The Outlast Trials Dev Hints That PvP Features May Be On The Way

For a team like Red Barrels, finding success in making just one series for over a decade isn't easy. It seems especially difficult when you consider the series the team makes; Outlast is a gruesome, unflinching, taboo-shattering horror series, with gore, violence, and even nudity so beyond most other games that I'm sometimes amazed games in the series don't get Adult ratings.

I'll also add it's among my favorite horror series, though I didn't anticipate that would remain the case when The Outlast Trial was revealed years ago. As a four-player co-op take on the series' typical single-player horror stories, I felt like Outlast might lose some of its best features--the lonesome helplessness and intense situations where no one can save you. Last year, I wrote my Outlast Trials review, which helped me come to find I had misjudged the game previously. Today, it's become a regular in my rotation, and it's especially interesting to me, given it's essentially a live-service game from a studio new to that highly competitive scene.

With all of this context in mind, I was eager to speak to Red Barrels game director, Alex Charbonneau, so I could ask him his thoughts on these and other aspects of the game in advance of today's first anniversary since the game launched into its 1.0 state. Charbonneau spoke to the game's jaw-dropping depictions of violence and the problems that can sometimes present for its community. He also touched on how the community has helped shape the game, which originally had far less planned than what we've already seen come to the game just in its first year. Perhaps most intriguing is what he said about PvP coming to the game, which is currently PvE co-op only. Find all these details and more in GameSpot's interview below.

GameSpot: The Outlast Trials has now been out a year since the 1.0 launch. What is the team's biggest takeaway from that first year, and how has it felt different from the time spent in early access?

The launch of version 1.0 marks the true beginning of our adventure! Throughout Early Access, we learned a lot and saw the game evolve into something dynamic and ever-changing. We had to adapt--because that’s what players wanted. More therapies, more gadgets, more enemies--more of everything. While we never initially planned for the game to function as a live service, we embraced the shift. After all, players love being test subjects! We feel we've reached a great point now. Reagents are Murkoff’s test subjects, and our players are ours. And trust us--there are plenty of surprises incoming!

One thing I'm fascinated by is the world of live-service games and how it can feel like there's a volatile, if not vanishing, middle ground. The Outlast Trials seems to be one of a few games that is succeeding in this space without being the biggest game in the world. How does the team view this success, and how does it view this challenge of staying relevant in such a competitive space?

We’ve noticed that The Outlast Trials is a game players keep coming back to--sometimes even daily, which took us by surprise! To support this, we created a system where the game evolves regularly: Weekly Programs bring fresh challenges, time-limited events occur every few weeks, and major seasonal updates introduce significant changes. We also believe the game has a unique appeal--new players are constantly discovering its rich content, while seasoned players return to continue their therapy.

It's impressed me how The Outlast Trials' live-service elements have worked well even though the team hasn't done something like this before. How did the team approach things like designing daily and weekly tasks, cosmetic rewards, and limited-time events? Did existing Red Barrels team members learn how to implement these things, or did the team bring in industry veterans who built these things in previous games?

We have an incredibly talented team. Some players assume we’re a massive 300+ person studio, but in reality, we’re a tight-knit group of around 60. Everyone is deeply involved, passionate, and committed to making the game the best it can be. While some of our developers have experience with live service games--shaping certain aspects of our approach--we don’t strictly follow all the usual rules. Instead, we focus on what’s best for our players and scale accordingly. Being a smaller team also gives us a key advantage: the ability to adapt and move fast, which is one of our greatest strengths.

What are the biggest ways in which the community has helped shape the game over the last year (or even since early access)? Are there major elements you can point to and say they were going to be very different until the community's feedback showed you a new path?

Originally, the game was planned to have just five big Trials--that was it. But after a single weekend in Closed Beta, it became clear that players wanted much more. So, we pivoted, focusing on mechanics that could deliver fresh content without relying on full procedural generation (which we experimented with but found lacking at the time). The result? A massive ecosystem featuring Trials, MK-Challenges, Variators, Escalation Therapy, Daily and Weekly Tasks, Catalogs, and more--all designed to keep players engaged. And when players share their feedback, we listen and act as quickly as possible.

