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Project Diarchy Patch Notes | Season 4, New Prime Asset, New Environment & more

[h2]Greetings Reagents,[/h2][p][/p][p]Project Diarchy is upon us! This seasonal update welcomes our New Prime Asset Otto & Arora to the Sinyala Facility and they bring with them devastating buzzsaw takedowns, incapacitating toxic attacks, and precise 360° vision. They stalk the Shopping Mall- the grand intersection of American culture and capitalist commerce, and our new Trial Environment. Lose yourself in 2 new MK-Challenges, a revamped and deepened Rebirth system, and additional DLC cosmetics and more.[/p][p][/p][h2]This update includes[/h2]
  • [p]New Prime Asset: Otto & Arora Kress[/p]
  • [p]New Trial Environment: The Shopping Mall[/p]
  • [p]New Trial: "Kill the Politician"[/p]
  • [p]New MK-Challenges: "Get Out the Vote" & "Sentence the Prosecuted"[/p]
  • [p]New Limited-Time Event: Kress Twins[/p]
  • [p]New Deluxe Catalog: Project Diarchy[/p]
  • [p]Rebirth reopens to all Reagents[/p]
  • [p]Join-in-Progress via Matchmaking[/p]
  • [p]New DLC Packs[/p]
  • [p]Other additions, improvements and fixes[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Season 4: Project Diarchy[/h2][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]In PROJECT DIARCHY, Reagents come face-to-face-to-face with Otto and Arora Kress. Conjoined at birth, the Kress Twins have a set of eyes both fore and aft. They can spot a victim from any angle, stop them with a thrown vile of noxious poison, and split them in two with their buzzsaw.[/p][p][/p][h2]New Prime Asset: Otto & Arora Kress[/h2][p][/p][p]Otto and Arora are the shameful secret of the Kress family dynasty. Scions to an industrial chemical fortune, twisted geniuses of chemistry and politics, their narcissistic entitlement fuels an overwhelming ire for those uncultured massed physically blessed by so-called normalcy. Raised in secrecy, their relationship festered into a codependent affair of incest, murder, and true love.[/p][p]The Kress Twins lord over the Shopping Mall, where they will do anything to stop Reagents from sabotaging their political rally in the latest Trial, “Kill the Politician.”[/p][p][/p][h2]New Environment: The Shopping Mall[/h2][p][/p][p]A consumerist wonder of the world, the Shopping Mall is a living museum in celebration of the power and imperative of the purse. What you own is who you are, so come on in and purchase the person you want to be.[/p][p][/p][h2]New Trial: Kill the Politician[/h2][p][/p][p]Our union is rooted in the liberty born from the intersection of commerce and politics, where every citizen has all the rights they can afford. Vote with your wallet, and show us the freedom you deserve.[/p][p][/p][h2]New MK-Challenge: Get Out the Vote[/h2][p][/p][p]It's time to get out the vote, and we can't trust a politician to cross the street by himself. Escort our candidate door to door and back to the poling station. Make sure he comes out a winner, even if it means twisting a few arms.[/p][p][/p][h2]New Mk-Challenge: Sentence the Prosecuted[/h2][p][/p][p]They call it a "sentence" because a few choice words can condemn a human to death. Decipher the charges, pin it to the defendant, and make sure that it sticks.[/p][p][/p][h2]New Event: Kress Twins[/h2][p]We welcome our new Prime Asset with a tour of the facilities. For a limited time, Otto and Arora Kress will be present in all of the Trials of the Kress Twins therapy.[/p][p][/p][h2]New Deluxe Catalog: Project Diarchy[/h2][p][/p][p]The new Deluxe Catalog “Project Diarchy” is now available.[/p]
  • [p]The catalog is filled with 10 pages of new exclusive cosmetic items for your own self expression.[/p]
  • [p]Unlock the Deluxe Catalog using Murkoff Coins, earned by completing the Onboarding Catalog and other Deluxe Catalog.[/p]
  • [p]Acquire Stamps by completing Trials and Tasks, then use the Stamps to acquired Deluxe Catalog items.[/p]
  • [p]As a reminder, the Deluxe Catalogs are available permanently. Unlock items at your own pace.[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Rebirth reopening to all Reagents[/h2][p][/p][p]After careful consideration, Easterman is reopening the Rebirth to all reagents who deserve it. Rebirth now offers two options: The original Rebirth for solo players. The new Rebirth, called Communal Rebirth, which is designed for teams.[/p][p]This new Rebirth drops the players in a random Trial with 3 unique variators.[/p]
  • [p]Mirror Variator - The perspective of the Trial has shifted. All Trials now feel completely different.[/p]
  • [p]Rebirth Variator - It's time to rebuild yourself. Each player must locate their records box hidden in the Trial and return it to the drop location near the shuttle. There are also 3 radio frequencies that must be tuned to discover familiar words. These 2 secondary objectives must be completed on top of the regular Trial objective in succeed and escape.[/p]
  • [p]Classified Variator - A surprise variator has been injected into the therapy. You'll discover what it is as you play. You're gonna need to adapt - or die.[/p]
[p]Survive Rebirth, and witness what the Reagents become once they return to the outside world![/p]
