Pandemic State of Emergency Expansion Guide
Pandemic: State of Emergency adds three challenge modules: Hinterlands, Superbug and Emergency Events. It also introduces quarantine tokens, new roles and additional events.
What State of Emergency adds
- 5 new roles
- 7 Event cards
- Quarantine tokens
- Hinterlands boards and die
- Emergency Event cards
- Vaccine factories and doses
- Purple Superbug disease components
Hinterlands Challenge
The Hinterlands system tracks diseases that move between animals and humans outside the normal city network. Two extra boards represent source regions that can feed new problems into the main map.
Superbug Challenge
The Superbug introduces a fifth disease that cannot be handled like a normal treatable disease. Players must produce vaccine doses and use them to fight the threat.
Emergency Event Challenge
Emergency Event cards are inserted into the Player Deck and create harmful global effects, such as restricting movement or reducing hand capacity.
Quarantine tokens
Quarantine markers give players another defensive tool. A quarantine can prevent upcoming disease-cube placements or outbreaks in a city, letting the team buy time.
Does State of Emergency require On the Brink?
No. Z-Man lists the Pandemic base game as the requirement. On the Brink is not required for State of Emergency.
Who should add it?
State of Emergency is best for experienced teams that want stronger scenario-style pressure and more control over difficulty. Its modules are more specialized than the general-purpose variety in On the Brink.
Related guides
Publisher source
Expansion details checked September 2026.