- Mirror's Edge Catalyst story is a rebooted origin tale for Faith Connors, not a sequel to the 2008 game
- The setting: Glass, a white corporate utopia ruled by the Conglomerate and enforced by KrugerSec
- Core conflict: Runners fight to stay off the Grid as Gabriel Kruger's Reflection project threatens total control
- Key characters: Faith, Noah, Icarus, and the Kruger family drive the plot across eight chapters
- Ending: Faith exposes Reflection atop the Shard, becoming a symbol of resistance
Mirror's Edge Catalyst Story Overview
The Mirror's Edge Catalyst story reimagines Faith Connors as a young Runner at the very start of her journey. Released in 2016 by DICE and EA, the game is a reboot rather than a continuation of the 2008 original — it retells Faith's origin in the gleaming corporate city of Glass, where the Conglomerate has traded freedom for comfort and total surveillance.
Runners are the city's last uncensored couriers. While ordinary citizens live monitored lives on the street grid, Runners cross the rooftops carrying messages the Conglomerate cannot read. Faith's personal history — the death of her parents during the November Riots — ties her directly to the family that rules the city, and the campaign builds toward a confrontation years in the making.
Video Highlights:
- The official E3 2015 trailer introduces Faith's return and the tone of the reboot
- Showcases the city of Glass, its clean corporate aesthetic, and KrugerSec's presence
- Sets up the central David-vs-Goliath conflict between one Runner and a corporate empire
Catalyst assumes no knowledge of the 2008 game. If you played the original, treat this as a fresh continuity — Faith here has just been released from juvenile detention, and events like the November Riots are reintroduced from scratch.
The City of Glass and the Conglomerate
Glass is the story's true antagonist in many ways: a pristine white-and-glass metropolis where the Conglomerate of corporations has built a comfortable, controlled society. Citizens enjoy safety and stability, but every movement is tracked through the city's electronic Grid. Dissent is quietly erased rather than crushed openly — that is the elegance of the system KrugerSec defends.
Key story factions break down like this:
| Faction | Role in the Story | Notable Figures |
|---|---|---|
| The Runners | Rooftop couriers evading the Grid | Faith, Icarus, Noah |
| Kruger Security (K-Sec) | Conglomerate enforcement arm | Gabriel Kruger, Isabel Kruger |
| Black November | Militant underground resistance | Rebecca Thane |
| The Conglomerate | Ruling corporate council | Gabriel Kruger's allies |
Faith's Runner cabal walks a careful line between these forces. Noah keeps the crew independent from Black November's violent methods, which becomes a recurring tension: Rebecca Thane believes open conflict is the only answer, while the Runners believe in staying free rather than starting a war.
Faith's parents died during the November Riots, a violent crackdown tied to Kruger family orders. This trauma explains both her hatred of K-Sec and why Gabriel Kruger's name carries such weight in the story.
Main Characters
Faith Connors
- Protagonist and player character
- Fresh from juvenile detention
- Grows from reckless courier into the symbol of resistance
Noah Kekai
- Mentor and veteran Runner leader
- Keeps the cabal independent
- Pays a heavy price protecting Faith from K-Sec
Icarus
- Young, headstrong Runner
- Clashes with Faith early on
- Becomes one of her most reliable allies
Gabriel Kruger
- Primary antagonist, head of K-Sec
- The Conglomerate's iron hand in Glass
- History entangled with Faith's family
Isabel Kruger
- Gabriel's daughter
- Connected to the Reflection project
- Tied to Faith's own family secrets
Rebecca Thane
- Leader of Black November
- Operates from the Undermine district
- Believes in force over stealth
The chapter-by-chapter breakdown below covers the full campaign, including the finale. If you want to experience the story fresh, bookmark this page and come back after your first playthrough.
