Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 takes place in November 1987, during the so‑called “Bite of ’87” era, and is set before the events of the first FNAF game in the series timeline.
In-universe time period
The in‑game paycheck at the end of FNAF 2 shows a date in 1987, which anchors the game’s events to that year within the series’ lore. Community analyses and retrospectives narrow this to November 1987, based on phone calls, minigame events, and the timing of key incidents referenced later in FNAF 1.
Relation to FNAF 1
FNAF 2 is considered a prequel because FNAF 1 treats the Bite of ’87 as a past incident, while FNAF 2 depicts the time period when that event occurs. The presence of Phone Guy (alive) and references to future plans for a “smaller location” that reuses older animatronics also indicate that FNAF 1’s setting comes several years later, often placed around the early 1990s.
Timeline overview
- FNAF 2: New and improved Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza in 1987, with toy and withered animatronics active.
- Bite of ’87: Commonly linked by fans to events happening around the end of the FNAF 2 work week.
- FNAF 1: Later restaurant using refurbished animatronics, with the Bite of ’87 already in the past and stricter safety rules in place.
