It’s been an interesting month forOutlast 2and developer Red Barrels. First, the upcoming horror game was banned in Australia after being refused classification by the Australian Classification Board, but then that decision wasoverturned after a second review. Now, Red Barrels is explaining what went wrong the first time around, blaming the ban on a video file with alpha footage of the game.
“The original submission ofOutlast 2sent to the Australian Classification Branch contained the final game code and a video file for reference taken from an Alpha version of the game,” Red Barrels wrote in a statement to IGN. “This video file should not have been sent along with the game code, as its content was not representative of the final game.”
The Classification Board said in its initial report following the ban that it had concerns about sexual activity inOutlast 2. The Board apparently viewed scenes where the game’s main character, Blake, was involved in some kind of sexual violence. Red Barrels' statement on Monday reiterated that a different tape was sent for the second review.
“In the second submission, the same game code was submitted with a video file reflecting the final game content," Red Barrels said. “The game was then approved for release with an R18+ rating.”
Red Barrels also made clear thatOutlast 2will be the same worldwide when the game launches, with nothing being cut or censored in any territory. That’s good news for Aussie fans, asOutlast 2is one of themost anticipated horror gamesof the year.
While having to deal with the snafu over the alpha tape was probably a pain for the developer, we’re guessing Red Barrels probably has no problem with the amount of press coverage the initial ban created.Outlast 2was likely already going to generate some headlines this spring due to its scary content, but the saga over the ban has clearly raised the game’s profile even higher.
Outlast 2will release on August 05, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
