To start REANIMAL: The Prisoner, first claim and install the DLC on the account that owns the base game. Open New Game rather than Continue, choose an empty save slot if prompted, switch from the main chapter list to the DLC section, and select The Prisoner. Menu labels and controller prompts can vary by platform.

REANIMAL: The Prisoner is available now as the first story DLC for Tarsier Studios' co-op horror game. It launched on August 7, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The chapter follows two new characters, the Soldier and the Prisoner, through war-damaged streets and places that were not part of the base campaign.

The DLC is sold separately and is also included with the REANIMAL Season Pass. The US Nintendo eShop lists the standalone chapter for $9.99, while the Season Pass costs $24.99 on Steam and PlayStation. Regional prices can differ.

The storefront setup is the part most likely to trip people up. The Prisoner is DLC, not a standalone game. Season Pass owners may still need to claim or install the chapter, and its menu is separate from a normal Continue option. The exact ownership and menu prompts can vary by platform, so check the store page tied to the account that owns REANIMAL before buying the chapter again.

REANIMAL: The Prisoner at a glance

  • Release date: August 7, 2026
  • Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2
  • Standalone price: $9.99 on the US Nintendo eShop
  • Season Pass price: $24.99 on Steam and PlayStation in the US
  • Base game required: Yes
  • Included with Season Pass: Yes
  • Playable solo: Yes
  • Co-op: solo, local, and online play; the Steam and PlayStation 5 DLC listings both advertise Friend’s Pass.
  • New characters: The Soldier and the Prisoner
  • DLC order: First of three planned story chapters
  • Official playtime: Not announced

How much does The Prisoner DLC cost?

The US Nintendo eShop lists REANIMAL: The Prisoner for $9.99 on Nintendo Switch 2. THQ Nordic says the chapter is sold separately on every launch platform, although prices and taxes can vary by country and storefront.

The other option is the $24.99 REANIMAL Season Pass. That bundle includes The Prisoner, two future story chapters, and the Foxhead and Muttonhead masks. If you already own the Digital Deluxe Edition, you already own the Season Pass and should not need to buy The Prisoner again.

Do not confuse the current REANIMAL sale with the DLC price. The base game and Digital Deluxe Edition have temporary discounts on some platforms, but you still need the base game to use this expansion.

Do you need the REANIMAL base game?

Yes. The Prisoner is DLC, not a standalone release. You need REANIMAL on the same platform where you buy or claim the chapter.

That also means ownership does not automatically move between unrelated storefronts. A Steam copy of REANIMAL will not unlock a PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo version of the DLC. Buy the chapter or Season Pass where you own the base game.

If you are new to the series, the REANIMAL game page covers the platforms, co-op modes, release details, and basic setup before you choose an edition.

Is The Prisoner included with the Season Pass?

Yes. The Prisoner is the first of three story chapters included with the Season Pass. The pass also includes the Foxhead and Muttonhead cosmetic masks.

The planned schedule shown by official storefronts is:

  • The Prisoner: Available now
  • Second story chapter: Planned for fall 2026
  • Third story chapter: Planned for early 2027

Those later windows are plans rather than guaranteed dates. The names and exact content of the next two chapters have not been fully revealed.

The Season Pass makes more sense if you already know you want the complete three-chapter storyline. Buying The Prisoner alone is the cheaper way to sample the new characters without committing to the whole roadmap.

How to start The Prisoner DLC

THQ Nordic's official pages do not provide a step-by-step menu guide, but an August 7 community report identified the following route. Treat it as a practical player-discovered path, not a universal button layout:

  1. Make sure The Prisoner is claimed and installed through your platform store.
  2. Launch REANIMAL and open New Game instead of Continue.
  3. Choose an empty save slot if the game asks for one.
  4. Move from the main chapter selection to the DLC section. On a controller, the menu may show a shoulder-button prompt such as RB.
  5. Select The Prisoner and begin the new chapter.

Starting through New Game does not mean The Prisoner erases the original story. It opens the chapter-selection flow used for a separate run. Still, checking your existing save slots before starting is sensible.

The exact buttons can differ between PC and consoles. Follow the DLC tab prompt shown in your own menu instead of relying on one controller layout.

What to do if the DLC says you do not own it

If the DLC menu says no content is owned, first confirm that The Prisoner has been added to the account and downloaded. The store may show it as Owned, Included, Download, or Install depending on the platform.