  • [p]Rebirth now requires each member of a group to have 100 Rebirth Tokens. It is now possible to stack up to 1000 Rebirth Tokens. Rebirth Token rewards for completing Trials have been revisited (5 Rebirth Tokens per Trial, and 3 Rebirth Tokens per MK-Challenge).[/p]
  • [p]Tasks associated to successfully completing the new Rebirth protocol are now available! Become Reborn and you will be rewarded with a new Trophy (and the old ones if you had not received them in the past), as well as a selection of exclusive Legendary outifts.[/p]
[p][/p][h2]New DLC Packs[/h2][p][/p][p]Four times the fear! 4 unique cosmetic packs filled with outfits, room decor, and more so you can enter the Shopping Mall already looking your best![/p][p]Porcelain Observer Pack[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Terrified Toddler Pack[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]World of Heavyweights Pack[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Spelunking For Your Life Pack[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h2]Season 4 Therapy Calendar[/h2]
  • [p]Kress Twins [/p]
  • [p]Stamps Surplus[/p]
  • [p]No Running[/p]
  • [p]Confinement[/p]
  • [p]Dual Objective[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Join-in-Progress via Matchmaking[/h2]
  • [p]Matchmaking now has the option for you to join Trials in progress and will send you directly into the Trial.[/p]
  • [p]A new privacy option “FILL TRIAL” is available in the Group Settings (accessible in Pause Menu and Social Menus), and is set to YES by default. Only the group leader can change this option, and it can only be changed before the Trial begins. It will reset to YES when joining a Trial using the Group Finder.[/p]
  • [p]Once the Trial is completed, players will return with their initial group (if any) before matchmaking occurred.[/p]
    • [p]Dev comment: We are continuing our effort to make our matchmaking effective. Joining Trials in progress should make the matchmaking process faster than before.[/p]
[p]07/15 12:30pm ET - We are aware that players are reporting issues with the "Fill Trial" and Matchmaking feature. It seems that even when turning the "Fill Trial" off, players are experiencing people joining their Trial in-progress despite their settings. Our team is looking into this issue and is working on a Hotfix to come out in the near future to fix this. We appreciate your patience as we address this![/p][p][/p][h2]Additions/Fixes/Balancing[/h2]
  • [p]Added the option “ANY PROGRAM” in the Group Finder screen.[/p]
  • [p]Added Page 11 to the Deluxe Catalog for Project Relapse.[/p]
  • [p]Increased XP rewards for daily and weekly tasks.[/p]
    • [p]Completing one daily task now provides 100xp.[/p]
    • [p]Completing all daily tasks now provides 500xp.[/p]
    • [p]Completing one weekly task now provides 150xp.[/p]
    • [p]Completing all weekly tasks now provides 1000xp.[/p]
  • [p]Trial difficulties are now unlocked by reaching certain Reagent Levels.[/p]
    • [p]Introductory: Level 1.[/p]
    • [p]Standard: Level 5.[/p]
    • [p]Intensive: Level 10.[/p]
    • [p]Psychosurgery: Level 25.[/p]
    • [p]These difficulty unlocks do not reset at Relapse.[/p]
    • [p]If you are in a group, the Group Leader's level must correspond to the difficulty level you wish to play.[/p]
  • [p]Reworked the Stay Together variator:[/p]
    • [p]Increased the distance threshold before damage starts.[/p]
    • [p]Added a short grace period before damage is applied.[/p]
    • [p]Audio feedback (E.S.O.P. beeping) now plays during the grace period.[/p]
    • [p]Electric shock damage no longer interrupts actions.[/p]
    • [p]Variator has been re-added to Escalation Therapy.[/p]
  • [p]Escalation changes:[/p]
    • [p]Rebalanced the difficulty curve of Escalation mode's progression.[/p]
    • [p]Introducing a new Escalation variator: Ultra II (starting at Trial #21).[/p]
      • [p]NO INTEL - Assignment details are absent from the Trial.[/p]
      • [p]NO PLAYER NAMES - Player names are hidden.[/p]
      • [p]INCREASED THREAT II - Maximum population of brutal enemies.[/p]
      • [p]EXTREME PSYCHOSIS - Ex-Pops won't ignore you anymore while in Psychosis.[/p]
      • [p]LIMITED ITEMS III - Amount of items found in the Trial is extremely limited.[/p]
      • [p]MORE & DEADLY TRAPS II - Maximum amount of deadly traps.[/p]
    • [p]From Trial #21, players must complete 2 secondary objectives in order to get the bonus upgrade selection.[/p]
    • [p]Bomb Countdown and Health Sickness has been re-added into Escalation ( they were initially removed due to an issue).[/p]
  • [p]Stacking multiple jumps in a row will consume more stamina. [/p]
    • [p]Dev comment: This change has been made to prevent and avoid “bunny hopping” situations.[/p]
  • [p]Other various bug fixes and improvements.[/p]
[p][/p][p]If you encounter any issues in-game, feel free to join our 18+ Official Outlast Discord Server and create a ticket to speak with our support team.[/p][p][/p][p]Catch you in the Sleep Room...[/p][p][/p][p]- The RB Team
[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]Additional Comments 
07/15 6:30pm ET

