Cronos Lazarus Tracker is the new hunter sent by the Collective to stop the Pathfinder in Bloober Team’s survival horror prequel. The Collective sends this relentless pursuer after the Pathfinder, who is trying to revive a lost Essence against his former organisation’s wishes.
Lazarus releases on December 3, 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Here’s who the Tracker and Pathfinder are, how the new abilities work and why their conflict matters to the story.
Who Is the Cronos Lazarus Tracker?
The Cronos Lazarus Tracker is an envoy of the Collective, the organisation behind the Travelers. Its assignment is to find and stop the Pathfinder before he completes his secret revival mission. That makes the chase central to the story, rather than a side encounter.
Bloober Team calls the Tracker relentless and highly adaptable, capable of matching the Warden’s strength. Its August gameplay footage shows a shift towards fast combat, repositioning and quick tactical choices. The confirmed threat is a pursuer, not a numbered set of boss phases.
Who Is the Pathfinder in Cronos Lazarus?
The Pathfinder is a former elite agent of the Collective, later known as the Warden in The New Dawn. Lazarus takes place earlier, showing how his mission and defiance lead to that identity. He has become isolated in the Terminal but refuses to abandon the Essence he wants to restore.
The Tracker’s mission reverses the original game’s relationship with the Collective. Instead of following its orders to retrieve Essences, you’re controlling someone who is actively defying those orders while trying to bring an Essence back.
How Does the Cronos Lazarus Tracker Change Combat?
Bloober Team says Lazarus will be more aggressive than The New Dawn, with the Cronos Lazarus Tracker putting pressure on the player to move rather than stay in one position. The original game’s danger from merging Orphans still provides the survival horror foundation, but the Pathfinder has more ways to evade threats.
Bloober Team says the Pathfinder’s upgraded traversal and combat abilities are meant to answer that pressure. Think about reaching a safer position and creating an opening rather than assuming every confrontation is a straightforward fight to the death.
Pathfinder Teleportation and Decoy Abilities
Teleportation allows the Pathfinder to relocate within a designated area. Bloober Team describes it as useful for avoiding enemies or gaining a better position. It isn’t presented as unlimited travel around the world.
Decoy leaves a ghostly copy behind to draw enemy attention while the Pathfinder briefly becomes invisible. It gives you an opening to retreat or change position. Against the Cronos Lazarus Tracker, the idea is to redirect attention while getting away from immediate danger, rather than treating invisibility as permanent protection.
What Weapon Does the Pathfinder Have?
The Gladius is the new weapon Bloober Team has shown for Lazarus. It is faster and deadlier than the Dagger from The New Dawn. Alongside teleportation and decoy, it supports a more offensive approach without removing the need for careful movement.
The Gladius is a stronger counterpart to the original Dagger. Its exact pickup point and upgrade requirements aren’t part of the pre-launch gameplay reveal, so this guide focuses on the weapon’s confirmed combat role.
When Can You Fight or Escape the Tracker?
The Cronos Lazarus Tracker arrives on December 3 with the PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S version. Nintendo Switch 2 follows in Q1 2027. The expansion costs $9.99 in the US and requires Cronos: The New Dawn.
For the wider release details and the new Gladius and teleportation mechanics, see our Lazarus DLC overview and abilities guide. The Tracker’s exact encounter routes will be covered when the expansion launches.
Official source: Bloober Team, Lazarus gameplay reveal.