Try these checks in order:

  1. Open the REANIMAL add-ons page in your platform store.
  2. Find The Prisoner and check whether it says Owned, Included, Download, or Install.
  3. If it appears free because you own the Season Pass, claim it anyway.
  4. Finish the download, then fully close and reopen REANIMAL.
  5. Return to New Game and check the DLC tab again.

On PlayStation, you can also use Restore Licenses from the console settings if an owned add-on still does not appear. On Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, check the game's installed-content or DLC management screen.

If the store confirms ownership but the game still cannot see the chapter after a restart, refresh the platform's add-on or installed-content page and contact platform or THQ Nordic support rather than buying it twice. The exact recovery step varies by storefront.

What is The Prisoner about?

Two small characters run along a narrow stone path surrounded by darkness in REANIMAL.
REANIMAL uses its scale and shared camera to keep both characters feeling vulnerable. Image: Tarsier Studios and THQ Nordic.

The DLC leaves the brother and sister from the main campaign behind and introduces the Soldier and the Prisoner. Their route moves through war-ravaged streets in a once-familiar place before dropping into something stranger and more dangerous.

THQ Nordic has kept the story description short, which suits a game built around fragmented visual storytelling. The official images show the two characters surrounded by fire, ruins, and a huge broken figure, but they do not explain how this chapter connects to the original ending.

The new locations can be explored on foot and through other forms of movement. Tarsier has not published a full enemy list, puzzle list, or chapter length, so claims about a specific runtime would be guesswork.

If you like atmospheric horror where the environment does much of the storytelling, the first Silent Hill: Townfall previews offer another look at a very different game chasing that same uneasy feeling.

Can you play The Prisoner solo or in co-op?

Four small characters travel across dark water in a rowboat in REANIMAL.
The base game supports solo play, local co-op, and online co-op. Image: Tarsier Studios and THQ Nordic.

REANIMAL supports single-player, local co-op, and online co-op, and THQ Nordic describes The Prisoner as a new chapter in the same co-op horror adventure. The Soldier and the Prisoner give the DLC a natural two-character setup.

Solo players can still enter the chapter without bringing another person. In the base game, the second character is controlled by the game when you play alone.

The current Steam and PlayStation 5 listings both advertise Friend’s Pass for The Prisoner. Steam also lists single-player, local co-op, and online co-op for the DLC, while PlayStation lists one to two players. This extends the storefront confirmation to Steam as well as PS5; it does not establish identical guest ownership rules on every platform.

If you are buying the DLC for a Friend’s Pass session, confirm the invitation on your platform before the second player buys anything. The host should own REANIMAL and The Prisoner or the Season Pass where the session is being played.

On PS5, the DLC listing requires PlayStation Plus for online play. Local co-op is listed separately from online play. A Friend’s Pass invitation does not replace the platform’s online-play requirements.

Is The Prisoner worth buying separately?

The $9.99 standalone chapter is the lower-risk choice if you only want the first new story. It adds two protagonists, new areas, and another piece of REANIMAL's world without asking you to pay for content that is still months away.

The $24.99 Season Pass costs more now but covers all three story chapters and the mask pack. It is the straightforward choice for players who already finished REANIMAL and know they want every expansion.

Waiting is also reasonable. THQ Nordic has not announced the DLC's official length, and two-thirds of the Season Pass story is still unreleased. Players who prefer to experience the whole side story without long gaps may want to return after the final chapter arrives.

Quick answers

Is REANIMAL: The Prisoner free?

No. It is sold separately for $9.99 on the US Nintendo eShop and is included with the paid Season Pass. Regional prices can vary.

Is The Prisoner included in the Digital Deluxe Edition?

Yes. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the Season Pass, which includes The Prisoner.

Can you play The Prisoner without finishing REANIMAL?

The DLC appears through a separate New Game and DLC selection flow. THQ Nordic has not listed completion of the base campaign as a requirement, although the new chapter may carry more meaning after the original story.

How long is The Prisoner DLC?

No official runtime has been announced. Any completion estimate should be treated as a player estimate, not a confirmed length.

Will REANIMAL get more DLC?

Yes. The Prisoner is the first of three planned story chapters. The second is planned for fall 2026 and the third for early 2027.