Honestly, if you were hanging around the horror gaming scene back in 2016, you probably remember the sheer tension of waiting for this one. Red Barrels had basically redefined what "scary" meant with the first game, and the hype for the sequel was borderline suffocating. Everyone was checking their feeds daily for the Outlast 2 Xbox One release date, and for a while there, it felt like the game was just a ghost in the machine.
The wait was long. Like, "checking-the-developer's-Facebook-at-3-a.m." long.
The Actual Date You’re Looking For
Let’s cut to the chase. Outlast 2 officially released on Xbox One on April 25, 2017. It wasn't just Xbox, though. It dropped simultaneously for PlayStation 4 and PC. If you were living in Australia, you had to wait an extra day until April 26, which I'm sure felt like an eternity given how fast spoilers leak on the internet.
But here is the thing: it wasn't supposed to take that long.
Why the Delay Actually Happened
If you feel like you remember a different date, you aren't crazy. Red Barrels originally aimed for a "Late 2016" launch. They wanted that sweet Halloween window. Every horror dev wants that. But as Autumn 2016 rolled around, the studio went quiet, then dropped the bombshell: they needed more time.
They posted this whole message about how they are a small indie studio and couldn't "in good conscience" release a game that hadn't been tested to the limits. They basically told us, "Look, we want to scare the life out of you, but we want the game to actually work when we do it."
Looking back, the delay was probably the best thing for it. The game was massive compared to the first one—moving from a cramped asylum to the wide-open, cult-infested Arizona desert.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Xbox Version
There is a common misconception that the Xbox version was an afterthought or a port. Not true. Red Barrels developed the console versions alongside the PC build. In fact, if you’re playing on an Xbox Series X today, you’re seeing the "enhanced" version that originally targeted the Xbox One X.
It runs at a pretty stable 60 FPS, which is vital when you’re sprinting through a cornfield away from a lady with a giant pickaxe.
The Outlast Trinity Surprise
On the exact same day the Outlast 2 Xbox One release date hit—April 25, 2017—Red Barrels also released something called Outlast Trinity. This was a physical disc bundle that included:
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- The original Outlast
- The Whistleblower DLC
- Outlast 2
It was a total steal at $40. For a lot of console players, this was the first time they could actually own the series on a physical disc rather than just a digital license.
Was the Wait Worth It?
It depends on who you ask. The game is polarizing.
The mechanics didn't change much from the first game—you still can't fight, you still have a camcorder that eats batteries like candy, and you still spend 70% of the game hiding under beds or in lockers. But the scale? The scale was huge.
Some people hated the "trial and error" nature of the chases. You’d run, hit a dead end, get stabbed, and repeat until you found the one specific crawlspace the devs wanted you to use. It could be frustrating. But the atmosphere? Unmatched. The sound design alone is enough to make you keep the lights on for a week.
Current Status: Can You Still Play It?
If you’re looking to pick it up now, you’ve got options. It’s frequently on sale in the Microsoft Store for under $10. It’s also backward compatible, so your old Xbox One disc or digital purchase works perfectly on Xbox Series S/X.
One weird detail: the game doesn't have any DLC. Unlike the first game which had the legendary Whistleblower expansion, Red Barrels decided Outlast 2 was a complete story. They looked at a few ideas but eventually said they didn't feel any of them "fit" as an add-on.
Pro-Tips for a 2026 Playthrough
If you're diving back in or playing for the first time on your Xbox:
- Check your brightness: The game is notoriously dark. Don't be a hero; calibrate the gamma so you can at least see the walls.
- Manage your batteries: On Hard or Nightmare difficulty, they are incredibly rare. Use the microphone feature sparingly—it drains the battery faster than the night vision.
- Listen to the soundscape: Use a headset. The directional audio tells you exactly where Martha or the cultists are before you see them.
The Outlast 2 Xbox One release date might be ancient history in gaming years, but the game itself hasn't aged a day in terms of pure, visceral terror. It’s still one of the most intense experiences you can have on the platform.
To get the most out of the experience now, ensure your console is set to "Instant-On" for any lingering stability patches, and if you're on a newer Series X, make sure it's installed on the internal SSD to virtually eliminate those annoying reload times after you inevitably get caught in a chase.