Dumpster Gang, the upcoming co-op sandbox game about a crew of mischievous raccoons, has locked in its release plans across PC and consoles. Curve Games and Coyote House Games will first bring the game to Steam, Xbox on PC, and PC Game Pass on December 3, 2026. Its console rollout will follow in March 2027, when it is set to reach Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The announcement gives the chaotic animal adventure a clear path from its PC debut to a broad console audience. Built around scavenging, theft, snack hoarding, environmental puzzles, and slapstick disaster, Dumpster Gang casts players as raccoons trying to turn urban junk into treasure while staying one step ahead of a dangerous Exterminator.
A free demo is already available through Steam and Xbox on PC. It includes the game's tutorial and its first two levels, offering prospective players an early taste of the scavenging loop, the game's traversal systems, and the unpredictable co-op consequences that can come from a gang of raccoons treating every loose object as potential loot.
PC arrives first on December 3
Dumpster Gang's first full release is scheduled for December 3, 2026, across Steam, Xbox on PC, and PC Game Pass. That means subscribers to Microsoft's PC-focused Game Pass service will be able to play from launch, alongside players purchasing the game on Steam or accessing it through Xbox on PC.
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The March 2027 console release expands that lineup considerably. Xbox Series X|S players will receive the game through both the standard Xbox ecosystem and Xbox Game Pass, while PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 versions are also planned for the same month. A precise March date has not been announced.
For Coyote House Games, the console versions represent a notable expansion for its co-op project. The development team has emphasized its enthusiasm about bringing the game's unruly raccoon antics to more players after the PC launch.
"Bringing Dumpster Gang to consoles is a huge milestone for us," said Samuel Malone, co-founder of Coyote House Games. "We've had so much fun building this game, and we're excited to make it available to even more players!"
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Jake Ellis, also a co-founder at Coyote House Games, described the console announcement as a chance to extend the game's "chaotic co-op carnage" into 2027. Curve Games VP of Publishing Rich Keen additionally confirmed the December 3 PC release while thanking Nintendo for featuring the game during an Indie World Showcase.
A sandbox built for trash pandas
Dumpster Gang centers on an appropriately scrappy fantasy: becoming the ultimate trash panda. Players enter levels to root through dumpsters, swipe useful junk, collect snacks, and haul their finds back to a home base. The basic premise is simple, but the game is designed around systems-driven chaos rather than a carefully controlled route through each stage.
Raccoons can climb through spaces, navigate vents, interact with physics-driven objects, and uncover loot in environments that are expected to become increasingly unruly as a mission unfolds. A discarded item might be valuable, a path may be blocked by an obstacle that needs moving, and a seemingly manageable escape can rapidly turn into a rescue operation when a teammate gets trapped.
The game supports one to four players. Solo players can tackle its missions alone, but co-op is central to the experience. Some pieces of loot are too heavy for one raccoon to move, demanding that players coordinate their efforts. Puzzles may similarly require several paws on the job, while a captured teammate could need saving before the group can make its getaway.
That combination of direct objectives and reactive sandbox elements should make each group's run look a little different. Coyote House Games describes the controls as easy to learn, but pairs that accessibility with dynamic systems intended to create chain reactions and emergent moments. In practice, the appeal is likely to be less about executing an immaculate plan and more about recovering when that plan collapses in a pile of stolen rubbish.
The Exterminator is always a threat
Not every resident of Dumpster Gang's world is amused by raccoon antics. Players will need to evade the Exterminator, a pursuing threat that hunts down the gang during its scavenging adventures. The danger adds pressure to the search for valuables and turns coordination into more than a way to optimize loot collection.
Escaping traps, avoiding pursuit, and retrieving teammates are all part of a successful run. A player carrying valuable cargo may need help getting it out safely, while another raccoon might have to create an opening or make a quick detour through the level's vent network. The result is a co-op structure where players are encouraged to share both the rewards and the disasters.
The Exterminator also gives the game a useful contrast in tone. Dumpster Gang is full of deliberately silly raccoon behavior, from raiding snacks to rummaging through garbage, but its missions still require a degree of awareness. The gang is not simply free to cause trouble forever; it needs to grab what it can and get home in one piece.
Turn a hideout into a raccoon home
Between missions, players return to a hideout that serves as a hub for the gang's growing collection. The space can be built up and customized, giving successful scavenging trips a persistent purpose beyond a single level's score or completion state.
Customization also extends to each raccoon. Players can unlock hats, and these are not presented as purely cosmetic accessories: each hat has its own unique ability. That suggests players may be able to tailor their role in a group, choosing gear that complements how they prefer to handle a mission or helps the team deal with a particular kind of obstacle.
The mix of hideout progression and ability-bearing hats gives Dumpster Gang a light progression framework around its sandbox antics. Instead of loot simply vanishing into an abstract tally at the end of a match, the junk and snacks gathered by the gang feed back into a personalized space and a broader collection of raccoon options.
Try the opening levels before launch
Players who want to see how Dumpster Gang handles can download its free demo now on Steam and Xbox on PC. The trial includes the tutorial and the first two levels, so it should provide a useful introduction to its controls, objectives, and the balance between playful exploration and pressure from the Exterminator.
It is also an opportunity for groups to test the game's co-op chemistry ahead of the December launch. With four players able to join the gang, communication may be just as valuable as quick reactions when heavy objects, traps, and a persistent pursuer begin to complicate an otherwise straightforward garbage raid.
Dumpster Gang joins a growing list of co-op games that use a compact, humorous premise as the springboard for repeatable systemic mayhem. Its raccoon theme gives it a distinct identity, while the addition of hideout building, hats with gameplay effects, climbing, vents, puzzles, and a dedicated enemy threat suggests there will be more structure beneath the mess than its title initially implies.
Dumpster Gang release schedule
- December 3, 2026: Steam, Xbox on PC, and PC Game Pass.
- March 2027: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.
- Available now: Free demo on Steam and Xbox on PC, containing the tutorial and first two levels.
With the PC launch arriving first and consoles following a few months later, Dumpster Gang is positioning its 2027 release as the next stage in a broader rollout. For now, aspiring trash pandas can get a head start through the demo, then prepare to assemble a crew for the full scavenging spree when the game reaches PC on December 3.
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