The new privacy option “FILL TRIAL” is available in the Group Settings (accessible in Pause Menu and Social Menus), and is set to YES by default. SO TURN THIS SETTING OFF if you DO NOT wish to have random players join your group!

Only the group leader can change this option, and it can only be changed before the Trial begins. It will reset to YES when joining a Trial using the Group Finder.,
Once the Trial is completed, players will return with their initial group (if any) before matchmaking occurred.,[/p][p]Our team is working on a Hotfix patch that should be out sometime tomorrow (07/16) if all goes well, and it will include:[/p]
  • [p]Updated matchmaking rules: We will try for some time (currently set to 60 seconds) to match you with players starting a new trial before expanding to trials in progress. This is something we will keep monitoring and adjusting as needed, so thank you for your feedback![/p]
  • [p]Increased Release Tokens granted[/p]
  • [p]Legacy Reborn Trophies will now be granted when you reach the required release count for players who released at least once prior to version 4.0. For example- if you release your Reagent 5 times before the 4.0 update, you only need to Rebirth and release 5 more times to acquire the Legacy 10 release Trophy. Those Trophies are granted automatically, no need to go through the task system.[/p]
  • [p]Fix for the Ultra 2 variator not blocking some item variators from being picked. It's already limiting items enough as is.[/p]
  • [p]Fix for a focus issue when using a gamepad in the group options submenu.[/p]
[p]Earlier today our team pushed a few fixes for the following issues:[/p]
  • [p]Escalation runs not starting and getting an error.[/p]
  • [p]Not getting Reborn tokens, Rewards and Grades after completing Trials.[/p]
[p]Our team is continuing to look into issues and we will ping here and on social media when our Hotfix patch is ready to go out. We appreciate your patience as we address these issues and thank everyone for taking the time to report your problems to us![/p][p]If you continue to experience issues please join our 18+ Official Outlast Discord Server and create a ticket to speak with our support team.[/p]

