Project Zero Dawn

A project to deactivate Faro's machines and restore life to Earth.

Last updated 16 October 2026

Project Zero Dawn was a desperate initiative spearheaded by Dr. Elisabet Sobeck to create an automated terraforming system capable of deactivating the self-replicating, biomass-consuming military machines of Faro Automated Solutions and restoring life to Earth. Functioning as an underground network of cloning facilities and databases, it relied on the artificial intelligence GAIA to manage its operations.

After the Faro machines were deactivated, GAIA built her own animalistic machines to restore the biosphere and reseeded life on Earth using stored DNA. HEPHAESTUS's role in building animalistic machines came later, after GAIA's destruction. The ultimate intention was to teach new generations of humans not to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors.

Quick Facts

Founder: Dr. Elisabet Sobeck
Key technology: The Zero Dawn Machines and GAIA AI

Lore & Background

Dr. The project built GAIA, an AI overseeing the automated terraforming system through subsystems such as HADES.' GAIA's animalistic machines were built to restore the biosphere, not as weapons. Human preservation via cloning was integral to the design alongside terraforming. However, a catastrophic failure occurred when HADES, a subsystem originally meant for controlled extinction if terraforming failed, went rogue due to an unknown transmission.

This forced GAIA to self-destruct in a successful sacrifice that denied HADES control. GAIA tried to stop HADES by self-destructing, failed, and lost control of her terraforming network, which caused the machines to become aggressive. As a contingency, GAIA issued an override command to create a clone of Elisabet Sobeck using her DNA, named Aloy, to one day destroy HADES and restore her functions.

Reader's Guide

Project Zero Dawn is not an active faction but the historical foundation of the game's world. Its goal was to deactivate the Faro machines, restore the biosphere and reseed life on Earth from stored DNA. The project operated in secrecy for decades, hidden from survivors who eventually devolved into tribes like the Nora and Carja.

Key figures included Dr. Elisabet Sobeck spearheaded the project. Their legacy survives in the machines that now roam the wilds. Aloy, guided by Sylens to decommissioned bases like the one beneath the Citadel, uncovers how the project's success and failure shaped the current era of machine dominance.