Red Barrels showed up for IGN Fall Fan Fest 2025 with a trailer for The Outlast Trials Invasion Mode, a major update coming in Season 4 that finally introduces its take on PvP.
The Invasion Experimental Therapy mode looks more Among Us than Dead by Daylight in its first two-minute trailer, revealing a twist on the live-service survival horror game that lets players stalk others while wearing their skin as a mask. It’s…creepy, to say the least, with Red Barrels prepping its PvP experience for Halloween with a release date of October 21, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S.
“You are not your brother’s keepers: you are your father’s children,” an official story description for The Outlast Trials Invasion Mode says. “And a father gains the trust of his children by trusting them himself. That’s why the ever-gracious Easterman has provided his beloved children with the tools they need to truly sympathize with one another: knives, security cameras, and disguises made of human flesh. After all, sometimes you have to hurt the ones you love to help them get better… and in the world of The Outlast Trials, harm and healing always go hand-in-hand.”
The Outlast Trials launched in early access in 2023 as a PvE spin on Red Barrels’ green-tinted survival horror video game series, with its full launch following in 2024. It’s remained in that space since then, so the Invasion Experimental Therapy mode should shake things up more than ever before.
Players can access the mode via the Sleep Room Terminals, where they are given the option between playing as a Reagent or an Imposter. Like so many other asymmetrical horror games, those Imposter spots are limited, but their impact can’t be overstated.
Imposters stick to the shadows and essentially serve as mimics in The Outlast Trials Invasion Mode, hunting other players by using surveillance cameras and tricky, fleshy disguises until the time to strike arrives. Red Barrels says Imposters will then engage in close-quarters combat with multiple knife strikes or a single stab attack.
True stealth is key for killers looking to dispatch other players in The Outlast Trials Invasion Mode, but other gameplay opportunities will be introduced with that major Season 4 update. Also on the way is the Geister time-limited event and time-limited catalog, as well as two new MK Challenges – Beguile the Children and Investigate the Minotaur – and a new in-game store. Players can also look forward to a new colleciton of Twitch Drops, including Murkoff Cadet cosmetics, a player icon, and more, which will be available to earn from October 21 at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET to November 18 at 6:59 a.m. PT / 9: 59 a.m. ET.
More information about The Outlast Trials Season 4 will be revealed in the near future. Until then, you can read our The Outlast Trials review. You can also check out our original early access review for a better look at how Red Barrel has changed its multiplayer spinoff since 2023.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