Project Diarchy: Meet Otto & Arora Kress | Coming July 15th

[h3]Greetings Fellow Reagents, [/h3][p][/p][p]Meet Otto & Arora, aka The Kress Twins. Two halves of the same sadistic whole, this new Prime Asset will be joining The Outlast Trials in our next major update coming Tuesday, July 15th at approximately 10am ET which will kick off Season 4: Project Diarchy. This update will feature our new Prime Asset: Otto & Arora, a new map Trial environment: Shopping Mall, Reborn 2.0, 2 new MK-Challenges: "Get Out the Vote" in Suburbs, and "Sentence the Prosecuted" in Courthouse (sneak peek at these below).[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h3]New Prime Asset: Otto and Arora Kress[/h3][p]What God has joined together, let no man rend asunder… and so it is with the Kress Twins, Otto and Arora, conjoined at birth due to their in utero exposure to toxic chemicals, and the latest Prime Asset to arrive to The Outlast Trials! [/p][p]Firstborns to the wealthy industrial magnate Anton Kress, the twins suffered even before birth, as their mother was exposed to the poisonous fumes of Anton’s experiments and died bringing her children into the world. Reviled by their peers and blamed by their father for their mother’s death, the Kress Siblings nevertheless found their sick pleasures wherever they could… and will soon be unleashed to terrorize the Sinyala Facility Reagents.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Otto and Arora are two halves of the same sadistic whole: the former a one time politician who now wields a chainsaw instead of words, and the latter a brilliant chemist capable of devising toxic weapons far deadlier than anything her late father ever crafted. [/p][p]Boasting two brains for their one shared body, Otto & Arora have a complete 360-degree field of vision, making it nearly impossible to escape their gaze. Brother Otto will fall upon his victims in a bloody melee frenzy, while Sister Arora can catch players unaware by lobbing poison flasks for a ranged attack. Together, they comprise the most difficult Prime Asset the Reagents have yet to face.[/p][p][/p][h3]New Map: “Shopping Mall” Trial Environment[/h3][p][/p][p]The Kress Twins will stalk the halls of the newest Trial Environment: Shopping Mall. Having prepared their preferred puppet candidate, they’ve now organized a rally for the all-but-predetermined election, to be held at the American wonder of the world: the shopping mall. This bastion to capitalism typically draws people from all walks of life… which is precisely why Otto & Arora have roped off a special area for VIPs only. [/p][p]With a long-held disdain for the poor that has since devolved into pure, unadulterated disgust, the twins only want the wealthy elites in attendance at their rally- especially those eager to contribute donations. After all, as a prestigious, invite-only event, you can't get in unless you spend, spend, spend… earning yourself a seat at the political spectacle of the decade.[/p][p][/p][h3]New MURKOFF COLLECTIONS Comic Book - Chapter 6[/h3][p][/p][p]Want to learn more about our new Prime Assets Otto & Arora? Then descend into their disturbing origin story by exploring the latest issue of the Murkoff Collections comic book series, now available for free to read on our website. [/p][p][/p][h3]New MK-Challenge: “Get Out the Vote"[/h3][p][/p][h3]New MK-Challenge: “Sentence the Prosecuted"[/h3][p]We are so excited for everyone to jump into Project Diarchy next week, more details will come on with the Patch Notes to be released with the update. [/p][p]We look forward to seeing you all in the Sleep Room very soon… [/p][p]- The RB Team [/p]

Rated 93% on Steam, one of PC's most vicious horror games is going to get harder

Dealing with one ruthless Prime Asset in The Outlast Trials is already a challenge, but the co-op survival horror's latest addition will seriously put players through their paces. Developer Red Barrels has revealed that sadistic twins Otto and Arora Kress will arrive with Season 4: Project Diarchy, and they'll be nearly impossible to hide from.


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After 12 years, the prices of the original Outlast games are going down forever

Boasting near-perfect reviews, one of PC's nastiest horror games just got bigger

Bold and brutal, if you haven't played The Outlast Trials yet, now is the time

After 12 years, the prices of the original Outlast games are going down forever

Resident Evil 9 could be on the way. State of Decay 3 is also in the works. But while we wait for that next generation of horror games, now might be the time to finally take a visit to - or to revisit - Mount Massive Asylum and the Colorado Plateau. More than a decade since the original Outlast was released, developer Red Barrels has decided to cut the prices for all three of its original games. And this isn't just a temporary sale - from now on, Outlast, The Whistleblower, and Outlast 2 are going to be cheaper forever. At the same time, a new update for The Outlast Trials has just arrived. If you need more convincing, even now, some 12 years later, this remains one of the best-rated horror series on Steam.


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New Update | Prime Time Limited-Time Event is Back, New MK-Challenges & more

Greetings Reagents,


Our Prime Assets are the core of the Therapy and it's time for you to have some quality time with Sergeant Coyle, Mother Gooseberry and Franco Barbi during Prime Time, along with two new sadistic MK-Challenges that push you to fumigate the factory and gamble your life for freedom.

[h2]This update includes[/h2]
  • New Limited-Time Event: PRIME TIME
  • New Limited-Time Catalog: PRIME TIME
  • New MK-Challenge: FUMIGATE THE FACTORY
  • New MK-Challenge: REDEEM YOUR FREEDOM
  • Revamp of Program Genesis
  • Quickplay replaced by Group Finder
  • Pause Menu rework
  • Task Tracking
  • Many additions, fixes, and balancing changes

[h2]New Limited-Time Event: PRIME TIME[/h2]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Prime Time proved to be a most efficacious therapy; so much so that we are reviving the initiative. Gooseberry, Coyle, or Franco unite to hunt you down in the same Trial for some compound Therapy.

[h3]New Limited-Time Catalog: PRIME TIME[/h3]

A brand new Catalog is available for the duration of the Prime Time Limited-Time event.
  • Players can spend their acquired Event Tokens on items in the Prime Time Catalog to unlock exclusive cosmetics.
  • Once the event ends, the catalog will be removed, and any unspent tokens will be lost.

