The Outlast Trials Update 4 introduces, among other things, the new event "Winter Kills." Here you'll find out what it's about and what else is included in the update.
This article includes:
Explanations about the limited-time event "Winter Kills" in The Outlast Trials.
All important updates in Update 4 for the cooperative and solo horror adventure.
The original patch notes from developer Red Barrels.
Update 4 for The Outlast Trials Spreads Christmas Cheer
Christmas cheer? Okay, Red Barrels doesn't use this term in their post about Update 4 for The Outlast Trials. Because, of course, a peaceful Christmas in the Murkoff facility would be pure mockery, but the winter season is still celebrated a bit.
For this, the already mentioned Update 4 ensures that, with highlights like the limited-time event "Winter Kills," new (festive) outfits for guinea pigs, and seasonal cell decorations. Below, we'll delve into all the innovations of the major update.
All this (and more) is offered by The Outlast Trials' Winter Kills event.
New Event in The Outlast Trials: Winter Kills
You can now participate in the deadly but rewarding program, Winter Kills. In this context, all the game's Trials offer new variators, including:
Cold Snap:
The trial environment is sporadically filled with piercing cold air. Hide to survive.
Find the Gifts:
Find all the gifts in the trial to earn extra rewards.
By completing Winter Kills and "Find all the Gifts" trials, you earn Winter Tokens and exclusive cosmetics. With Winter Tokens, you can acquire two seasonal cell decorations and over 15 exclusive character cosmetics and cell decorations. To complete the storyline of Winter Kills, you need to find the evidence documents scattered throughout the trials.
The event unlocks on Tuesday, December 12th, and lasts until Tuesday, January 9th at 10 AM EDT (GMT+5).
A look at The Outlast Trials' Winter Kills program.
Weekly programs and special events, which have fixed start and end days, will be moved from Friday at 10 AM to Tuesday at 10 AM EDT (GMT+5). The next events and weekly programs are:
Winter Kills: December 12th to January 9th
Weekly Program: No Meds, from January 9th to January 16th
Weekly Program: Bad Trip, from January 16th to January 23rd
Weekly Program: Hardcore, from January 23rd to January 30th
New MK Challenges
Update 4 for The Outlast Trials also introduces two new MK Challenges that will have you revisit the courthouse.
Challenge 1: "Escape the Courthouse. Don't let the pain of our victims restrict your liberty. Kill the scapegoats; free them from their suffering and yourself from your bondage."
Challenge 2: "Destroy the Evidence. If there is no evidence, there is no crime. Destroy the proof of our mistakes, and then we never did anything wrong."
Additional Cell Decorations: Bundles
According to Red Barrels, Bundles are luxurious sets built around one theme and can now be seen in your Cell Customization menu. It almost goes without saying that there's a new winter bundle among them.
All Patch Notes for Update 4 for The Outlast Trials
Controller Support
Added vibration support on controller.
All the ‘hold’ actions are now toggle actions on controller.
Controller: Added new controller layout ‘MODERN’.
Controller: Added new controller layout ‘ADVANCED’.
Controller: Added new controller layout ‘TACTICAL’.
Controller: Added ‘Ping’ action on Right Stick Click in the layout ‘CLASSIC’.
Controller and Mouse/Keyboard: Added analog peeking.
Mouse/Keyboard: Hold ‘ALT’ and peek around with WASD keys.
Controller: Use the ‘MODERN' preset. Hold Left Bumper to peek around.
Rigs Balancing
Blind
Increased base deploy time to 6s (was 5s). With “DEPLOY TECHNIQUE” to 5s (was 4s).
Smoke duration decreased to 10s (was 30s). With “EXTENDED DURATION” to 12s (was 20s).
Cooldown increased to 180s (was 120s).
The “DECREASED COOLDOWN” upgrade reduces the cooldown by 20% (was 25%).
Enemies entering the smoke after detonation won't be stunned anymore (but their visibility is still affected by the smoke).
Dev comment: The Blind Rig remains a highly favored choice. Our aim for this rig is to transform it into a situational tool that demands planning, rather than being an instantly available lifesaver. This change will also increase the value of the Stun Rig as an instant control/offensive tool.
Heal rig (Poison upgrade): Enemies entering the healing radius after detonation won't be stunned anymore.
Dev comment: The Healing Rig serves as a supportive tool crucial for rescuing the team during intense moments. However, the Poison upgrade has inadvertently amplified its effectiveness against enemies, blurring its intended supportive role and steering it towards functioning more like an offensive rig.
X-Ray
Cooldown reduced to 30s (was 120s).
Duration reduced to 8s (was 15s). With “EXTENDED DURATION” to 12s (was 30s).
Range decreased to 10m (was 15m).
Dev comment: The X-Ray tool holds significant power for players in the role of providing crucial intelligence to the team. Yet, its extended cooldown restricted the frequency of the X-Ray effect's use, prompting players to exercise caution and reserve it for essential moments. To address this, we have adjusted the cooldown to enhance its frequency. As a result, players can now utilize the Rig more frequently, enabling them to uncover intel and quickly share information with the team.
Additions/Improvements/Balancing
Bricks: Revamped the item behavior.
Unlimited uses when thrown in the environment.
Will instantly break when hitting an enemy or trap.
Performance Bonus now also gives Murkoff Dollars.
Completing the Secondary Objective now gives XP and Murkoff Dollars.
Vaulting over obstacles now consumes more stamina.
Prescription “ADVANCED REGENERATION”: Delay before health regeneration begins increased to 12s (was 7s).
Amp names added underneath icons in the pause menu.
Tutorial flow will now be skipped for players with existing profiles after a game reinstall.
New audio feedback when a player is revived.
Program structure has been updated.
Added one more MK-Challenge per Program (except Program 4).
Removed one iteration of the main Trial per Program.
Added HDR support: To play in HDR, you must make sure that your setup fully supports HDR. Please note that not all screens are fully compatible with HDR. Ensure that you have activated HDR settings both in Windows and on the screen you are using to play the game.
Fixes
Fixed a rare issue where a player could remain stuck in the decontamination shower area of the evaluation corridor.
Fixed an issue where players could fall off world by using the SAS door.
Fixed some navigation issues in all Trials.
AI
Updated Coyle and Grunts reactiveness (reworked some animations). Those enemies should now feel more reactive and harder to deal with in some situations.
Many other various updates, bug fixes, and improvements to the AI.
The Outlast Trials has been available in Early Access on Steam and the Epic Store since May 19, 2023. On March 5, 2024, console versions of the survival horror game are set to be released. Presently, versions for PS5/4 and Xbox Series X/S/One are planned.
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