How has the community surprised you so far?

We’re constantly impressed by the quality of feedback we receive. Our players are deeply invested, and we make sure to read, listen, and watch everything they do. It’s not uncommon for a few insightful comments to send me straight into our editor to tweak something--because what they say just makes perfect sense. Shortly after, the change is live, and players see their impact on the game firsthand. And the truth is--they absolutely do shape the experience.

A lot of games now do crossovers with things like movies, TV series, and other pop culture. Is there room in The Outlast Trials to do this? Do you plan to do such things?

This is something we constantly discuss, but for us, maintaining the credibility and authenticity of the world we’re building is the top priority. If we ever do collaborations, they would need to fit seamlessly into our universe. Right now, we’re already working with incredibly talented artists for voiceovers, and we’re exploring ways to expand these collaborations in the future.

I've enjoyed Outlast games since they first debuted--I even bought a PS4 so I could play the original--but I wasn't sure I wanted a multiplayer game when it was announced years ago. I've learned I was wrong. Has there been a noticeable shift in sentiment toward the game?

Absolutely. We’ve come to understand that horror is something people love to experience together. At first, this was a huge risk for us. It took countless iterations to get where we are today--because while it may seem simple, it was anything but. Balancing tension and terror in a complex, multiplayer environment was no easy feat. But now, we couldn’t be prouder. The Outlast Trials is an absolute thrill to play with friends, and watching streamers and YouTubers dive into it is just as incredible.

Outlast games are incredibly gory and taboo-defying. This is a feature for many players, but likely a detractor to others as it can be so wildly gruesome. Do you ever have talks about where to draw the line in terms of the game's mature content? Have you had to pull back to avoid an Adult rating?

This is a topic we discuss from time to time, but ultimately, we believe the game's uniqueness is what draws players in. Changing that would be a risk, as it could disappoint our fanbase--so for now, it’s not something we plan to do. However, we are exploring ways to help streamers and YouTubers capture content more easily without running into issues.

Do you (or did you previously) have any plans to introduce a PvP mode to the game or will it always be PvE co-op?

All I’ll say is that Reagents are test subjects--and Murkoff may have some experiments planned for them in the near future. We do enjoy the competitive aspect of The Outlast Trials in one way or another. So, let’s wait and see what Murkoff is cooking, shall we?

It's been shared that the game has sold 3.3M copies so far, making it the biggest Outlast game to date if I'm not mistaken. How does this compare to the team's initial expectations, and what does this figure mean you may do differently in the future?

Achieving commercial and critical success is always incredibly rewarding. Our most valuable critics are the players, and we are thrilled and proud that they love the game. We see this game lasting for many years. We are brimming with ideas for new and exciting content, and the success of the game means we can continue to bring these ideas to life for as long as players join us on this adventure.

The team previously announced Outlast 3. Does the success of The Outlast Trials make that game easier to make, perhaps by funding it and making the IP more popular? Or does it make it harder, perhaps by demanding more resources itself?

Red Barrels is inherently a small company, and we aim to maintain this size as much as possible. When we embark on another project, it will not come at the expense of reducing resources for The Outlast Trials. This is an ongoing discussion within our team to ensure we balance both our existing commitments and new endeavors.

Can you give any examples of how the game may continue to change shape over Year 2? Maybe there are things you've wanted to do but couldn't until now, or recent changes in philosophy have you trying new things soon.

We've finally reached a point where our pipeline enables us to deliver more of what the players crave. Expect more Trials, more enemies, more prime assets, more gadgets, more cosmetics, more variators, more events--simply, more of everything. For Year 2, players can anticipate a deluge of new content. On the flip side, we also love to keep our players on their toes with surprises. New lore, new twists, new gameplay elements, new modes – Year 2 will, in many ways, be the year of surprises.

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The Outlast Trials is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. You can catch today's anniversary stream on the studio's YouTube or Twitch channels.