[h2]New MK-Challenge: FUMIGATE THE FACTORY[/h2]

Aging workers with their pensions and benefits are the bleeding wounds of our economy, draining the corporate body with their chronic existence. Stop the bleeding with a sterilizing gas and put the workers out of our misery.

[h2]New MK-Challenge: REDEEM YOUR FREEDOM[/h2]

Currency, like your survival, is worthless unless you give it value with faith. Collect tickets like your life depended on it.

[h2]Revamp of Program Genesis[/h2]
The Genesis Program has been revamped to include all Trials and MK-Challenges.
  • Trials are now organized by theme.
  • Programs now feature distinct visual feedback to clearly differentiate between Trials and MK-Challenges.
  • Going forward, all new Trials and MK-Challenges will be added under their corresponding themes within the Genesis Program.

[h2]Quickplay replaced by Group Finder[/h2]
  • Quick Play has been replaced with the new Group Finder.
  • Accessible from the Terminal’s main screen, the Group Finder allows players to connect with others looking to participate in the same activity.
Developper Comment: With the wide variety of activities in the game, managing them all through a single matchmaking system became increasingly complex. This often led to long wait times or failed group formations. The new Group Finder offers a streamlined solution—helping players quickly connect with others interested in the same activity. Once matched, players can communicate to fine-tune the details before jumping in.

[h2]Pause Menu rework[/h2]
  • The Pause Menu now features three tabs: Menu, Tasks, and Loadout.
  • Players can navigate through these tabs to view their respective content.
  • While in a Trial, the Loadout tab is view-only. Changes can still be made in the Sleep Room and Shuttle before starting a Trial.
  • Holding Tab (or Select on Gamepad) remains a shortcut to quickly open the Tasks tab.

[h2]Tasks Tracking[/h2]
  • It is now possible to pin one Task and have it displayed in the HUD permanently.
  • Simply navigate to the Tasks menu and press the Pin input.

[h2]Additions/Fixes/Balancing[/h2]
  • “Weekly Therapies” are now called “Routine Therapies” and include more tasks to complete for extra rewards. This change helps distinguish them from rotating “Weekly Tasks” and week-long program tasks.
  • Routine Therapies and Special Therapies will now include event variators in the Introductory difficulty, since it’s now possible to play any Trial in its original format within Program Genesis.
  • Jaeger Ex-Pop changes:
    • The Jaeger will no longer spawn during Trials of the Genesis Programs on Introductory and Standard difficulties.
    • It can still appear in Standard difficulty for Routine, Event, and Escalation Therapies.
    • Spawn chances reduced to 20% (was 33%) at Standard Difficulty.
    • Spawn chances reduced to 75% (was 100%) (Intensive and Psychosurgery)
    • The Jaeger can now only spawn once per Trial.
    • Once spawned, the Jaeger presence in a Trial is reduced to 3 minutes (was 5 minutes).
  • Trial Maker:
    • Improved Variators compatibility.
    • Added a new tab “Last Played” that lists the last Trials played in chronological order.
  • Escalation Therapy:
    • Added all latest MK-Challenges.
    • Reduced the number of syringe in Trials.
  • Solo: Players can now have a maximum reserve of 5 respawns (including Escalation).
  • Genesis: Adjusted variators in Intensive and Psychosurgery difficulties.
  • Settings: A new option has been added to automatically equip picked-up items.
  • The Stamina Boost item now grants temporary stamina immunity and a short speed boost upon consumption.
  • Added new behaviors for the imposters: list of behaviors redacted on purpose 🤫
  • Gameplay tutorials will now reappear for players who have been inactive for several days.
  • Fixed missing reward for the Genesis task “Score A+ in the Trial: Liquidate the Union”. Players will have to recomplete the task to claim the reward.
  • Fixed a bug where Program Genesis was reset after a Relapse.
  • Other various bug fixes.

[h2]The Outlast Trials Roadmap 2025[/h2]

Here is a look at what’s to come in The Outlast Trials in the near future. Following the Prime Time update Reagents will experience a new Routine Therapy: Nostophobia, followed by the Season 4 launch this Summer featuring a New Prime Asset, a New Trial environment and more!

We will once again celebrate Halloween with an update that includes a Limited-Time Event as well as a new game mode!

Thank you all for your continued patience as our team works hard to add new content to The Outlast Trials. Our goal is to keep the Therapy experience engaging and immersive, so we can all get better together!

- The RB Team