Lore

The Lore of Abiotic Factor is discovered primarily by interacting with Hologram Messages, Emails, visiting specific locations or talking with Non-Hostile NPCs. Some story content is also transcribed in the player's GATE Pal, which contains the GATE Compendium, a catalogue of Immurement Subjects, Entities, Locations, People, Theories, and the Fish Database.

Additionally, several details of lore can be found in external game trailers on the official YouTube channel and even in the patch notes.

Summary

Plot

The player, a scientist of GATE, has been transferred to the GATE Cascade Research Facility, located in the Western Australian Outback in 1993.

Factions

Main Actors

GATE (Garrick Advanced Technology Enterprises)

See: GATE

Garrick Advanced Technology Enterprises (commonly known as GATE) is a global leader in advanced research and technological development. As the parent organization, GATE operates numerous Facilities worldwide, each focused on exploring, studying, and safeguarding Entities unusual and often hazardous phenomena.

Keystone

• A faction within GATE, possibly upper management or highest clearance.

The Gatekeepers

See: Gatekeepers

• A mercenary faction tied with GATE, fulfilling the role of a 'containment team'.

The Order (Supremus Ordo Petrae)

See: The Order

• A mysterious and religious militant group opposing GATE.

The Puppeteer

• Creator of the Composers and Symphonists.

Unknown Entities

• As detailed examples as possible of the instances were an IS was willingly placed (theorized) by an entity : Timebomb on earth, exors in Anteverse 2 etc.

Timeline

• 1.2 million years ago: IS-0172 is created by unknown means.

• 300,000 - 4000 BC: IS-0059 has its first encounter with humanity.

• 300 BC: IS-0078 is discovered in Persia.

• 200 BC: IS-0107 is discovered in Djenne, Mali.

• 1 BCE: The first recorded appearance of IS-0177 occurs in Jerusalem.

• 1100s: The Sagittari training was founded, eventually being absorbed by The Order, later becoming known as Order: Sagittarii.

• 1826: IS-0003 is discovered on the corpse of an unknown lynching victim in Boston.

• 1931: IS-0172 is discovered in Nevşehir, Turkey.

• 1933: IS-0107 is discovered to be growing 0.1% per year.

• 1941: Dr. Derek Manse is born.

• 1950s: A Lithium Mine in the Australian outback finishes construction at roughly 200 meters underground.

• 1961: IS-0166 is lost within the Berlin Wall with its last known location being somewhere in Czechoslovakia.

• 1967: GATE is founded by Dr. Annette Garrick.

• 1968: IS-0013 is recovered by Gatekeepers from Acquin, Haiti.

• 1969: The Hydroplant Sector of the Lithium Mine finishes construction.

• 1970s: IS-0093 is created by a group of Russian Psychotronic researchers.

• 1977:
  • The old Lithium Mine is acquired by GATE, being renamed to the 'GATE Cascade Research Facility' after undergoing heavy renovations.
  • T.R Enderson is hired directly by Annette Garrick.

• 1979: The old Lithium Mine accommodation is refitted and reopened as the Residence Sector.

• 1980s: Presumably, Dr. Elanor Newman sets up rudimentary Perforation machines near the prototype GATE Fusion Reactor to attempt to create a Perforation, later resulting in the discovery of Anteverse 2 by Dr. Theo Laciter, it is unknown where this takes place in the timeline, however due to the discovery of the Exor in 1987, it can be assumed it was sometime in the same decade.

• Late 1980s: GATE acquires ownership of Intrados.

• 1982:
  • IS-0107 is launched into space by Albert Cahn to prevent it from consuming the solar system with its last known location being somewhere past Jupiter.
  • IS-0018 is also recovered from the House of Windsor around this time.

• 1983: IS-0093 is recovered by GATE.

• 1984: Several instances of IS-0023 are recovered from Anteverse 42, however they are later devoured by the one present in-game.

• 1985:
  • The coordinates leading to IS-0028 are lost.
  • IS-0169 is recovered from Exmoor.
  • G.A.S.S. and G.A.I.A. are created by GATE after the 'Torii Facility Decompression' by Dr. Alice Mayfield.
  • The Synchrotron located within Manufacturing West overloads, creating a miniature-singularity and killing 2 people.
  • IS-0107 is launched into space.