Chapter-by-Chapter Plot Walkthrough
The campaign spans roughly eight chapters and thirteen main missions, from Faith's escape to the showdown at the Shard. Here is how the story unfolds:
| Chapter | Story Beat | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1: Prison Break | Escape | Faith breaks out of the Kruger Holding Facility and returns to the Runners |
| 2: Sprint | Training | Icarus trains Faith; Glass opens for free roam; Mag Rope unlocked |
| 3–4: Beatrice Case | Investigation | Stolen data drive, Rebecca Thane, deliveries under K-Sec pressure |
| 5–6: Kruger Data | Infiltration | Faith breaches Kruger's tower, saves Noah, uncovers Reflection |
| 7–8: The Chase | Finale | Helicopter chase across rooftops, final battle atop the Shard |
Prison Break and Return
Faith escapes Kruger custody in the tutorial chapter, learning jumps, wall-runs, and her first takedowns. She rejoins Noah's cabal at the Runner's Hideout and meets Icarus and Nomad, re-entering a city that has moved on without her.
The Beatrice Case
A stolen data drive pulls Faith into the wider conflict. She meets Rebecca Thane in the Undermine and learns that Black November is planning strikes against the Conglomerate — putting the neutral Runners in the crossfire.
Noah's Capture and the Kruger Tower
K-Sec cracks down on the cabal and Noah pays the price for sheltering Faith. Faith infiltrates the Kruger tower complex, using the Mag Rope and stealth routes to stay off the Grid, and discovers the truth behind the Reflection project.
Reflection Revealed
Reflection is Gabriel Kruger's plan for the next level of the Grid — a system that would erase the last spaces of privacy in Glass. Isabel Kruger's connection to the project, and to Faith's own family history, gives the reveal personal weight.
The Shard Finale
The Gabriel Kruger chase sends Faith sprinting across rooftops with a helicopter on her heels, followed by timed climbing sequences and a final combat gauntlet atop the Shard. Faith dismantles Reflection's launch and walks away as a living symbol that the Grid does not control everyone.
Completing the campaign unlocks the Freeflow trophy and opens the full city for side quests, Dashes, and Time Trials. Many players treat the finale as the true starting line for Catalyst's endgame speed content.
How the Story Connects to the 2008 Game
Catalyst borrows names, themes, and aesthetic anchors from the original Mirror's Edge but rebuilds the timeline from zero. The comparison matters for longtime fans:
| Element | 2008 Mirror's Edge | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|
| Faith's role | Established Runner | Origin story, just starting out |
| Continuity | Standalone plot | Full reboot of the timeline |
| Setting | Unnamed city | Named city of Glass |
| Structure | Linear levels | Open-world free roam |
| Combat | Defensive, disarms | Momentum-based, no guns |
The core theme is unchanged: one person's body moving freely through a city designed to control movement. Catalyst simply widens the lens, giving Faith a full supporting cast and a corporate dynasty to push against.
Hidden Documents scattered through Glass expand on KrugerSec, the runner network, and the Riots. Collecting them during and after the story is the best way to fill in the setting's background — see our collectibles guide for locations.
Story Completion Checklist
Campaign Milestones:
- Escape the Kruger Holding Facility
- Complete training with Icarus at the Hideout
- Meet Rebecca Thane in the Undermine
- Infiltrate the Kruger tower and save Noah
- Survive the Gabriel Kruger chase
- Finish the finale atop the Shard
Story missions gate your gadgets — the Mag Rope, Disruptor, and key traversal upgrades all arrive through the campaign. Push the main story at least through Chapter 5 before grinding side content, so free-roam exploration benefits from Faith's full toolkit.
Story FAQ
Q: Is Mirror's Edge Catalyst a sequel or a reboot?
It is a reboot. The Mirror's Edge Catalyst story restarts Faith Connors' timeline as an origin narrative, ignoring the events of the 2008 game while reusing its core setting, themes, and character names.
Q: How long is the Mirror's Edge Catalyst story?
The main story spans thirteen missions across eight chapters and typically takes around 8–10 hours for a first playthrough, depending on how much you explore Glass along the way.
Q: Who is the main villain in the story?
Gabriel Kruger, head of Kruger Security, serves as the primary antagonist. His Reflection project — a plan to complete the city's surveillance Grid — is the central threat, and his daughter Isabel Kruger is closely tied to it.
Q: Does Faith kill anyone in the story?
No. Faith never uses guns, and her combat relies on momentum-based strikes and takedowns that knock enemies out. This non-lethal approach is a core part of her character as a Runner, not a soldier like Black November.