NOTICE: THIS DOCUMENT IS TO BE CONSIDERED OUTDATED, SOME INFORMATION MAY STILL BE CORRECT, HOWEVER IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PROJECT NEXUS LORE I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST TAKING A LOOK AT MY LORE VIDEOS.

YOU CAN FIND THEM HERE

This document, for all intents and purposes, is to catalogue the known lore of MADNESS: Project Nexus in a clear and concise manner for ease of access and ease of understanding. Because of the nature of this document, there will be very many spoilers.

Index:

Chapter 1: Nevada.
Chapter 2: Generations.
Chapter 3: Gods.
Chapter 4: S-3LF Energy.
Chapter 5: The Nexus Core.
Chapter 6: Project Nexus Classic Episode 1.5
Chapter 7: Project Nexus Classic Episode 1
Chapter 8: MADNESS: Project Nexus.
Chapter 9: Arena Mode.
Chapter 10: A Cohesive Stream of Events

Chapter 1: Nevada

To begin this chapter, let us establish the world we will be studying and thus deconstructing. Firstly, we must understand where we are, which is a land known as Nevada.

Nevada is a seemingly indefinitely large plot of land, extending outwards in every direction to what appears to be no end. Despite sharing the same name as the state that resides within the United States of America, this land is fundamentally different and thus is not the same. As far as we know, the United States does not exist in this world. The land is largely barren and gray, composed of soil and rock. Despite this, however, there are instances of trees being encountered in the landscape, although they appear to be few and far between. These trees are the only known flora that exists in Nevada. (Citation needed.)

In terms of native Fauna, the most notable and prominent denizens of Nevada would be the Nevadean people. While structurally similar to human beings, they operate differently from us in notable ways. Nevadean biology differs in these ways:

Nevadeans do not have arms, although they do have hands which are attached to their body by an unseen force. Attempting to remove these hands by force can result in dire consequences. (See: AN EXPERIMENT.)
Nevadeans do not appear to have mouths at first glance, but can open them at will and they will become visible. When the mouth is closed, however, it is not immediately visible.
While not immediately visible, Nevadeans do indeed have eyes.
Nevadeans are all “born” with a cross on their face, which starts at the top of the forehead and ends at the chin. The secondary line of the cross begins from one cheek to the other. It is unknown if this cross serves any purpose.
Nevadeans cannot reproduce by any natural means and must use artificial methods to further their species.
Nevadeans of “natural” birth, aka the Generation 1, are created or born with an inherent potential. With this potential, they have the ability to achieve what could be considered Godhood, or a godlike state. This inherent potential exists in further generations of Nevadean peoples, although limited in some aspects.

Despite these differences, Nevadean anatomy is almost identical to that of humans, as they have similar digestive systems, respiratory systems, cardiovascular systems, and nervous systems.

So, where do these mysterious beings come from? The original Nevadeans are known as Generation 1, or simply Gen1. These Nevadeans were the original denizens of Nevada, having populated the land long before anyone else. It is unknown how they got there or how this land was even created, but such is the nature of the mysteries of the universe. However, it is heavily implied a godlike being known as The Maker had a hand in it.

Chapter 2: Generations.

(A chart depicting generations of Nevadeans, created by DarkSignal.)

In time, these Nevadeans formed societies, enough so to develop currency similar to that of the United States dollar and corresponding currencies. One of the only known canon depiction of these generation 1 clones is Marsh Mallow Madness, an animation made by Mr. Krinkels in 2002. In this animation we see the Nevadeans launching each other into a gigantic marshmallow, the ride only costing 25 cents. After firing several people into the cannon, the marshmallow salesman attempts to push it off the cliff and succeeds, but is crushed to death by the marshmallow in the process.

In time, due to the inherent violent nature that all Nevadeans possess, they discovered that their population has dwindled, and fast. To counteract this measure, they created cloning technology which would propel their species into the next generation.

But what happened to the Generation 1 Nevadeans? Where are they now? Do they still exist? The answer to this is YES! Several Generation 1 Nevadeans have been revealed in MADNESS: Project Nexus. Notable Gen 1 Nevadeans include, but are not limited to:

The Arena player character in M:PN’s Arena Mode.
Director Phobos of the Nexus Core.

There are also several possibilities for what could have happened to the bulk of generation 1 Nevadeans, as generation 1s are seemingly few and far between:

It is possible that the Generation 1s simply died of old age or killed each other off.
It’s possible due to the inherent potential that these beings possessed in their Natural creation, that they ascended to some form of godhood. It is possible that these Generation 1s had ascended to what we now know as the Employers, but it is unknown if this is the case, or if the Employers predated the Generation 1s.

As time went on, Generation 1 Nevadeans began to die out and the next generation would take their place in being the main populace of Nevada.

Generation 2 Clones, or Gen2, were the next generation of Nevadean people created by the Generation 1s in order to perpetuate their species in Nevada and repopulate. Generation 2 Clones are known to have much darker skin than their previous Generation 1 counterparts.This feature, however, might not be present in every single Gen2. Despite this visual difference, they do not operate any differently from the previous generation and share the exact same bodily functions and traits as their predecessors. Notable Generation 2 Clones would be Hank J. Wimbleton and Dr. Jebediah Christoff. (CORRECTION: HANK J. WIMBLETON IS NOT A CLONE.)

Furthering the line of Nevadean generations, the Generation 03 Limited Model, or G03LM, was created by the Nexus core. This generation was not intended to be the next generation of Nevadean and were created for service reasons. These G03LMs actively served as butlers, servers, and general manual laborers in Nevada as more cities were established across Nevada.

