Machine, the contraption that brings fictional characters to life, but some come out as ink monsters. One of the abominations that Henry contends with is Bendy, as well as other ink monsters, some of which are twisted versions of other mascots he created.

The sequel, Bendy and the Dark Revival is set a decade after the first game and focuses on Audrey, an animator of Archgate Pictures, as she is pulled into the ink madness by company janitor Wilson. Audrey discovers she has certain powers while in the realm of the ink creatures as she progresses through the game to escape from Wilson, who wants to use her soul to bring his mascot to life. This game also provides some answers to questions players had after the ending of The Ink Machine.

There are also three other games: Bendy: The Cage, Bendy: Secrets of the Ink Machine, and Boris and the Dark Survival.

The Cage features Henry as the main character as he tries to escape from “The Pit”, a prison housing the darkest of souls. Players will need to “fight the madness before it devours them whole” when the game comes out later this year.

Secrets on the Ink Machine revolves around Riley, a woman picked out by the Gent Corporation (the guys who assisted Joey in making the ink machine) to explore the ink realm, all while she confronts a horrific tragedy from her past. This game was released earlier this week and is free for everyone on Steam.

Boris and the Dark Survival (aka Bendy: Lone Wolf) is a prequel to the first Bendy game and lets players control Boris the Wolf, another mascot Henry made. It’s a top-down horror game where Boris needs to scavenge supplies to survive while being hunted by Bendy. Players can also uncover more of the history of Joey Drew Studios while playing this game.

There was also an endless runner app game called Bendy in Nightmare Run, though it was taken down in 2021 because of technical issues. There was also a dating sim, but that was an April Fool’s joke and wasn’t actually being made. Given Bendy’s popularity, there have also been other items fans can buy, such as novels, comics, employee handbooks, action figures, and even Funko Pops.