Little Nightmares III's second DLC, The Shores, arrives September 30
Bandai Namco has confirmed that The Shores, the second chapter of Little Nightmares III's Secrets of the Spiral expansion pass, launches on September 30, 2026. It's arriving just 11 months after the base game — and that game scored a Metacritic (71 metascore) that reflects widespread disappointment from both critics and players.
The DLC
The Shores sends young protagonists Low and Alone toward a Lighthouse, navigating water-based environments and a new threat: bloodthirsty Leeches. Story details remain scarce beyond that premise. Owners of the Secrets of the Spiral pass — priced at $14.99 — receive The Shores automatically, just as they did with the first chapter, The Backstage, which dropped in June 2026. The pass also includes Ferryman cosmetic costumes for both characters.
Not everything in the water knows when to let go.
— Little Nightmares (@LittleNights) September 22, 2026
Ready to take the plunge, little ones?#LittleNightmares III’s second DLC – The Shores – arrives September 30 as part of the Secrets of The Spiral Expansion Pass. pic.twitter.com/F2EScvObaL
Little Nightmares III is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. It launched in October 2025 developed by Supermassive Games, who took over the franchise from original creators Tarsier Studios. That handover drew scrutiny from fans: the base game drew consistent criticism for repetitive design, a short five-to-six-hour campaign, and the absence of local co-op despite online co-op being central to its identity.
The value question
At $39.99 for the base game and $14.99 for the expansion pass, the math is uncomfortable. The Shores will need to deliver meaningfully more than The Backstage to silence skeptics. Meanwhile, Tarsier Studios itself has moved on — their new title All about horror Reanimal in 60 seconds: an overview trailer of the new game from the creators of Little Nightmares and is drawing far more enthusiasm from fans of the original two games. If you're curious about the series' roots, the classic In January, Xbox Game Pass will be replenished with great games, including Star Wars: Outlaws, Resident Evil Village, and the remaster of the horror platformer Little Nightmares earlier this year — a cheaper way to revisit what made the franchise work before Supermassive took the wheel.