G03LMs would be the first generation of Nevadean to differ heavily from their predecessors, sporting a much larger physical size, an exposed mouth and teeth, as well as orange colored blood. G03LMs are created by stitching spare parts of other Nevadeans together, hence their Frankenstein’s monster-esque stitched up look.

Further down the lineage, the next generation of proper nevadeans were required, thus came the creation of G04 clones, or Generation 4s. A generation 4 clone is the truest recreation of the previous Generation 1. These clones are 1:1 recreations of any other Nevadean, indistinguishable from anyone else. However, these Nevadeans are not created with a natural consciousness present within them, upon their creation they are considered shells, or templates. Because of this, Generation 4 clones are the most versatile of any generation of Nevadean, they can be given free will and free thought or denied it depending on the needs of their creator. Because of their template status, Generation 4 clones house an indefinite amount of potential within them, allowing them to become anything, be it what their creators imposed on them, or if they are allowed to create their own destiny. Notable Generation 4 clones would be Subject 1v02P_6 as seen in Project Nexus Classic Arena Mode.

The last and final generation is another that was not created to further the Nevadean species, but another created for service. G05s, or Generation 5s, are robotic servants created by the Nexus core. Their primary function is to serve and work, mostly being used in mining operations.

Chapter 3: Gods.

The Employers are a group of beings of unknown origin, but many speculate they are generation 1 Nevadeans of which ascended to godhood via unknown means. It is also possible that they predate any known Nevadean, and perhaps, Nevada itself. Employers are dark, shadow-like figures with pulsing colored eyes. They seem to take the shape of a regular Nevadean, but due to their ability to shape shift, they could take on any form they desire. Their being is non corporeal, which means they are impervious to most forms of physical contact and can phase or “burrow” through solid matter at will. They also act as walking dimensional gateways, being tied to a dimension that exists within their form. It is unknown if every employer shares a single dimension or has one of their own. Because of this ability, they can absorb objects or peoples into this dimension and keep them there for a variety of purposes. However, it is worthy to note that these dimensions are not affiliated with The Other Place, also known more simply as Hell. It is physically impossible for Employers to exist inside of The Other Place, as they have no dominion over it. The Employers are considered by many to be gods, or at the very least, godlike figures.

The earliest known depiction of an Employer is the Auditor, as well as the only known depiction of an employer dimension being known as AuditorHell. (See: Madness Combat 11: Expurgation.)

Despite their godlike status, the employers are very rarely seen in Nevada and mostly keep to themselves, never involving themselves directly in events that happen on the surface. Instead, they Employ other people, giving them tasks in order to enact their will. One notable Employed individual would be Director Phobos, who was given a charter regarding the functions of the Nexus Core.

Due to their godlike status, the Employers are worshiped as gods in some parts of Nevada, some even going as far as attempting to summon them to the physical plane of existence. It is unknown if the Employers choose to be summoned or if the summoning ritual has any dominion over them. (See: Nevada House, MADNESS: Project Nexus arena.)

The role of the employers is to be stewards of the Machine, an all powerful and all controlling force that exists in every facet of Nevada. Every Employer has a specific purpose in the function of Nevada, and two of those purposes are known. The Auditor’s purpose is to bring order to chaos, and has directly involved himself with the happenings in Nevada in order to achieve this goal. The other Employer with a known purpose is Stygian, whose purpose is to be the ferryman of souls from Nevada to the Other Place.

The Employers, however, are not the supreme being in Nevada, as there have been mentions of Higher Powers, it is unknown how many of the Higher Powers there are, as only one has been revealed in the series so far. The one Higher Power that we have seen is the Maker, or Mister Maker. The Maker is a grunt wearing the same clothing as Mr. M, as they are likely the same person. Under his mask lies an open cross that seems to display a galaxy inside of it, or at the very least an indefinite display of stars in the night sky. The Maker explains that he is the one who created Nevada, although this is apparently only a half truth. The Maker’s first appearance can be seen here: https://youtu.be/v-nEQ5sLI3k?t=389

Chapter 4: S-3LF.

S3LF, or S-3LF, is a metaphysical construct that exists within Nevada. S3LF is effectively one's own soul, their identity, their thoughts and experiences. S3LF, however, is not just a physical thing, but rather a concept. S3LF can also be one's own potential to grow, to learn, to become stronger through their experiences. Thus, characters that have little to no free will or are "programmed", such as the A.A.H.W., have minimal to nonexistent S3LFs.

S3LF was discovered by the Nexus Core during their arena training program (See: Project Nexus Classic), the first recorded instance of a S3LF was discovered through Subject 1v02P_6.

S3LF is a quintessential part of every Nevadean as each and every one of them possess some form of S3LF energy, with a few exceptions. This energy, upon death, is expelled from Nevadeans and is sent to what is known as the Other Place, a sort of afterlife or Hell that exists somewhere outside of the boundaries of what is known as Reality. Due to the inherent nature of the Other Place, it is very difficult to access without traditional means (I.E., death). However, it is possible to access this dimension without having died. Because of this, S3LF energy can be extracted from the Other Place and used for a variety of purposes.

The Nexus Core, due to having discovered S3LF, used it as a power source amongst other things. One of their more prominent uses of S3LF was the Sleepwalker Training Program, a soldier cloning operation that would use S3LF energy extracted from Subject 1v02P_6 in order to give soldiers, known as Sleepwalkers, his combat experience. However, one can not just forcefully inject S3LF into a body, not without dire consequences.

The process of placing a S3LF into something is known as Enmeshment. However, the process of Enmeshment may not be exclusive to S3LF.

