The Outlast Trials hit 147,955 Steam players after a 90% Halloween sale
Red Barrels co-founder Philippe Morin calls October one of the studio's biggest months, and a community event has opened an escape from Sinyala.
The Outlast Trials peaked at 147,955 concurrent players on Steam in early October 2026 after Red Barrels cut its price by 90% for Halloween. Co-founder Philippe Morin told PC Gamer the studio expected a jump but not one that big, for a co-op horror game that has now been out for more than three years.
"We act as if Halloween is ours"
Morin said Halloween has been one of Red Barrels' biggest months since the first Outlast, and that October kicks off the strongest sales stretch of the year through November and the holidays. "We don't control what other studios do, obviously, but we act as if Halloween is ours," he told PC Gamer.
He described checking the numbers every morning in the first week of October, expecting each day to be the peak, only for the player count to keep rising. Numbers have eased since the sale ended, and Morin said he hopes they settle well above where they were before.
An escape is open, for now
The Outlast Trials drops a squad of players inside Murkoff's Sinyala Facility, where escape is normally out of reach. This Halloween, Red Barrels ran a communal event in which players worked together to help the character Amelia break out. The community finished the task on a Sunday night shortly before the interview, and since then players have been able to escape the facility. Morin was clear that the window will not stay open: "Murkoff is always watching."
The numbers behind the hype
Market analyst Alinea Analytics estimates that The Outlast Trials has made $62.1 million on Steam in 2026 from about 4 million copies, taking its lifetime Steam total to roughly $170.9 million from 9.4 million copies. Those are third-party estimates, but they put it among the biggest horror earners on Steam this year, alongside Resident Evil, R.E.P.O. and Phasmophobia. On Steam, the game holds a Very Positive rating of 92% from more than 100,000 reviews.
For SEA players
The Outlast Trials is on PC through Steam, and its co-op trials make it an easy Halloween pick for a group of friends. With the escape event time-limited, this weekend is the moment to jump in.
Source: PC Gamer; Alinea Analytics; The Outlast Trials on Steam.
