Red Barrels

Red Barrels is an independent Canadian video game developer and self-publisher focused on psychological and survival-horror experiences. Founded in 2011, the studio has built its business around retaining creative independence through self-funded development, ownership of its intellectual property and direct publishing of its games.

The company is best known for the Outlast franchise. Its debut title, Outlast, released in 2013, was followed by the expansion Outlast: Whistleblower in 2014 and Outlast 2 in 2017. The series has reached more than 37 million players worldwide and established the studio as a specialist in tense, atmospheric horror built around vulnerability, evasion and player immersion.

Development focus

Red Barrels combines narrative-driven horror with technical game-development capabilities including:

• Unreal Engine gameplay systems, Anim Graphs and Blueprint engineering
• 3D gameplay animation and character rigging
• First- and third-person traversal, AI behaviour and evasion mechanics
• Cross-functional production for multiplayer live-service games
• Franchise development across games and other storytelling formats

Its more recent release, The Outlast Trials, expands the series into a multiplayer survival-horror format. The game entered Early Access in 2023 and received its full console and PC launch in 2024, with continuing live seasons supporting its ongoing evolution.

Independent publishing and franchise building

Alongside full-cycle game development, Red Barrels self-publishes and distributes its work digitally. This operating model supports creative control over the studio's horror properties while allowing it to develop stories beyond individual game releases. Its services also include IP licensing and transmedia production, reflecting a broader approach to building the Outlast universe across interactive entertainment and related media.