When S3LF is injected or forced into a corpse, it will result in a Zombie, or Zed. When this same energy is forced into a living subject, it will create an abomination, as the brain is unable to process the sheer amount of memories and experiences being pushed into it all at once.

S3LF is also a crucial part to the creation of more Nevadeans. Due to the imperfections of the cloning process, Generation 2 clones were created with their S3LFs existing in their body upon their creation. As science advanced, clones were created without the inherent presence of S3LF within them, allowing them to become much more versatile.

ADDENDUM: (Note that much of what I’m about to say here is theory and speculation, there is very little concrete evidence as to what exactly happens in 9.5 part 2.) As of the release of Madness Combat 9.5 Part 2, a few more things about S3LF and the nature of The Other Place (TOP) have been revealed. In Madness 9.5 Part 2, we see Hank encounter a past version of himself while in the Other Place. It is worth noting that the Hank seen in 9.5 Part 2, I.E Ninja Hank, is most likely not MC7 Hank, and most likely Project Nexus Hank. This, however, is speculation, and is yet to be confirmed.

This implies that whenever an individual dies and is revived, a copy of their S3LF is left behind with each revival, explaining the multiple Hanks that are encountered in TOP. We see in 9.5 part 2 that Hank in his Antipathy incarnation is extracted and forcefully placed into MAG Hank, seemingly leaving Project Nexus Hank behind. Assuming that it is indeed Project Nexus Hank still in TOP, the whereabouts of MC7 Hank are currently unknown.

This however still enlightens us further on the nature of TOP. We now know that multiple incarnations of an individual’s S3LF can exist at the same time in this dimension, and even interact and kill one another. This is confirmed by Antipathy Hank seemingly having killed MC2 Hank early in the animation.

ADDENDUM 3/4/23: Krinkels has confirmed that the grunt that Antipathy Hank kills is MC2 Hank, at least partially.

We have also seen more into Doc’s control over TOP, in that it seems he is able to choose whoever he wants to bring back, whenever he wants, albeit with some difficulty if we are to assume the Retainer was preventing him from extracting an incarnation of Hank’s S3LF from TOP.

Chapter 5: The Nexus Core

The Nexus Core is the titular main antagonistic faction in MADNESS: Project Nexus. They operate the Science Tower, overseeing Project Nexus under Director Phobos. The founding of the Nexus is an event that is unknown, but one could assume that Director Phobos was directly involved in it.

The Nexus as we know it is a largely military group, although they have a role in the creation of and maintenance of Nexus City. Their units are mostly Agents, Engineers, Soldats, Scouts, and Riot Guards. The Nexus would be pioneers in every form of science, being the ones to originally discover S3LF energy as well as being the creators of Generation 3, 4, and 5 clones.

Most, if not all of these advances in science, were the direct result of Project Nexus, a massive full scale operation initially pitched by Dr. Christoff to utilize S3LF energy to its fullest potential. The first known fully operational section of the overall Project was the Arena Training Program, overseen by Dr. Christoff. This project resulted in the discovery of S3LF energy and would further be used as the basis in further operations of the Project.

At some point in the Nexus Core’s operations, they had created a machine known as the Divergence Engine, a form of the improbability drive that was calibrated to open portals to the Other Place and pull S3LFs out. Through this, they discovered The Other Place.

In another division of the Project, another highly ranking and highly esteemed scientist by the name of Dr. Hoffnar would be tasked in researching the Other Place, the source of S3LF energy. In his research, he was able to discover Dissonance Energy, a substance that was capable of altering the very fabric of reality itself. The substance took a deep, vantablack form with a purple hue or glow around it. The substance was discovered to be highly toxic to individuals, causing them to become ill or to go completely insane after prolonged exposure. Alongside the sickness and onset insanity, dissonant energy was also capable of granting individuals unnatural abilities and powers, which included but are not limited to: Teleportation, telekinesis, flight, magical bolts that could be cast from the hand, and natural production of dissonant energy.

Against the extremely toxic and dangerous nature of the substance, Dr. Hoffnar continued his research and was able to find a method of containing the substance, allowing it to be handled safely. This also resulted in the creation of dissonant weapons. Although, having exposed himself to dissonant reality, Hoffnar’s physical and mental health was in rapid decline. To offset this, he began injecting himself with S3LF energy. (See: Keeplooking.mp4).

In the meantime, Dr. Christoff continued his research, helping develop technology used in Enmeshment with the help of Dr. Crackpot. Crackpot, using the new discovery of Enmeshment, pitched the idea of Plan Zed to Director Phobos, to which the director approved, much to Dr. Christoff’s dismay.

Needing to give Phobos a reason to shut down Plan Zed, Dr. Christoff pitched the idea of the Sleepwalker Program. This program was approved by the director, and the Nexus Core would now be placing S3LF energy into live subjects. However, Phobos still refused to shut down Plan Zed.

Furthering the Sleepwalker Program, Director Phobos repurposed the project in order to make the Sleepwalkers into his personal army, planning to seize the city, fully willing to damn Nevada in order to do it.

Finally reaching his breaking point, Dr. Christoff hatched a plan that would decide the fate of all of Nevada.

Chapter 6: Project Nexus Classic Episode 1.5

Seeing the state of Project Nexus, Dr. Christoff devised a plan with the help of Dr. Hoffnar as well as a mattress salesman known as the Sheriff to kill Director Phobos and end Project Nexus.

Dr. Christoff would begin his plan by releasing the Zeds and Abominations created as side effects of Project Nexus throughout the science tower and into Nexus City, diverting the greater of the Nexus Core’s forces away from him. There was still much work to be done however, and it was a long way up to the top of the Science Tower to Phobos’ office.

