Anyone familiar with Outlast, the horror series known for pushing the limits of gore and challenging taboos (necrophilia, filicide, genital mutilation, etcetera), is also familiar with the developer’s strategy for DLC. While they only have a one-game history of this, Red Barrels released the original Outlast, and soon after followed it up with a DLC story expansion called Outlast: Whistleblower.
This DLC tied in directly with the original story, and the main character you play almost interacts with the original protagonist on several occasions. Given this, and given the seemingly ambiguous way in which Outlast 2 wrapped up. People want to know whether or not Outlast 2 DLC is on the horizon.
Unfortunately, Red Barrels continues to play it coy on this topic, if they even broach it at all. Take for instance, this Tweet from the French-Canadian company:
Maybe one day.
— Red Barrels (@TheRedBarrels) June 7, 2017
In fact, they’ve used this exact phrase with no deviation before. This, of course, leaves the door open for Outlast 2 DLC, but it doesn’t outright confirm it either. But, there is also a trail of breadcrumbs surrounding Outlast 2 that hints at aspects not touched on in the main story. Further more, there are a few characters and storylines present in Outlast 2 that also leave the door wide open for additional exploration.
First, there’s the continually updated Tumble page, called The Murkoff Report (in reference to the fictional Murkoff Corporation that was behind the goings on in Mount Massive Asylum in Outlast. Red Barrels own Tweets have more or less confirmed that it is officially run by the developers themselves. Their most recent update confirms that the Murkoff Corporation was directly involved with the village in Outlast 2, even going so far as to place recording devices inside the now-infamous Chapel.
As for characters involved, a minor character we met in Outlast 2 could be a prime candidate. Ethan, a non-violent character who shelters Blake from Marta, was also the father of “Jane Doe,” the pregnant girl who turned up murdered and attracted Blake and his wife to the area in the first place. He seems to have had a tumultuous relationship with the Temple Gate residents, and he even defied Papa Knoth by helping his daughter escape (or at least try to). Of course, Ethan meets a brutal end that I won’t necessarily spoil, so that could limit the effectiveness of this particular story.
Another option would be a more important character that could be used in this theoretical Outlast 2 DLC: Lynn Langermann, Blake’s wife and journalism partner. Lynn is alive in the game for just as long as Blake (take that as you will), and she is shown on at least one occasion to be capable of escaping the grasp of the Temple Gate residents. At a certain point in the game, we’re under the assumption that she’s merely been kidnapped, but what if she’s also continually escaping and being pursued before eventually becoming kidnapped? That would make for an interesting playthrough.
More importantly, additional DLC would give us the opportunity to finally play against Papa Knoth as an antagonist, something we were regrettably denied by Outlast 2. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy playing against the villains that were in the game, but it seemed as though Knoth was being set up as a final encounter that simply never came. Would he make an appearance in any DLC expansion? I don’t see why not.
One issue affecting this speculation though is the camera. Outlast is known for its night-vision camera, functioning as its own unique gimmick that it uses brilliantly to up the scare ante. Neither Ethan, nor Lynn would have access to a camera, so it would likely have to be a new character, perhaps one from Murkoff as was the case in Whistleblower, that would have some reason to record what he sees and some means to do so.
Regardless, there has been no indication that Red Barrels is moving on from the Outlast series or that they’re done making games, so it’s not hard to imagine an Outlast 2 DLC story expansion coming in the next year or so. Without anything official, though, all we have is wildly speculation based on fictional, redacted documents.
