A spin-off of the Outlast series, The Trials focusses on Murkoff’s origin story and provides an explanation on the physical alterations normal people go through, alongside the psychological changes that victims of the facility suffer through via their gruelling and traumatising experimentation. Whilst there are no supernatural elements in The Outlast Trials (so far), the game tailors its horror experience towards teamwork, communication and just how far you will go to put a stop to the madness and get out of the facility alive. With its Early Access release in May, 2023 and a total of two updates since as of August, 2023, Red Barrels announced their soon-to-be fulfilled goals for this co-op horror. This is Vincent’s guide on everything you need to know about what’s coming for The Outlast Trials in the near future.
The Outlast Trials Roadmap – All Confirmed Future Updates
The problem with Early Access games is the constant need for new content as games such as The Outlast Trials, Phasmophobia, and Demonologist have the strong chance of going stale for regular consumers of the game. Unlike the other entries in the Outlast universe, these provide a regular sized campaign that delivers great scares, narrative and gameplay consist to remain near the top of the best horror games ever made list. But Early Access (specifically multiplayer games) have the strong chance of going stale and being left in the dust if the game does not receive consistent updates and new content that keeps its playerbase happy with the product.
With the latest update being in early June 2023, players assumed the worst against Red Barrels silence that The Outlast Trials would be a slow-burner on the developmental side of things. However, with Red Barrel’s Game Director, Alex coming forward with an announcement, hope has returned to the fanbase for the list of updates in the near future is a lot to look forward to. Here’s everything you need to know.
Related: How to Unlock Program Omega in The Outlast Trials.
Will The Outlast Trials Come to Console?
Although it was originally announced that console release would likely happen in late 2023, it has been moved back to early 2024 due to the promise of providing crossplay across a multitude of platforms. Red Barrels is currently working on moving its product to new and older gen consoles (PlayStation and Xbox), with the added bonus to play this horror experience across all platforms, allowing all types of players to have the opportunity to play through the trials together. It is rare that we get to see Early Access multiplayer games come out on multiple platforms with crossplay included, so if this does happen, it will most definitely invite a ton more eyes to the game.
Changes to the Trials
A switch has been made to include those searching for a trial to play to be based on a decision made in the lobby area of deciding as a group which trial they want to play. This removes the matchmaking of multiple servers for each trial where individuals would typically pick what they wanted to play and wait for the server to fill before they head into the match. It will work more similar to the old school Call of Duty multiplayers where players in the lobby would choose which map they wished to play on through a voting system.
Trials will offer rewards as part of your performance in a trial. What this means is that players will get a varying amount of XP dependant on their Performance that is part of the Grading System already in place in The Outlast Trials. These rewards include First Time Completion, Grad Bonus and rewards based on the player’s actions taken during a trial. This should in turn fasten the amount of time it takes to gain new Rigs and Amps.
Alongside a new reward system, Alex outlines a new Penalty System for those who play the game with a group and do not provide as much effort as others. This can be seen in players who do not complete Assignments and spend the majority of the trial hiding or running away. This will stop this exploit being used in game as a way of gaining XP without really doing anything to help in a trial.
Whilst this is an experience best played in co-op, Red Barrels highlights that solo players are not being left in the dark. Adjustments are being made to the difficulty for the solo experience due to the fact that this appears the same when played in a group, meaning that solo players are naturally at a disadvantage due to playing alone. With a new feature being added into the game – Respawn Pills, this gives solo players a +1 chance to head back into the trial and continue where they left off before being graded and sent back into the lobby.
Finally, AI behavior is continually being improved with awareness and decision-making which could massively change the game for the better. With many describing problems with the AI in the game, specifically with the Screamer, Red Barrels acknowledges this and is looking to improve this for the next update.
What Will the Next Update Have in Store for Reagents?
The next update for The Outlast Trials is set to arrive in October, 2023. A new Program is being added into the mix, alongside a new Trial, challenges, Amps, Variators and Prescriptions. A LTE is also included titled Program Halloween which will house its own special rewards. Changes are being given to Program X for a refreshing experience and to boost replayability. Not only this but, the game looks to add more Cosmetics, including Cell Items and a new Minigame to keep the rivalry going between friends or locate the IGL before the trial begins. For those excited for this update, dress up like Trager and get ready for Halloween 2023 for that is when this new content drops.
Are you excited for future updates from this co-op horror? Be sure to follow all Outlast Trials development via their Steam product page and official Discord Server. For more coverage on this game, you can find all articles written by the Gamer Journalist team here. Looking for games that won’t keep you up at night? See all GJ coverage of all the latest games here. Thank you for reading.