Utilizing Dr. Hoffnar’s higher clearance of the building, Christoff began his journey to the top, fighting his way through Agents, Zeds, and Abominations alike.

During his fight through the tower, Christoff would procure the Nexus Artifact, also known as the Keystone Fragment or simply as the Halo. This artifact would grant him incredible, near godlike powers of telekinesis, flight, and allowing him to harness dissonant energy.

After gaining his newfound power, Christoff continued his fight and succeeded in his goal in slaying Director Phobos, leaving the Nexus Core in disarray for years to come. Despite the death of Phobos, the Nexus Core would be able to recuperate and continue Project Nexus 15 years into the future, continuing to recycle S3LFs into more bodies, even going as far as to perfecting the process.

Chapter 7: Project Nexus Classic Episode 1

15 years after Christoff’s betrayal of the Nexus, a mercenary by the name of Hank J. Wimbledon is contracted by the mysterious 2bdamned to do one job. That job is to destroy Project Nexus, whatever the cost.

Hank gladly accepts the contract, seeing it as nothing more than another mission for him to complete. 2bdamned has also given Hank another objective, to rescue two mercenaries under his employment by the names of Sanford and Deimos.

After reading the letter, Hank blows open the wall to an AAHW facility with an RPG and begins his mission. After some brief altercation with AAHW, Hank rescues Sanford and Deimos and agrees to meet up with them a little bit later.

The majority of the game follows Sanford and Deimos from here, fighting their way through AAHW facilities and blowing them up with C4. During the final stage, Hank meets up with Sanford and Deimos and battles a gigantic MAG Agent before stealing a truck and securing their escape.

Chapter 8: MADNESS: Project Nexus

Moments after their escape from the AAHW, Hank is riding on the back of a truck with Sanford and Deimos in the front seats. Deimos asks Hank to check if they’ve been followed, to where Hank sees a massive convoy of AAHW hot on their tail. Not having any other choice, Hank is forced to fight them off on the back of the truck while Sanford and Deimos keep driving away.

After destroying the AAHW who were chasing them, a few outskirts Bandits notice their truck on the way and push a boulder onto the road, flipping the Truck and sending it flying off a nearby cliff.

Despite the crash, everyone survives, but Deimos is briefly incapacitated. Having no desire to sit around and wait, Hank decides to go on ahead, again agreeing with Sanford to meet up later. Hank encounters an AAHW power facility and shuts it down, allowing him access into MERC territory. Hank battles his way through the outskirts against AAHW and Bandits before encountering MAG Bandit and the Sheriff. The Sheriff sits atop a wall that leads to the Industrial Sector and watches as the resulting battle between Hank and MAG Bandit unfolds. Hank successfully injures MAG Bandit and forces him to retreat, crashing through the same wall the Sheriff was on.

Having a new gateway to the Industrial Sector opened, Sanford and Deimos rondevu with Hank. Hank removes himself from the scene yet again, saying he’ll meet them again later once they’ve disabled the Sheriff’s defenses.

The game picks up with Sanford and Deimos fighting their way through various MERC facilities, encountering the ever persistent Church and Jorge. Sanford and Deimos defeat Church and Jorge and make their way to the Sheriff’s main base of operations. Their first encounter with the Sheriff requires them to use cranes to drop heavy boxes on his head, forcing him to retreat. After his retreat, Sanford and Deimos are forced to fight more MERC Soldiers until one of them drops some C4, to where Sanford can destroy the sandbags that the Sheriff is hiding behind.

Cornered, and running out of options, the Sheriff decides to face Sanford and Deimos head on, to where he is defeated. Accepting his fate, the Sheriff asks that they simply get it over with. Deimos reiterates that they were never here to kill him and only wanted safe passage to the rooftops in the residential sector.

The Sheriff agrees to let them pass as Sanford and Deimos take the tramway to the residential sector. This time, the rooftops are populated by city bandits and Zeds. After going through an abandoned apartment complex, Sanford and Deimos cut to the ground level and encounter Burger Gil, a once famous restaurant owner in Nevada turned Zed. Having no other choice, the duo slay the cannibalistic burger chef and continue into the sewers.

Sanford and Deimos continue through the buildings which results in the second encounter with MAG Bandit, to where the gargantuan bandit is killed for good.

Shortly after the altercation with MAG Bandit, the second encounter with Church and Jorge comennses. Despite Church and Jorge’s new armored looks and minions to fight alongside them, they are defeated yet again by Sanford and Deimos.

The game then cuts back to Hank, who has made his way to the Commercial District. His goal here is to locate the notes of Dr. Jebediah Christoff. He discovers the notes on abandoned terminals and computers, confirming the location of Christoff’s hiding spot in an old clothing store called Anger Wear.

This allows Hank to enter the abandoned Asylum, fighting his way through deranged asylum patients and mad doctors. Before leaving the Asylum, he locates the old lab of Dr. Hoffnar, and Dr. Christoff inside of it. Dr. Christoff attempts to convince Hank to abandon his quest, that Project Nexus will not give him any sort of power. He remarks that many have tried to take Project Nexus for themselves and all of them are but Zeds now. Instead of attempting to explain himself, Hank repeatedly asks for the location of Dr. Hoffnar, who is now Tricky the Clown. Christoff, fed up with Hank’s stubborn refusal to leave, initiates a battle.

The fight with Christoff ends with Hank victorious and Hank explains that his goal is not to use Project Nexus, but destroy it. Realizing they share the same goal, Dr. Christoff agrees to help Hank and assists him in his journey.