• 1986: IS-0017 is recovered from a farmhouse located in Swan's Island, Maine.

• 1987:
  • Exors are discovered by Dr. Lenora Riggs in Anteverse 2.
  • IS-0014 is recovered from Chardzhou, IS-0083 is recovered from the basement of an abandoned mall in Anaheim.
  • IS-0101 is intercepted by The Order and stolen.
  • IS-0235 is identified.

• 1988:
  • IS-0111 is recovered from Anteverse 3.
  • Alice Hong joins the GATE Defense Team at Rise.
  • Elanor Newman spearheads the first Cascade on-site perforations in Reactors

• 1989:
  • IS-0052 is recovered from Anteverse 8.
  • IS-0166 is rediscovered in East Germany by The Order after the destruction of the Berlin Wall.

• 1990:
  • An unknown employee working within the Office Sector creates a prototype software later becoming known as the internet, being tested by Dr. Abe Stern and Dr. Janet Ross.
  • Alice Hong accepts temporary additional assignment to Cascade to manage research security into IS-0102 and other subjects.

• 1991:
  • IS-0059 and The Night Realm first appear.
  • IS-0053 manifests within the Gate Cascade Research Facility.
  • IS-0155-B is recovered from Anteverse 2.
  • September: Dr. Tengku makes her report to Keystone about Anteverse 2.

• 1992:
  • The last known sighting of IS-0235 occurs before being classified as Endangered by GATE.
  • Jimmy Sanders moves to Sydney, shortly after. He acquires a job at Cascade.

• Unknown: Sometime Dr. Albert Cahn passes away. At least two years before 1993.

• 1993:
  • IS-0422 is discovered within the swamps of Anteverse 168.
  • IS-0121 is recovered from Anteverse 42.
  • IS-0307 infects IS-0083.
  • IS-0139 is discovered within the mines of Manufacturing West.
  • IS-0299 is discovered in the GATE Cascade Research Facility.
  • March 15th 7:00am: The player arrives to the GATE Cascade Research Facility. Transferred from the GATE Springer Facility.
  • March 16th: The events of the game begin.
    • The Order initiates attacks on GATE facilities across the globe.
      • The GATE Rise Bio-Laboratory is taken over by The Order, along with the GATE Voussoir Facility.
      • The Order also attempts to infiltrate the GATE Crown Control Facility and are successful in killing the research staff stationed there before being driven out by instances of IS-0064.
    • The player enters the facility, going through a brief training and introduction course before being sent to Residence Sector, however due to The Order's attacks the facility goes into emergency lockdown and the player is redirected to Office Sector.
    • The player ventures through Crown Control Facility in search of a Power Cell, disabling the containment field holding IS-0064 and IS-0407, consequently releasing them into the GATE Cascade Research Facility.
    • The player attempts to escape the GATE Cascade Research Facility through a surface tunnel located within Manufacturing West, however it was collapsed by Sappers for unknown reasons, where the player meets with Hasta Tria for the first time and seeks an exit via the surface elevator within the Security Sector.
    • The Synchrotron is destroyed by the player and Sarah Frake via another miniature-singularity as a way to create an escape tunnel from Manufacturing West into Cascade Laboratories.
    • IS-0173-B is created by Dr. Stern.
    • IS-0091 and IS-0091-B escape containment following The Order's assault on Cascade Laboratories, pursuing the player throughout the facility.
    • The player meets Dr. Albert Cahn trapped in Containment Block Baird and resets the security system to gain access to Containment Block Anning, which also frees Dr. Cahn from IS-0012's containment cell. In reality, Dr. Cahn is IS-0012 in disguise.
    • Subjects infected with IS-0102 escape containment after the player unlocks and ventures through Containment Block Helmholtz.
    • The player traverses the Security Sector, encountering IS-0059 and venturing through Anteverse 39.
    • The surface elevator within Security Sector collapses by unknown means when used by the player, the player is redirected to the Hydroplant.
    • G.A.D.D., a highly modified version of G.A.S.S., are deployed prematurely due to The Order's invasion of Cascade.
    • The player is able to enter the Intrados Waygate in Reactors and is tricked by Dr. Cahn into releasing IS-0117 from its containment in Shadowgate. The player enters the portal left behind, taking them to Anteverse 2 and subsequently the Praetorium, where they meet Hasta Tria again.