Easy Red 2 Shanghai Nanking: Campaign and DLC Guide

What Does the Shanghai-Nanking DLC Include?

Easy Red 2 Shanghai Nanking takes the fighting to China in 1937, combining street battles with combat across more open terrain. The expansion adds Shanghai and Nanjing maps, a Chinese faction with dedicated voiceovers, and an arsenal of additional infantry weapons, armor, and aircraft. Steam and Xbox feature descriptions include 23 missions across the expansion, giving you a substantial campaign addition that requires the base game.

The setting covers the Second Sino-Japanese War, with Chinese and Japanese forces fighting around Shanghai and toward Nanjing. “Nanking” in the title and “Nanjing” in the campaign description refer to the same city.

Beyond the missions, the DLC adds more than 70 Chinese and Japanese clothing items and over 100 props and buildings for the Mission and Map Editor. On PC, those additions also give scenario builders more assets for creating their own battlefields.

Campaign Locations and Opening Missions

The campaign spans locations including Luodian, Baoshan, Wusong, Jinshanwei, Hongkou, Suzhou creek, Chunhua, the Yuhuatai hills, and Nanjing. Expect a mixture of urban fighting and engagements outside the cities, with infantry, vehicles, and aircraft sharing the battlefield.

Image: Steam / Marco Amadei

Shanghai opens with these missions:

• Towards the SNLF Barracks: Set at 08:59, this mission pits the Chinese 88th Division against the Shanghai SNLF.
• Barracks' Iron Line: Set at 17:14, this continues the confrontation between those formations.

The opening Chinese attack pushes toward Japanese positions in northeastern Shanghai. Later fighting around Nanjing includes defensive combat across open ground, changing the demands on your positioning and support weapons.

Read each mission briefing before choosing a role. Use the objective and terrain to decide whether to start with a rifleman, provide automatic fire, or take an available vehicle role.

Chinese Weapons, Vehicles, and Aircraft

The Chinese faction gives the expansion much of its identity. Its equipment includes the Type 24 rifle, Hanyang, Zb 26, Chinese MP18, SIG20, and Fn Type D. Dedicated voiceovers and new uniforms help distinguish these formations from the base game’s other armies.

Image: Steam / Marco Amadei

The additional equipment pool includes:

• Aircraft: A4N, Hawk-3, and Chinese versions of the P40 and I16.
• Armor and vehicles: Type 89, Chinese versions of the T26 and Panzer I, and Vickers Crossley.
• Heavy weapons: Type 24 HMG.

Choose from the roles and equipment available in the mission rather than expecting every addition in every battle. Try the rifles and automatic weapons separately so you can learn their handling without constantly changing equipment mid-fight.

For PC map makers, use the new buildings and props to shape approaches and firing positions. The expansion’s value extends beyond its campaign if you already spend time building custom scenarios.

Combat Tips for Streets and Open Ground

Shanghai’s close fighting and Nanjing’s more open engagements reward different decisions. Keep the objective, your squad, and your equipment in mind when choosing your next move.

Image: Steam / Marco Amadei

• Coordinate your squad before crossing exposed ground. Use squad orders to organize the advance instead of moving ahead alone.
• Watch reinforcement tickets during attacks. Push toward the objective rather than spending the battle trading casualties from the same position.
• Manage ammunition and medical supplies. Check your equipment before another push, and replenish from fallen soldiers when supplies are available.
• Identify targets before throwing grenades. Crowded street fighting makes friendly positions especially important.
• Match your equipment to the threat. Switch to an available anti-tank role when armor blocks the advance rather than repeatedly engaging it with your rifle.
• Use available aircraft to attack support positions. Target artillery or other threats interfering with your ground forces when the mission provides an aircraft role.

Avoid relying on one weapon or role throughout the campaign. A position that calls for rifle fire across open terrain can give way to close fighting around an objective.

Platforms, Release Dates, and Buying the DLC

Shanghai-Nanking is a paid expansion. Own the corresponding version of Easy Red 2 before purchasing it.

Platform	DLC release date	Campaign mission description
Steam: Windows, macOS, Linux	March 28, 2025	23 missions
Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S	4/7/2025	23 missions
PS4	April 24, 2025	Over 15 missions

The PS4 description uses a different mission count from Steam and Xbox. Use your platform’s campaign menu when selecting missions.

The regular U.S. price is $5.99 on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation. Steam supports single-player, online PvP, and online co-op, and the base game has full controller support. PlayStation requires PS Plus for online play.

Get Shanghai-Nanking on Steam, buy the Xbox expansion, or view the PS4 expansion.

What the Cold Steel Update Changes

The November 1, 2026, 2.1.1 “Cold Steel” update adds mechanics and equipment relevant to Chinese and Japanese combat, including the Dadao in Chinese loadouts and the Type 95 Shin Gunto for Japanese officers.

The new in-hand melee system supports slashing, stabbing, and blocking with supported melee weapons. Hold the melee button to draw or put away a bayonet as a knife; on keyboard, 3 cycles through melee weapons in your inventory. Enemy AI can also draw melee weapons at close range, so keep your distance while reloading.

The update also introduces the Japanese Type 89 Grenade Discharger, with an adjustable range scale. Japanese grenadiers can respond to squad-leader artillery orders or engage spotted enemies outside their direct line of fire autonomously. Use those orders when leading an equipped squad to bring indirect support into the fight.