Hank and Christoff make their way out of the asylum and into the Sleepwalker Labs, encountering the aforementioned sleepwalkers and being forced to fight them if they are to make it through the building alive. After fighting their way through sleepwalkers and various other enemies, Christoff and Hank encounter Tricky, attempting to convince him to join them in helping them destroy Project Nexus. Despite his hatred for the Nexus, Tricky refuses, and locks the duo in the room, forcing them to play a twisted game known as Murder Time.

Hank and Christoff survive the death trap that is the Murder Time arena, to where the Nexus Core show up, attempting to kill Hank and co. Tricky briefly fights alongside the two, killing the Nexus units who showed up. Tricky agrees to help give them access to the Science Tower, but that is all of the help he will give them.

Back to Sanford and Deimos, they have now entered the underground Mining Sector, brimming with Zeds, Abominations, deranged Cultists, and decommissioned robotic servants. Sanford and Deimos have their 3rd and final encounter with Church and Jorge here, forcing them into retreat one last time.

Shortly after, Sanford and Deimos locate the source of the cultists, Dr. Crackpot, turned insane by his exposure to dissonant energy. Sanford and Deimos are able to injure Crackpot, who attempts to retreat, but is crushed to death by a gigantic MAG Agent known as Project Gestalt. Realizing they cannot defeat Gestalt, Sanford and Deimos are forced to retreat with the old tramway system.

Project Gestalt gives chase as they ride the trams to their escape, but Sanford and Deimos are able to escape the gigantic beast and live to fight another day. Before being able to reach the Science Tower, the duo are forced to battle a horrible robotic machination known as the Ghoul.

Having finally made it to the Science Tower, Hank, Sanford, Deimos, and Dr. Christoff all meet up at the entrance. Dr. Christoff briefly explains his past and why Project Nexus must be destroyed. Christoff states he will float up to the top and wait for the others there. Hank, Sanford, and Deimos go through the front door, to where they are surprisingly met with little to no confrontation. They sign themselves in at the receptionist and make their way up the escalator. This is where they encounter Nexus Core units and Robutlers and chaos ensues.

After dispatching the robots and Nexus Core, the trio continue their way through the science tower before encountering the Tower Guards, elite G03LM units designed to protect the tower at all costs. Destroying all 3 Tower Guards, the trio is forced to battle the head of security at the Science Tower, the Blackguard.

Sanford is able to blow away the Blackguard’s seemingly indestructible armor with C4, forcing him to retreat via helicopter. The gang meet in the middle, with Sanford and Hank going one way while Christoff and Deimos go the other.

Deimos and Christoff are tasked with opening up a passageway for Hank and Sanford so they may all meet at the top of the tower. However, before they can do this, they are harassed by Project Gestalt once more. Despite the setbacks, the duo are able to complete their objective, to where they must battle the Hive, a gigantic armored beast that is constantly producing hiveslugs, unfinished cloned grunt-like creatures that explode upon contact with someone. Despite the size of the creature, the duo are able to defeat it and continue to meet up with Hank and Sanford.

On the other end, Hank and Sanford fight their way through their end of the Science Tower, forced to fight Nexus Core and AAHW units along the way. While waiting for Deimos and Christoff to secure their passage through the rest of the Tower, they are also harassed by Project Gestalt, Nexus Core, and AAHW units all at the same time. Narrowly surviving the intense altercation, Sanford and Hank escape and meet up with everyone near the top of the tower.

Having finally made it to the top, the gang groups up for one final effort against the Nexus Core. At the top of the tower they encounter a brief museum, explaining the history of generational cloning as well as the history of Nexus City itself.

The gang encounters all manner of horrible machinations, from dissonant infused mini-ghouls to homicidal robots. After several grueling battles with various results of Nexus Core experimentation, the gang finally make it to the office of Director Phobos, whose corpse lies dormant over a computer, the computer reading “INITIALIZE PROJECT GESTALT: SUCCESSFUL”.

Christoff removes himself from the group, riding the elevator with the divergence engine up to the very top. The rest of the group meets him there, but not before having one final encounter with Project Gestalt. Dr. Christoff, with the help of the other 3, is able to shock Gestalt with the divergence engine, killing the seemingly indestructible monster for good.

However, the battle is not yet done, as the ghost of Director Phobos himself emerges from the Other Place, hungry for power and revenge. Phobos makes it clear that he will not go quietly, and the final fight commences.

Phobos has multiple phases in his boss fight, even going as far to steal the keystone fragment from atop Christoff’s head. Despite the immense power of this now godlike Phobos, the group is able to defeat him and banish him back to the Other Place.

With Gestalt dead, Phobos defeated, and the divergence engine active, Christoff begins preparations to restart Project Nexus for its original purpose. However, in a stunning display of betrayal, Hank launches Dr. Christoff out of the window, leaving Sanford and Deimos confused as to why this has happened.

Hank explains that the mission has always been to destroy Project Nexus, no matter the cost. Not agreeing with this sentiment and realizing their attempts to persuade Hank have fallen short, they are forced to battle Hank to the death.

Narrowly surviving the battle, Sanford and Deimos are able to kill Hank and lament on what they are to do now. The duo comment that the Employers*(Sanford and Deimos also could have been referring to SQ, the organization they work for.) would not be happy that they killed Hank, and that Hank wasn’t going to be happy that they killed him, either.

Deimos jokingly suggests going back to Gil’s, to where Sanford shuts the idea down and says they’ll figure it out eventually.

In an epilogue scene, the Sheriff appears at the bottom of the Science Tower where Christoff lies, somehow having survived the fall from the top of the tower. Before the two can have any sort of reunion, the Employers themselves show up, making it clear of their intent for Christoff. The Auditor himself steps forth, claiming he has a new project for Christoff, and that his work is far from over.

