This was astragon’s secret Gamescom game: Police Simulator returns with UE5, a K-9 dog, firearms and a new developer!

Just a few days ago, we were still wondering which simulation astragon was deliberately keeping secret for gamescom 2026. Now the mystery has been solved – and our assumption at the time has actually turned out to be correct: a completely new Police Simulator is in development.

And considerably more is changing than just the city.

A new developer, Unreal Engine 5, more than 50 missions and callouts, a playable K-9 dog, firearms, new driving physics and crossplay are among the features confirmed so far.

As recently as August 25, the situation was still unclear.

astragon had announced that it would reveal a previously secret sequel to one of its own well-known simulation series at gamescom. At that point, we could already rule out Construction Simulator, Bus Simulator and Firefighting Simulator.

We had therefore also named Police Simulator as a possible candidate – but explicitly only as speculation.

Now we can solve the mystery:

Police Simulator is returning.

And based on the information that has since been released, it does not look as though we are simply getting a slightly bigger Police Simulator: Patrol Officers.

New developer and Unreal Engine 5

One of the biggest changes is already taking place behind the scenes.

Police Simulator: Patrol Officers was developed by Aesir Interactive. For the new installment, however, development is being handled by Slovakia-based GRIP Studios.

astragon and the studio are not complete strangers, though: GRIP Studios was already involved in Ranger’s Path: National Park Simulator and has therefore worked with the publisher before.

At the same time, there is also a significant technical change.

The new Police Simulator is being developed using Unreal Engine 5.

astragon is promising improvements not only to the graphics, but also to traffic, vehicle behavior and the actual police work.

Whether we will ultimately be able to noticeably feel and see this technical leap remains to be seen, of course. However, the changes announced so far go far beyond a simple change of setting.

Faremont City replaces Brighton

Our new place of duty is Faremont City, a fictional US metropolis on the American East Coast.

The city consists of three different districts. Each of these districts, in turn, contains up to five different neighborhoods.

That means the new game world can include up to 15 different neighborhoods in total.

As we progress through our career, additional areas of the city will gradually be unlocked. The same applies to new vehicles and equipment.

There is also supposed to be considerably more happening on the streets: astragon is promising lively AI traffic, including public transportation.

For our own patrols, meanwhile, various police vehicles will be available – ranging from spacious SUVs to faster patrol cars.

Pursuits are supposed to feel better behind the wheel

Driving in particular is set to receive greater attention in the new Police Simulator.

astragon speaks of revised and more demanding driving physics. Together with denser AI traffic, this is intended to make patrol drives and pursuits in particular more interesting.

That is certainly an important point.

After all, in Police Simulator we spend a considerable part of our duty time not on foot, but driving around the city. If vehicles, traffic and pursuits actually feel more believable, what may seem like a relatively small technical change could make quite a big difference to the actual gameplay experience.

We will therefore be paying particularly close attention to how much the new driving physics ultimately differ from Patrol Officers once a playable version becomes available.

More than 50 missions and callouts

The new installment is also intended to offer considerably more variety when it comes to the actual tasks.

astragon is already talking about more than 50 different missions and callouts.

And it will not stop at parking tickets and minor traffic violations.

Examples mentioned include parking violations, traffic accidents, vehicle thefts, drug-related offenses, armed threats and robberies.

The range therefore stretches from relatively ordinary day-to-day police work to considerably more dangerous situations.

And this variety could ultimately prove decisive.

After all, a large map does not help much if we keep repeating the same routines within it. More than 50 missions and types of callouts therefore sound promising at first – but the decisive factor will be how differently these situations actually play out and how dynamically they can be combined with one another.

The K-9 dog can actually help with police work

One of the most striking new features runs through Faremont City on four paws.

For the first time in Police Simulator, we will get a K-9 service dog as our partner.

And apparently, the dog is supposed to be much more than just a companion walking alongside our character.

The four-legged partner can be used, among other things, to track suspects and detect illegal substances.

That means the K-9 dog will actually have a gameplay function during missions.

astragon also describes the K-9 system as a long-standing request from the community.

It will be particularly interesting to see just how versatile the dog can actually be. Will it remain limited to a few predetermined situations, or will it become a tool that we can use independently during different missions?

Firearms are coming – but not without rules

A second frequently requested feature from the community is also making its way into the new Police Simulator.

In addition to equipment such as a radar gun and a Taser, firearms will also be available to us in the future.

That does not mean, however, that the new installment is suddenly supposed to become a shooter.

The use of corresponding levels of force is intended to follow a clear escalation protocol. Depending on the situation, we therefore have to decide which piece of equipment is appropriate.

Additional tools such as cameras, traffic cones and barriers are also mentioned.

It will therefore be particularly interesting to see how consistently Police Simulator evaluates our behavior.

What happens if we escalate unnecessarily? When are we actually allowed to use a Taser or firearm? What consequences does a wrong decision have?

A comprehensible escalation system in particular could give the police work considerably more depth.

From parking violations to armed threats

And this is exactly where several of the new systems come together.

If the game really confronts us with ordinary traffic stops as well as vehicle thefts, drug-related offenses, pursuits and armed threats, our available options for dealing with these situations also need to expand accordingly.

The K-9 dog, different police vehicles, Tasers, firearms and additional equipment would then not simply be a list of new features, but tools for different situations.

On paper, that sounds considerably more interesting than a simple expansion of the familiar Patrol Officers formula.

Whether these systems actually interlock deeply enough, however, is one of the major questions the new Police Simulator still has to answer.

Co-op returns – now with crossplay

Anyone who does not want to patrol Faremont City alone can once again head out together with a second player.

Two-player co-op therefore remains part of the series.

In addition, the new Police Simulator supports crossplay between PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

We will also be able to customize our own character. As we progress through our career, we unlock additional parts of the city, vehicles and equipment.

This is intended to create visible progression outside of the individual missions as well.

The Gamescom mystery turns into a pretty major reboot

With that, one of the last major question marks surrounding astragon’s gamescom lineup this year has disappeared.

A few days ago, all we knew was that the publisher was still holding back the continuation of a well-known simulation series.

Now we know:

It is Police Simulator.

And at the same time, we already know a surprisingly long list of changes.

New developer. Unreal Engine 5. Faremont City with up to 15 neighborhoods. More than 50 missions and callouts. K-9 dog. Pursuits. Revised driving physics. Tasers and firearms. Crossplay co-op.

That is considerably more than simply “Police Simulator: Patrol Officers with a new map.”

However, some crucial information is still missing. There is no specific release date within 2027 yet. The price and the exact scope of the individual systems also remain unknown.

Most importantly, though, we want to see how much actual gameplay depth lies behind all of these new features.

Because more than 50 callouts sound promising. A K-9 dog sounds promising. New driving physics and an escalation system also sound promising.

Ultimately, however, what matters will be whether all of these things really make everyday police work more varied and believable.

And now it is your turn: What does the new Police Simulator absolutely need to do better than Patrol Officers for you? Are you especially looking forward to the K-9 dog, the larger variety of callouts and pursuits – or are you more skeptical about the firearms in particular?