Hell is an experiment you can't survive in Outlast, a first-person survival horror game series developed by veterans of some of the biggest game franchises in history. Critically acclaimed for its immersive atmosphere, sound design and full-frontal scares, the series soon became the leading horror game experience of its generation. The rules of the Outlast universe are simple – run, hide or die trying.

Outlast, the original release, begins with an intriguing anonymous tip that leads you to explore the dark heart of Mount Massive Asylum, home to the secret experiments of the Murkoff Corporation. Whistleblower, the DLC continuation, tells the backstory to the atrocities found in Outlast and stretches past the events of the first game to show the final bloody chapter in Mount Massive Asylum's story. Outlast 2 places you deep in the wilderness where you discover the residents of Temple Gate and a corruption so profound that going mad may be the only sane thing to do.

While not a direct sequel to the other critically acclaimed Outlast titles in the series, The Outlast Trials will be set in the same thrilling universe: more precisely, right in the middle of the Cold War era where players take on the role of test subjects abducted by the shadowy Murkoff Corporation.

Red Barrels has officially announced the Early Access release date for The Outlast Trials, which will come to Steam and Epic Games Store on May 18, 2023.

Players were first granted access to Murkoff’s Sinyala Facility last Halloween for the Closed Beta experience. Running from Friday 28 October to Tuesday 1 November, almost 1 million players signed up for the terrifying challenge, with successful players racking up a total of 35 years of play time spent in the Closed Beta weekend.

“The Closed Beta was just a taste of what’s to come in The Outlast Trials,” said Philippe Morin, Co-Founder of Red Barrels. “Our first round of willing participants to take part in the trials provided us with some insightful feedback and very interesting data, which we have used to improve the experience.

“We received so many requests for the Closed Beta that we’re looking forward to welcoming even more players to The Outlast Trials when it comes to Early Access on May 18th.”

Imprisoned in a secret Murkoff facility, players will be thrust into a series of physical and mental ordeals, tormented by iconic characters, and challenged alone or in teams to survive with their sanity intact. In a world of distrust, fear, and violence, your morals will be challenged, your endurance tested, and your sanity crushed. All in the name of progress, science, and profit.

The Outlast Trials will allow players to face the horrors of the trials by themselves or cooperate with up to three other test subjects. After all, it's always better to shit your pants with some friends!

The Outlast Trials is a terrifying game set in the same universe as the previous titles, scheduled for release on PC (Steam / Epic Games Store) during 2023.