Thus, the game ends.

Chapter 9: Arena Mode

The story of Arena combat appears to take place in the past, potentially before the events of Project Nexus Classic Episode 1.5.

The game begins with character creation, the player creates their character based on several origins which apply gameplay modifiers. After character creation, the player arrives to Nevada Central via bus. On the bus, the player awakes to see 2bdamned as he explains to the Player their mission and why they are here and that he will be with them every step of the way to advise them on their objectives. The player character is confused and without their memory, but complaint with Doc's orders. After stepping off the bus, the player enters an abandoned building. They encounter the Bossman, who initiates a fight, but is very easily dealt with. After being defeated, the Bossman gives the player a flashlight and promises to make himself useful after the squatters are dealt with.

After defeating the squatters, the Bossman instructs the player to enter the sleepwalker bed and that he will clean the place up while they are occupied. Upon entering the Sleepwalker bed, the player will find themselves in the arena of old, fighting VR training buddies. Upon completing the first few waves, the player will exit the bed and find that things have been cleaned up significantly while they were training.

The Player is then tasked to locate the Bossman once more, who instructs them to go to the bus stop for their first contract mission to rescue someone important.

Contract 1: Pilot Episode

This is the first story mission of arena mode, following the Player as they enter the streets of Nevada Central in order to rescue the Pilot from capture. The stage begins with the Player stepping off the bus and into the street, to where they are assaulted by the Toughs. The Player is then forced to fight their way through the Toughs until they get to the warehouse, where they battle Sweet Tony, leader of the Toughs. After defeating Sweet Tony, the Player releases the Pilot from his bindings.

Due to being rescued by the Player, as well as being a friend of the Bossman, the Pilot agrees to assist them in their operation.

Back to HQ

Having rescued the Pilot, the player unlocks their first Arena to fight in, as well as the Quartermaster to purchase weapons and armor from. They also unlock the ability to hire Hirelings, who can assist them in combat.

This arena is the Foundry, populated by MERC. As the player fights and gets stronger, gaining more money and experience, they will unlock the second arena to fight in, Pit Stop. Pit Stop is an abandoned gas station, populated by Bandits. The player must defend the gas pumps from attack or else they will fail the stage. After unlocking endless waves for Pit Stop, the player will be informed by the Pilot that they should check the computer in the Hub. After doing so, 2bdamned instructs the player to take on their second contract mission.

Contract 2: The Goods

The player arrives in Central City yet again via the bus, on the same street from Contract 1. The player is immediately recognized by a Tough, who runs to inform the Vendevice of their presence. Soon after, the player is attacked by Toughs and the Vendevice, a Mafia group operating in Central city. The player battles both the Toughs and the Vendevice, fighting their way back into the same warehouse as before. The player fights deeper into the warehouse, killing Toughs and Vendevice as they go. Eventually the player finds some boxes of which they snoop through, figuring out that what they came here for is indeed here. The next room has the player battling the second boss of arena, the Chefs. After defeating the Chefs, the player goes into the freezer, to where they're informed by one of the chefs that he can help the player. The player collects the machine they came here to get, which turns out to be an Enmeshment machine.

Returning to HQ again:

Upon returning to HQ, the player will notice that some mysterious troopers have appeared at the door. It's quickly reveled that these men are with 2bdamned, who is assisting in setting up the Enmeshment machine. 2bdamned instructs the player to continue the arena operation, getting stronger and leveling up. Once he is finished setting up the Enmeshment machine, he will instruct them in their next mission.

The player at this point will have unlocked the Chef, who operates the black market, selling illegally modified weapons at discount prices. They will also have unlocked the weapon modding station and Troopers, who they can call in for backup during missions.

The next 3 missions unlocked after Contract 2 are Slaughter Time, Fast Track, and the Haunting of Nevada House.

Slaughter Time is a game show run by Garret Goyle, a G03LM programmed to be a game show host. This stage has the player fighting a whole new host of game show themed enemies as they hack and slash their way through them.

Fast Track is a stage set on a train populated by the AAHW where the player must move from cart to cart, killing Agency goons as they go.

The Haunting of Nevada House follows the player after their organization has been hired to deal with several strange happenings in the house. The player must fight ghosts, demonic cultists, zeds, and wasteland monsters in order to complete this stage.

Upon reaching Endless waves on all of these missions, the player will be informed that 2bdamned has finished installing the Enmeshment machine. The player is instructed by 2bdamned for their 3rd contract mission, where 2bdamned will attempt to orchestrate a truce between the player and the Toughs/Vendevice.

Contract 3: Fickle Friends

This contract mission has the player entering the city once more, this time in the dead of night. They traverse the empty city streets, noticing yellow eyes stalking them in the shadows. They walk up a flight of stairs and find themselves at Club Advent, a local club seemingly run by the Vendevice. The player speaks to the bouncer G03LM, who checks their name on the list and allows them in. The player goes through various hallways, meeting club goes and ravers as they go. They are instructed by a bouncer G03LM to enter the Event, and that the room he is guarding is off limits to them.

The next room contains the dance floor, where Cheshyre and Locknar can be seen DJing the party. The player can also purchase merchandise for both musicians here. Standing in the dance floor allows the player to dance to their hearts content.

Upon attempting to enter the next room, the player is stopped by a bouncer until they explain who they are. Once they have, the bouncer lets them in. The player then meets Dr. Crackpot sitting at a booth, who takes a peculiar interest in the player and their operation. Crackpot instructs the player to go forth with their meeting, telling them he will contact them again shortly.

