The Contraband Police Crimson Fall DLC is set to bring enough content to be considered a sequel

Contraband Police quickly garnered attention when it first made its debut on Steam in 2023. Stepping into the role of a border guard inspector, where smuggling and corruption are the norm, proved to be an addictive gameplay loop. The Contraband Police Crimson Fall DLC will be the game’s first expansion, and it will continue to build on the base game.

We’ve got all the details on what the Crimson Fall DLC will bring to the Contraband Police game, from a continuation of the story, a new map, and major gameplay additions.

Contraband Police Crimson Fall DLC release date and platforms

The Contraband Police Crimson Fall DLC was originally slated to release in late 2025. Alongside the launch of Contraband Police on Xbox and PlayStation and a Collector’s Edition, it was revealed that Crimson Fall was delayed to Q2 2026. In a presentation given in December 2025 by Crazy Rocks, the developers of Contraband Police, the release window for the upcoming DLC was narrowed down to May 2026.

The delay has been put down to prioritizing work on the console port of the base game and issues with optimization in trying to maintain 60fps on consoles. When the Contraband Police Crimson Fall release date does come around, it will be playable on all platforms simultaneously. 

The Contraband Police developers described Crimson Fall as being more like a sequel rather than an expansion, with a new area that’s the size of the map in the base game. It will be interesting to see if the Contraband Police Crimson Fall price will reflect this when it’s announced.

What is the Contraband Police Crimson Fall DLC setting?

The Contraband Police Crimson Fall map is home to new locations, such as a key area that goes by the name of Cherenievka Village. It’s the main story location and acts as the gameplay hub, containing buildings such as a church that will be part of a story mission, and the police station, which will be a place you’ll visit often. 

It’s where you will return prisoners and hand in contraband, and firearms can only be purchased from the gunsmith found in the basement of the police station. Although weapons will be used as part of the story (and against contraband smugglers if you really feel like laying down the law), Crimson Fall allows for stealth attacks. This time around, you can use the environment to complete missions to remain undetected.

What is the Contraband Police Crimson Fall DLC story?

The Contraband Police Crimson Fall features five connected story missions that are expected to be significantly more extensive than what the original Contraband Police delivered. There will be two supporting characters, Natasha and Sebastian, but it’s unknown what role they’ll play.

The Contraband Police Crimson Fall story will be a continuation of the base game, drawing on the Soviet regime and the tense atmosphere that’s built throughout. Contraband Police has two endings in the form of a Government ending, where you show your loyalty to the state by stopping rebels, or the Rebel ending, where you join the uprising and betray your fellow officers. 

After the events of the main Contraband Police campaign, the Republic of Kagastam is no longer, with General Morin fighting against representatives of the new regime. General Morin’s army launched an incursion across the border to invade Kagastam, but among the soldiers is the protagonist you play as in Contraband Police and his comrades. Both the Kingdom of Erkei and Al’barakh agree to join the conflict to gain territorial advantages.        

The game is set in the autumn of 1983 when the forces breached the capital of Kagastam, resulting in the government’s surrender. General Morin was able to escape the downfall, and he is now in hiding, but still poses a serious threat. This is where the Contraband Police Crimson Fall DLC begins, and you’re given the job of being a commander of an outpost in the middle of the ongoing conflict.

What are the new Contraband Police Crimson Fall DLC gameplay features?

The core gameplay loop will remain the same as the base game, but with plenty of new additions to go around. As an experienced border officer, you will be all too familiar with what’s expected of you, but your post will see some upgrades in the Contraband Police Crimson Fall expansion. 

Your new outpost in Contraband Police Crimson Fall features a spacious office building that’s also integrated with your living space, all of which is upgradable. Expect to have the vehicle scale, prison cell, cargo zone, staff accommodation area, and a garage with your trusty bus for transporting prisoners and chasing after those who breach the barrier.

Not only will Contraband Police Crimson Fall introduce female characters to the game for the very first time, but also introduce new types of drivers like diplomats and professionals. As a result, they’ll have distinct documents, and you’ll be able to check the authenticity of their papers by examining watermarks using the UV flashlight. However, the most effective tool for finding hidden contraband in Crimson Fall will be your newest team member, the police dog, who will bark towards the area it detects illegal items.   

Joining drivers will be a highly requested passenger system that adds another layer of complexity to inspections and can lead to travellers getting separated if one of them has incorrect documents. According to the developers, this feature will lay the foundations for a two-player co-op mode that is still being worked on. It’s unknown when a co-op mode will be ready to deploy in the Contraband Police game, but two players will be able to work together to perform their duties, naturally allowing for one player to deal with the driver and the other, the passenger. If you thought passengers would add more to your workday, how about buses full of them? Civilian buses will pass through your outpost in Crimson Fall, and you will have to check the documents of everyone on board, as well as their suitcases.

References

1. Contraband Police: Crimson Fall DLC – Project Progress Presentation (YouTube)