Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 includes a lot of information that changes what players previously believed by examining earlier chapters. However, one new revelation comes with the most questions, particularly regarding the Prototype, who has already been a mysterious figure from the start. Now, his actions throughout the entirety of Chapter 3, especially the ending, are called into question as well.

Chapter 4 takes the player into the prison and some laboratories where children — and some adults — were turned into toys and then kept until the employees knew it was safe to let them interact with people in other areas of the factory. It feels like the player is getting closer to reaching the Prototype's lair, but first, they need to get past Poppy Playtime Chapter 4's "The Doctor". Of course, trying to find where the Prototype spends his time in the factory isn't easy, and he seeks out the player instead in this chapter.

The Relationship Between CatNap And The Prototype

The CatNap And His Hero

Before CatNap was CatNap, he was an orphaned boy named Theodore Grambell living in the Playcare. During this time, Theo had what seemed to be an imaginary friend who wanted him to sabotage Playtime Co., but that friend was actually the Prototype. Following his instructions, Theo stole a GrabPack and the Prototype guided him to try opening the door, likely to escape. Unfortunately, Theo was unable to properly use the GrabPack and was injured as a result. So, the Prototype saved his life by taking him back to the scientists for treatment.

Theo was saved, and he was later picked out of multiple candidates to become the Bigger Bodies version of CatNap, Chapter 3's main villain. As CatNap, Theo worshipped the Prototype. This would also play a role in the CatNap's attempts to capture and defeat the player, since doing so would likely earn him praise from the Prototype, who has become a god-like figure to him by this point. He also enlisted Miss Delight's help to try killing the player, and she agreed, but she ended up being killed instead.

How The Ollie Revelation Changes Chapter 3

CatNap's Death Could've Been A Plot

One of the biggest lore updates in Chapter 4 is that the Prototype is Ollie, and has been from the moment he first speaks to the player in Chapter 3. He its that Ollie did exist in the past, but he's been dead for a long time, so it was never Ollie that the player and Poppy were communicating with. However, it was Ollie who guided the player through the Playcare, and instructed them on how to defeat CatNap at the end.

With the Prototype being Ollie, he instructs the player to start the generator, which makes sense since it would be difficult for toys to do, and he might've needed more power in areas that have become run down after the closure of the factory. However, he also helps the player evade, and later defeat, CatNap as Ollie, too. That leads to the question of whether the Prototype wanted to kill CatNap, or whether it became a mercy killing because of the way events unfolded and because CatNap's obsession led to him being damaged by the player.

Why Would The Prototype Want CatNap Dead?

Did CatNap Die Out Of Mercy Or Necessity?

Since the Prototype has shown that he cares to an extent about the orphans and the toys they became, it's interesting that he would help the player defeat CatNap and then deal the final blow himself. He waits until CatNap is injured by the player to show up, so it looks like it could've been a mercy killing. But even in that case, the Prototype helped against CatNap as Ollie, so if it was mercy, then it was because he thought Theo would be better off dead than letting him continue to live as a toy.

Chapter 4 revealed more about the Prototype than any previous chapter has, yet it's not enough to know what his goal is with certainty.

If it wasn't a mercy killing, then it might've been done out of necessity. The Prototype has limited resources at his disposal with the factory having been shut down for years at that point, and he could've needed pieces from CatNap for that breakthrough he was working on with the Doctor. It also could've been a simple case of CatNap no longer being useful, so the Prototype decided to eliminate him. Without knowing a lot about the Prototype, it's difficult to guess what his motives were for killing CatNap.

Chapter 4 revealed more about the Prototype than any previous chapter has, yet it's not enough to know what his goal is with certainty. He seems willing to sacrifice toys that he's shown some level of comion towards in the past, such as CatNap, but he also seems obsessed with trapping Poppy again. Now, there's nothing left to do but wait for future content to hopefully answer the questions that came with Poppy Playtime Chapter 4.