The Outlast Trials Invasion update: everything you need to know about the PvP mode

The new Prime Asset featured in the upcoming update for the Outlast Trials. — (Image credit: Red Barrels)

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What's included?

The Outlast Trials is rolling out its Invasion update at the end of the month, which will bring a PvP mode to the game and put you under a new kind of pressure. Although the game is already multiplayer, this update will pit you and your friends against each other in a set of trials, rather than teaming up against the ghastly terrors in the facility.

Don't get me wrong, you'll still have to fight against the villains you're used to, like Mother Gooseberry and Lelan Coyle, but you'll have additional threats to worry about too. Here's what you need to know about the Invasion update so you can prepare yourself now for when your friends quite literally stab you in the back.

When does the Invasion update release for The Outlast Trials?

The Outlast Trials Invasion update will be released on Tuesday, October 21, so if you've been waiting for the perfect spooky game to play with your friends, this update couldn't really come out at a better time.

What does the Invasion update include in The Outlast Trials?

The Outlast Trials - Invasion | Cinematic Trailer - YouTube

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The Invasion update will add a PvP game mode to The Outlast Trials, which can be accessed through the terminal in the Sleep Room. What this means is that you'll still go into the trial as a group, but there will be "Imposters" among the Reagents who have been tasked with killing any Reagents before they escape the trial. Imposters will also be able to use surveillance cameras around the trials to track players and prepare their attacks before heading in themselves.

Each Imposter is armed with a knife that has two attack functions. The slash allows you to deal small amounts of damage quickly, but probably won't take down any Reagents. The stab, however, is a lot more powerful but takes a while to charge up. If you find yourself in a good hiding spot and hear Reagents coming your way, you'll need to think carefully about your best mode of attack.

If you fail to take down all the remaining Reagents and escape the trial yourself in the two-minute timeframe you're given, you'll be electrocuted and killed, failing the trial, and the next imposter will be unleashed. Be warned though, just because you're armed doesn't mean you're safe from the existing threats in the trial either. You won't be able to defend yourself with your knife against any other characters, only the Reagents, so there's a little more to think about to keep yourself safe.

As for the role of the Reagents, this mode plays the same as any other trial. You'll have to navigate the map, solving puzzles to progress, just with the added pressure of knowing you're about to be betrayed. With that said, you won't be told when an invasion of Imposters is coming, so there's no way to prepare. You also won't be told who the Imposter is ahead of the game; you just have to keep checking over your shoulder in case anyone has pulled a knife on you.

The Invasion update will also add a new in-game store, including a Blackmarket selling a selection of brand new outfits, and a Catalogue Collection for anyone who missed redeeming the rewards from previous catalogues. You'll also be able to redeem points on event catalogues here, but these will only appear a few months after the event has ended.

Kara is an evergreen writer. Having spent four years as a games journalist guiding, reviewing, or generally waffling about the weird and wonderful, she’s more than happy to tell you all about which obscure indie games she’s managed to sink hours into this week. When she’s not raising a dodo army in Ark: Survival Evolved or taking huge losses in Tekken, you’ll find her helplessly trawling the internet for the next best birdwatching game because who wants to step outside and experience the real thing when you can so easily do it from the comfort of your living room. Right?

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