Outlast designer says that one playtester was so upset by the horror series they 'ran out of the studio to go cry outside' and didn't return

Red Barrels' co-founder Phillipe Morin revealed that some of the studio's staff found the intense and graphic nature of the company's horror games, particularly the Outlast series, to be so traumatic that they left the studio to cry and never returned. Morin stated that the graphic depictions of violence, gore, and nudity are not a deliberate attempt to court controversy, but rather a personal preference of the founders.

The studio is aware of the potential impact of its games on employees and takes steps to ensure that job candidates are fully aware of the content they will be working with. However, not all employees may be comfortable with the studio's approach, as demonstrated by a case where someone resigned after just one month due to discomfort with other aspects of the content, such as religious themes.

Despite these challenges, the Outlast series has proven to be a massive success, selling half a million copies in its first week and attracting 60 million players since its launch in 2013.