How to sign up for The Outlast Trials closed beta

Five years after the release of Outlast 2, series developer Red Barrels revealed at Gamescom that the third installment is in production and scheduled to be released at some point. With no date announced for Outlast 3, the team has instead detailed the release of The Outlast Trials, an upcoming prequel game to Outlast 3. This prequel will feature a closed beta that you can gain access to by simply opting into the beta test on Steam.

Steps to sign up for The Outlast Trials closed beta

Head to the Steam store page for The Outlast Trials. You’ll notice that the title has neither an advertised price nor a set-in-stone release date, but this won’t deter you from trying the game out early. Instead, you can “Join the Uninitialized” and volunteer for its closed beta by scrolling down and clicking “Request Access.”

Related: How to play the Outlast games in order

When applying to join the closed beta, Steam will refer the contact email linked with your Steam account to Red Barrels, who will put you on a waitlist for beta access. Once The Outlast Trials is ready in a beta state, the developers will send an email to this linked address, offering you a download link or other access instructions. So once you’ve properly applied for the closed beta through its Steam page, all there’s left to do is wait.

As Outlast is a horror series, it’s only fitting that the closed beta of The Outlast Trials will be happening around Halloween. Qualified participants will be able to play the game between October 28 and November 1, offering you four whole days to play as long as you apply ahead of time. However, the actual release date of The Outlast Trials still seems to be a mystery.