Upon trying to enter the meeting, 2bdamned stops the player and explains to them that the vendevice have decided that their presence here will be unnecessary. The player character is vocally frustrated with this, but complies with 2bdamned's orders. The player then speaks to Dr. Crackpot once more, who explains to them the concept of Enmeshment and that he would simply like to have a look at the Enmeshment technology housed at the Headquarters.

The conversation is interrupted by the building shaking and the player enters the dance floor once more. The Toughs have attacked the Club Advent, in spite of the truce they had with the Vendevice. The player is then tasked to fight the Toughs, who seem convinced that the player is a Vampire. The player also battles Sweet Tony one last time here, killing him for good.

Upon exiting the club, the player finds themselves in the parking lot, being assaulted by vampires. These vampires pose quite a challenge but are easily killed by the vampire hunting equipment the Toughs have brought with them. The player is then forced to fight their way through the vampires until they reach the bus stop. 2bdamned runs over some Vampire Bruisers and picks the player up in his car. 2bdamned drives the player back to H.Q., telling them he will contact them again shortly.

Dr. Crackpot can be seen outside of the H.Q. now, offering cosmetic item colors as well as unique weapons in armors in exchange for a rare currency known as Boon tokens. Boon tokens can be achieved by defeating BoonBots, enemies in endless arena waves that drop them. They can also be earned by completing stages for the first time.

The player has now unlocked three more arenas, The Facility, Murder Room, and Hard Sell.

The Facility is seen housing the Nexus Core, who the player must fight in order to advance further into the facility.

The Murder Room has the player in an elaborately designed death trap of an arena, fitted with falling floors and moving platforms. The player must battle insane escaped asylum patients, Orderlies, Harmacists, Cyber Bandits, explosive zombified clowns, and exploding dissonance charged robots.

Hard Sell finds the player inside of an abandoned and mostly destroyed Nevada Supermall, forced to battle the Nevada 51 who are valiantly attempting to destroy a valuable artifact that the player must protect at all costs.

Contract 4: Mandatus

After successfully completing every single mission in the Helicopter Pad, the player will receive an urgent call from 2bdamned explaining that their work is complete and it is time to enmesh the Mandatus.

The player returns to the bus stop for the 4th and final time, being dropped off on the same street as always. After walking right and reaching The Rift, the player will remark that something is not correct and the game will point them to the left side of the screen. After walking to the left, the player will spot the Gambler walking through a door. The Player can do nothing else but follow him.

Upon entering the strange door, the Player is greeted by the Gambler who explains that he has been watching the player for some time. The Player attempts to probe the Gambler for more answers but is only met with vague non-answers.

The Gambler continues to explain what the Player’s mission truly is, that they came here not to enmesh a physical object or person, but to enmesh an event, a choice the player will have to make. This is the Mandatus. The Mandatus is the event of the player choosing to imprint themselves ad infinitum, which will apparently indefinitely stall a calamity that the Maker is attempting to prevent.

The Player never learns exactly what this calamity is, the only thing they know is that they must imprint, reliving their memories over and over again in a sort of time loop in order to prevent it.

The Player has no choice but to battle a giant mechanical monster by the name of the Grand Steward, it is unknown who or what this Steward is, but it can be assumed that it is related to the machine due to its mechanical nature.

After defeating the boss, the player will find themselves in Nowhere, one of the farthest reaches of Nevada. If they choose not to Imprint, they can leave at any time and say their goodbyes to the Bossman and Chopper Dave at the HQ.

The Player, upon wanting to Imprint, will walk into a light on the farthest corner of the screen. After walking into this light, the Player will wake up in a room lying on a bed with 2bdamned present.

2bdamned remarks that the readings are good and they are ready to imprint. He also remarks that the player has seemingly not lost their memory, which is extremely impressive.

The player may read several terminals of 2bdamned’s laboratory, confirming a few things:

The player, as well as Director Phobos, are generation 1 Nevadeans.
2bdamned’s notes remark that the employers are stewards of the Machine, but he does not know to what end.
The 3rd and final note remarks on a single event, a great awakening where every Nevadean was gifted sentience and life. He mentions the first of all Nevadeans to wake up, one that wanders the endless expanses for eternity, awaiting the call. 2bdamned further remarks that it will only be a matter of time until the Machine puts this so-called first to wake up to use, and that he fears that day like no other.

The First Imprint

After Imprinting for the first time, the Player will retain all of their memories from the previous imprint and will have to play the entirety of arena mode for a second time. Most of the differences during the 1st imprint or second loop are changes in dialogue.

2bdamned remarks that he is extremely impressed that the Player managed to retain their memory before imprinting another time. He explains their goal is the same as before, Enmesh the Mandatus.

The Player wastes no time, being noticeably impatient with the Bossman due to their knowledge of all of this having happened before. From this point on there are little to no changes to the game and the player must beat Arena mode, again.

Contract 4: Mandatus [Second Imprint]

The contract begins as normal, if you walk to the right, the Player will state, “Oh, right, it’s the other way this time.”

Upon meeting the Gambler again, he explains that the Player already knows what will happen and wastes no time leading them to their destination.

Before defeating the Grand Steward for the second time, the Player will meet up with the Maker.

The Maker remarks that he had to take many precautions for this meeting to take place, implying he is not a supreme authority, or that he has been tampering with the flow of time.

