Philippe Morin, co-founder of Red Barrels, recalled that the intense horror content of the Outlast series once caused a tester to leave the studio in tears, never to return. Today, the team proactively discloses the creative scope and potential sensitive topics during job interviews.
Morin stated that the studio does not deliberately pursue being the "goreiest" to generate controversy; the graphic violence in their games mainly stems from the personal preferences of the founders for horror games. However, as the team continued to push boundaries, some individuals found it hard to cope. The aforementioned person ran outside crying after several hours of testing, though Morin did not specify whether they were a formal employee.
Another person started work on a Monday and chose to quit by Thursday. This individual was aware that the project contained gore and violence but was not prepared for the religious themes. Since Outlast 2's story involves a violent Christian cult, this incident may have occurred during that game's development, but Morin did not confirm the exact timing or corresponding project.
The series' market acceptance has not waned due to its mature content. The Outlast Trials sold 500,000 copies in its first week of Early Access, and the Outlast series has attracted 60 million players since 2013. Outlast 3 has not yet been announced; current information suggests that if the title enters production in the future, the studio is unlikely to significantly tone down its established style.