The Outlast Trials Servers Down as 1,000+ Players Report Connection Errors

The Outlast Trials servers are currently experiencing widespread outages, leaving players unable to log in, matchmake, or complete co-op trials. As of December 30, 2025, independent server trackers logged 1,075 player reports in the past 24 hours, pointing to a major disruption across all platforms.

The most common issue shows up as a blunt error message:
“Unexpected error while contacting Red Barrels service.”
Not exactly the kind of horror players signed up for.

Quick Snapshot of the Outage

The scale of the problem is hard to ignore. Reports continue to climb, and the outage is not limited to one platform or region.

• 1,075 reports logged on December 30, 2025
• Login and matchmaking failures confirmed
• Issues affecting PC and all major consoles
• 53 new reports recorded in the last hour alone
• Error message linked directly to Red Barrels services

In short, if you are trying to play right now, chances are the servers are saying no.

What’s Causing the Server Issues?

At this time, Red Barrels has not confirmed an official cause. However, community reports paint a fairly consistent picture.

Players across Reddit and Discord describe signs of backend server instability. Many say they get kicked mid-trial, while others cannot connect at all. Some manage to log in briefly, only to lose connection minutes later. That kind of behavior usually points to stressed or unstable backend systems rather than individual user problems.

Several community members also note that server reliability has been shaky since recent content updates went live.

Platforms Affected by the Outage

This is not a platform-specific issue. Every version of The Outlast Trials appears to be impacted.

The cross-platform matchmaking system is effectively offline, which means cooperative trials are not working at all.

How Long Have the Servers Been Unstable?

While no maintenance window was announced, players report intermittent issues over several days, with a sharp spike on December 30. That surge pushed reports past the 1,000 mark in under 24 hours.

Posts on r/OutlastTrials and the official Outlast Discord show growing frustration. Some players report losing full trial progress after disconnects. Others say they cannot even reach the main lobby.

When a horror game wipes your progress, it stops being scary-fun and starts being scary-annoying.

Can Players Fix This on Their End?

Unfortunately, not really.

Restarting the game or checking your internet connection is always worth a try, but this outage is clearly server-side. Since the game is designed as a live-service multiplayer-only experience, even solo play remains unavailable during downtime.

One Steam user summed it up simply:

“The servers have been unstable ever since Invasion mode went live.”

That aligns with what many players are seeing.

Is Red Barrels Responding?

Red Barrels has advised players to monitor official support channels for updates. Historically, the studio posts server status notices on its official Discord and social media accounts when issues reach this scale.

As of now, no restoration timeline has been shared. Based on previous outages, updates usually arrive within a few hours once investigations begin.

Could Recent Updates Be Involved?

The timing raises questions. The Season 5: Project Messiah update introduced new mechanics and backend changes. While there is no confirmation, large updates often stress server infrastructure, especially in always-online games.

This does not mean the update caused the outage, but the overlap is hard to ignore.

Will Players Receive Compensation?

Red Barrels has a history of offering compensation for extended outages, especially when player progression is affected. This often comes in the form of in-game rewards or trial extensions.

Players are encouraged to document error messages and failed sessions in case support tickets become necessary.

A PlayStation player shared their frustration:

“I was in the final trial when it kicked me out. I lost everything.”

With outage reports crossing four digits, many expect the studio to address progression losses once service stabilizes.

What Happens Next?

For now, it is a waiting game. The community remains active, updates are expected, and server recovery will likely roll out gradually rather than all at once.

Until then, the real trial is resisting the urge to keep clicking “Retry.”

Players should keep an eye on official Red Barrels channels for confirmation when services are fully restored.