The Outlast Trials: Season 5 Introduces Project Messiah, Winter Kills Event, and New PvP Enhancements
As the winter winds howl and the temperature plummets, The Outlast Trials returns with its most chilling season yet. Red Barrels has officially launched Season 5: Project Messiah, bringing with it a twisted new Trial, a frostbitten limited-time event, PvP enhancements, and a terrifying new Prime Asset.
Whether you are a returning Reagent or diving in for the first time, Season 5 is brimming with brutal content that rewards both punishment and perseverance. Here's everything you need to know about what awaits inside Murkoff’s frozen house of horrors.
Project Messiah: Meet Sister Liliya
Season 5’s flagship update introduces Sister Liliya, a bone-chilling new Prime Asset who believes she is delivering salvation through suffering. Her trial takes place in The Resort, a snowcapped new environment drenched in unsettling opulence and spiritual decay. Designed to test the moral and physical limits of players, The Resort comes equipped with new objectives, MK-Challenges, and a Deluxe Catalogue inspired by the dark quietude of winter.
Will you find redemption through Sister Liliya’s "divine" torture? Or will you become another lost soul buried beneath the frost?
Winter Kills Event: A Two-Part Snowstorm of Terror
Making its frosty return, the WINTER KILLS event brings new threats, new rewards, and a bone-deep chill to every Trial. Available in two parts:
- Part 1: December 9, 2025 – December 23, 2025
- Part 2: December 23, 2025 – January 6, 2026
This seasonal therapy experiment is rich in punishment but heavy with rewards. Players will face the new Permafrost variant, which plunges every Trial into sub-zero temperatures. Staying alive means staying warm, and survival requires hunting down heat sources before the cold drains your health completely.
Winter Kills Variators are now available:
- PERMAFROST: Trials take place in freezing temperatures; find heat to survive
- FROST MINES: Gas mines are replaced with freezing frost mines
- COLLECT THE GIFTS: Gather all holiday gifts scattered throughout the Trials to earn bonus rewards
Limited-Time Catalogue and Twitch Drops
Seasonal cosmetics and exclusive items are available through the Winter Kills Event Catalogue, accessible to all players during the event window. Exchange Event Tokens for themed rewards, including new outfits, accessories, and holiday horrors.
And for streamers, Twitch Drops will be live from Dec. 9 to Jan. 26, offering unique in-game rewards for viewers who tune into select broadcasts.
PvP Invasion Mode Gets an Overhaul
Season 5 also brings major improvements to the PvP Invasion Mode, introduced in the previous season. Players can now compete in a revamped system with new Seasonal Rankings, where both Imposters and Reagents earn Rank Points based on performance and Trial grade.
Updates to PvP include:
- Refined objectives and balance for Imposters
- Better gameplay clarity for Reagents
- Unique rewards tied to your seasonal Invasion Rank
- Quality-of-life fixes and optimization for smoother matches
This ongoing expansion of PvP content adds more competitive depth and ensures your suffering is rewarded in style.
Flashback Therapy Arrives in Early 2026
Looking ahead, Red Barrels has teased what is next for The Outlast Trials. Coming early in 2026 is Flashback Therapy, which will let players relive Murkoff’s most effective and extreme methods. Fan-favourite trials such as Toxic Shock, Deep Burn, and more will return as part of this nostalgic trip through the program’s darkest chapters.
Let us know your favourite part of The Outlast Trials Season 5 and what you're most looking forward to in 2026. And don’t forget to complete those MK-Challenges before the snow melts.