Level 7 Breach

Devastation in the wake of the 2025 Level 7 containment failure that allowed thousands of hostile entities to escape into adjacent levels

The Level 7 Breach refers to a catastrophic security failure that occurred on September 15, 2025, when multiple containment protocols within Level 7 of The Backrooms simultaneously failed, resulting in the largest single loss of Major Explorer Group (M.E.G.) personnel in the organization's history and the release of thousands of hostile entities into adjacent levels. The incident served as a critical turning point in M.E.G. operations and directly influenced the events that would later unfold in "City in the Rain."

Background

Level 7, known informally as "The Hive," had long been recognized as one of the most dangerous and unstable areas within the known Backrooms. The level consisted of a vast network of organic-looking tunnels and chambers that seemed to pulse with their own bio-electrical energy. Dr. Arnold Malkinson had identified the level as a potential nexus point where the barriers between different areas of the Backrooms were particularly thin, making it both a valuable research site and an extreme hazard.

The M.E.G. maintained a heavily fortified research and containment facility within Level 7, primarily focused on studying the unusual concentration of entities that seemed drawn to the area. The facility employed advanced containment systems developed through the Entity Suppression Protocol, including electromagnetic barriers and reality anchors designed to prevent entities from phasing through walls or altering local space-time.

The Incident

The breach began at approximately 3:47 AM when multiple containment systems experienced simultaneous failures. Initial investigation reports suggested that Dr. Malkinson's experimental attempts to stabilize the level's reality fluctuations may have inadvertently created a cascading resonance effect that overwhelmed the facility's safeguards. However, later evidence uncovered during the events of "City in the Rain" indicated that Malkinson may have deliberately triggered the breach as part of his larger experiments with the Backrooms' fundamental nature.

M.E.G. security forces attempting to establish a defensive perimeter during the initial stages of the Level 7 Breach

The primary containment failure allowed several high-threat entities, including a previously unknown variant of Smilers, to escape their holding cells. These entities quickly overwhelmed the facility's security personnel, whose weapons proved ineffective against the entities' enhanced abilities within Level 7's unique environmental conditions. The ensuring chaos triggered secondary containment failures throughout the facility, releasing dozens of additional entity species.

Immediate Response

The M.E.G.'s rapid response team, led by Commander Sarah Chen, attempted to implement emergency containment protocols, but the situation quickly spiraled beyond their control. The breach had compromised the facility's reality anchors, causing unprecedented instability in the local space-time fabric. This instability created temporary passages to other levels, allowing entities to spread throughout the Backrooms at an alarming rate.

Within hours, the M.E.G. was forced to abandon the Level 7 facility entirely, focusing instead on establishing containment zones in adjacent levels to prevent further spread of the escaped entities. The evacuation resulted in the loss of 47 research personnel and 83 security officers, with another 156 individuals listed as missing and presumed deceased.

Long-Term Impact

The Level 7 Breach had far-reaching consequences for both the M.E.G. and the broader Backrooms ecosystem. The sudden influx of hostile entities into previously stable areas led to the abandonment of several established safe zones and trading posts. The Colony Protocol had to be significantly revised to account for the increased entity activity, and several smaller settlements were forced to consolidate into larger, more defensible positions.

The incident also marked a turning point in the M.E.G.'s relationship with Dr. Malkinson. While he maintained his position as chief researcher, increased scrutiny of his methods and mounting evidence of his role in the breach created deep divisions within the organization. These tensions would ultimately contribute to his dramatic actions during the events depicted in "City in the Rain."

Long-Term Containment Efforts

In the months following the breach, the M.E.G. implemented what became known as the Perimeter Defense Initiative, a massive undertaking that established a network of fortified checkpoints and monitoring stations around Level 7 and its adjacent areas. This initiative, while largely successful in preventing further large-scale entity migrations, required enormous resources and personnel to maintain.

The containment effort also led to the development of new entity suppression technologies, including the revolutionary Malkinson-Chen Barriers, ironically named partially after the man who may have caused the breach they were designed to prevent. These barriers proved crucial in later confrontations with hostile entities, particularly during the final battle depicted in "City in the Rain."

Legacy

The Level 7 Breach remains one of the most studied and debated incidents in Backrooms history. Its impact on M.E.G. protocols and the broader understanding of entity behavior continues to influence survival strategies and research methodologies. The incident served as a stark reminder of the dangers inherent in attempting to control or manipulate the fundamental nature of the Backrooms, a lesson that would prove particularly relevant during the climactic events of The Backrooms Trilogy.

See Also

• Entity Suppression Protocol
• Perimeter Defense Initiative
• The Backrooms
• Major Explorer Group (M.E.G.)
• Dr. Arnold Malkinson

References

• M.E.G. Incident Report #7-2025-A: "Level 7 Containment Failure Analysis"
• Chen, S. (2026). "Post-Breach Entity Migration Patterns"
• Malkinson, A. (2025). "Level 7 Research Logs: Final Entries"
• M.E.G. Security Council Minutes: Emergency Session 2025-09-15
• The Backrooms Trilogy: Behind the Scenes Documentary (2028)