Reanimal: The Prisoner — the first chapter of the Expanded World DLC season pass — shadow-dropped on August 8, 2026, announced and released within roughly 24 hours during the THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2026. The DLC is available right now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC for $9.99 / £7.99, and if you own the Reanimal Deluxe Edition, you already have it through the included season pass. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s in the DLC, what’s been patched in the base game, and when the next two chapters are arriving.
What Is Reanimal — Quick Context for New Players
For anyone jumping in fresh: Reanimal is a co-op horror platformer developed by Tarsier Studios — the team behind both Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares 2 — and published by THQ Nordic. It launched on February 13, 2026 across all major platforms and earned an 81% Metacritic score on PS5 and PC, making it one of the stronger indie horror releases of the year. Push Square called it a “gripping and intense experience,” describing it as a bolder, darker, and more uncompromising evolution of Tarsier’s signature style. The core loop puts one or two players in a nightmarish world, navigating environmental puzzles, avoiding massive creature threats, and working together to survive — the spiritual successor to Little Nightmares in everything but name.
Reanimal: The Prisoner — Everything New in the DLC
The Prisoner kicks off a completely new story arc within the Reanimal universe, separate from but connected to the main game’s narrative. Two players take up the roles of the Prisoner and the Soldier as they make their way through harrowing situations on war-torn streets. The Prisoner is the first of three planned standalone story chapters in the Expanded World trilogy that expands on the base game’s lore and secrets.
The DLC includes:
- Two new playable characters — the Prisoner and the Soldier
- Three new chapters set in war-ravaged streets of a once-familiar location
- New bosses, including the Flamethrower Soldier — a heavily armoured enemy with a flame-throwing weapon who serves as one of the DLC’s primary threats
- New locations in previously unseen corners of the Reanimal world, including on-foot and vehicle sections
- Unexpected twists on familiar environments
- A new chapter in Reanimal’s minimalist, interpretive narrative experience
The Prisoner serves as the opening chapter of a planned post-launch trilogy. This overarching plotline will carefully flesh out the background and final fate of both protagonists. The second and third DLC chapters continue the Soldier and Prisoner’s story into new areas of the world.
In terms of length, The Prisoner can be beaten in a couple of hours — consistent with the pacing of the base game’s chapters. It’s a tight, atmospheric experience rather than a padded one, which is very much in line with how Tarsier structures horror content.
Base Game Patch Notes — What’s Been Fixed Alongside the DLC
The DLC update also ships with several improvements and known issue acknowledgements for the base game:
Technical Improvements
- Enhanced HDR tone mapper — improved HDR output quality across all platforms
- Crash fixes — addressed several crash scenarios that were being reported in the base game
- Better online co-op stability — network reliability improvements for online sessions
Known Issues (Being Worked On)
- Camera desync in Junkyard co-op respawns — a camera issue that can occur when players respawn in the Junkyard area during co-op sessions
- Companions getting stuck after chase sequences — AI companions may occasionally become stuck in a position after chase sequences complete
Tarsier has confirmed both known issues are being investigated and will be addressed in a future update.
The Full Expanded World Roadmap — All Three DLC Chapters
The Expanded World is the umbrella name for Reanimal’s three-chapter DLC pass. All three chapters follow the Soldier and the Prisoner and are designed as a connected story arc rather than standalone experiences, though each can technically be purchased individually.
- Chapter 1 — The Prisoner: Out now (August 8, 2026) — $9.99 / £7.99
- Chapter 2: October 14, 2026
- Chapter 3: February 10, 2027
The Deluxe Edition of Reanimal includes the full season pass covering all three chapters. Individual chapters can also be purchased separately at $9.99 each. At that price point, the entire three-chapter arc works out to $29.97 individually or is covered by the Deluxe Edition upgrade for anyone who doesn’t already own it.
Other THQ Nordic Showcase Announcements
The Prisoner wasn’t the only thing revealed during the THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2026. Other notable announcements from the event included:
- Titan Quest 2 — received a new look at the Spirit Mastery update
- The Eternal Life of Goldman — a new Hollow Knight-inspired platformer was shown for the first time
- Gothic Trilogy Console Release — the original Gothic trilogy is coming to consoles
- Gothic 1 Remake Roadmap Update — post-launch plans confirmed including photo mode, mod support, and additional features
THQ Nordic also launched a storewide sale following the showcase, running through the weekend, coinciding with Steam’s Cyberpunk Fest sale that’s live through August 10, 2026.
What Other Co-Op Horror Games Are Worth Playing Right Now?
If you tear through The Prisoner and are hungry for more, the co-op horror space has a few strong options. Shift at Midnight recently launched on Steam to Very Positive reviews — up to three players work a convenience store night shift while identifying doppelgangers disguised as humans, a premise that sounds absurd but delivers genuine tension in practice. Machine Party is another option for groups of up to four, blending Mario Party-style mini-games with the brutality of Saw-inspired scenarios. Both are PC releases available right now.
For more gaming news this week, check out the Luminous Nights Steam reveal — the Kingdom Hearts-like Arabian Nights RPG coming in 2027 and the Final Fantasy 7 Revelation new look confirmed for Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25.