The Player asks several questions, to where the Maker answers:

You were the one that created Nevada?
Yes, but mostly no.
Are you going to tell me why I’m doing this?
You already know why you’re here. You returned to the Nowhere. You untold your story, to where it must be told anew.
Why is that important? How does feeding myself to the Nowhere save the world? Why can’t Doc just enmesh any of this? There’s Machine and Nowhere all around us.
Insufficient. Your colleagues need a direct connection with the fundamental structures of all of reality. Enmeshment is the tether, and you are the weight that pulls it through the mandatus.
So what happens then?
Your story becomes untold, and it must be told again. Just as it was before.
What if I refuse to Enmesh the Mandatus?
You know what happens, Player.
Nevada falls…
I don’t imagine this was the news you were looking for, and I’m sorry about that. You’ve already grasped what this means for you.
I’m going to be doing this over and over again, aren’t I…?
You say that as if it’s a bad thing. Nevada soon plunges into its darkest era. What happens next will unleash unspeakable horrors, most of all for myself. None of us are long for Nevada.
But you, Player? You will be spared the fate of all others. You will never know the Hellfire. Your sacrifice is your reward.
Why couldn’t you have just explained this to me the first time?
That, I cannot explain to you, Player. None of this was specifically for your benefit. And now, our time together has tragically reached an end. Good luck to you both. Nevada will not survive The Madness without your combined strength.

From this point on the Player is free to imprint over and over again and beat Arena mode as many times as they like. As of now, this appears to be the current end of Arena mode.

ADDENDUM: As of the release of the Magiturge Update for Arena Mode, the true ending to Arena Mode has been revealed to us.

Watch the new ending in video form here.

In this new finale, the player battles their way through the Clockworkers and Grand Steward once more, and with this 3rd imprint the Player gets a vivid flashback to their true origins.

In this flashback, the player is living out the events of Marshmallow Madness, what we now know as the earliest point in the Madness timeline. A character by the name of “Cannoneer.script” speaks to the player, their name implying that this is a very early and unfinished version of Nevada. The player can see the Marshmallow across from them and the cannon, if they choose to approach it the marshmallow will scream at them to leave the area. Not having much of a choice, the player enters the cannon and is launched into the Marshmallow, seemingly against its will.

After waking up in Doc’s lab yet again, the player remarks that they finally understand that they never had a past before they wake up in this chair. They remark they never had any issues with their memory because of this. They were pulled directly from the beginning of everything.

The player questions Doc on why he refused to tell them this information from the get-go, and explains that if he did, he would have to reveal the identity of his mysterious benefactor, and that explaining their intent could compromise the entire mission.

The player quickly pieces together that this mysterious benefactor is, in fact, The Maker, with Doc confirming that they go by many names. The player wonders if the mission is now compromised, with the Maker’s intent revealed, and Doc does not have an answer. He assures the player that things will play out as they always have, and it’s time to imprint again, and again, and again.

Chapter 10: A Cohesive Stream of Events

Now that we know what happens in our story, it’s time to figure out WHEN it happens.

One of the many things that has boggled the minds of theorists for years is where exactly MADNESS: Project Nexus falls in the timeline of events. It has been confirmed time and time again by Mr. Krinkels and Michael Swain that M:PN is, in fact, entirely canon towards Madness Combat. How can this be?

First, we must lay out a timeline of events.

The earliest known point in the timeline is Marsh Mallow Madness, as is confirmed by Swain.

It is unknown how much time passes between MMM and Project Nexus Classic Episode 1.5, but we do know it should come after at some point in the timeline.

After 1.5, we can now enter the main series. Madness Combat 1 through 4 play out as normal. This establishes Hank’s vendetta against the Sheriff, as well as Jeb’s vendetta against Hank. This also establishes the activation of the Improbability Drive.

An unknown amount of time passes before Hank will meet the elusive and mysterious 2bdamned, one who contracts him on a mission: Destroy Project Nexus.

Hank will begin his mission by rescuing Sanford and Deimos, characters who will become crucial to the series in the future. Fast forwarding to the end of our journey in MADNESS: Project Nexus, Hank is dead, Jeb has been given a new project by the Auditor, and Sanford and Deimos are left wondering what to do.

This is where we bridge the gap.

Jeb, now having an alliance with the Auditor and by extension, the AAHW, is seen working with them in Madness Combat 5. This leads me to believe that M:PN takes place before Madness 5 and after Madness 4. But how can this be? The outfits of the characters don’t match up at all!

There is no concrete evidence to support this theory, but in the given moment, it is all we have in order to explain the state of our character’s outfits at the time Madness 5 happens. At the end of MADNESS: Project Nexus, Hank’s outfit is damaged beyond repair during the battle with Gestalt and the battle with Sanford and Deimos. Because of this, Hank replaces his outfit with a lower quality one.

Sanford and Deimos are concerned Hank might still be out for vengeance against them, and so they ditch their outfits sometime off screen in an effort to hide from Hank, only to procure them later in the series when the necessity calls for it. The only problem with this theory is that Sanford and Deimos seem to be injured in the exact same places of which they were injured before, due to the placement of the bandages.

So, with this information in place, our timeline goes as follows:

Marsh Mallow Madness
MADNESS: Project Nexus Classic Episode 1.5
Madness Combat 1
Madness Combat 2
Madness Combat 3
Madness Combat 4
MADNESS: Project Nexus Classic Episode 1
MADNESS: Project Nexus
Madness Combat 5
Madness Combat 5.5
Madness Combat 6.5
DISSENTER
Madness Combat 6
Madness Combat 7
Madness Combat 9.5 part 1 ← (due to when Hank dies in the series at this point)
Madness Combat 7.5
Madness Combat 8
An Experiment
Madness Combat 9.5 part 2 ← (Hank’s revival is depicted in this episode.)
Madness Combat 9
CHASE.FLA
SACRIFICE.FLA
Madness Combat 10
ANAMNESIS.FLA
POWERLESS.FLA
Madness Combat 11
DEDMOSREBUILT.FLA