Red Barrels Explained

Red Barrels Inc.
Logo Alt:On the left, the outline of a barrel is surrounded by a circle and is shadowed in red. On the right, the words "Red Barrels" are formatted into two separate rows with a black font.
Type:Private
Industry:Video games
Hq Location City:Montreal, Quebec
Hq Location Country:Canada
Products:Outlast series
Num Employees:48[1]
Num Employees Year:2023

Red Barrels Inc. is a Canadian video game developer based in Montreal. The company was founded by Philippe Morin, David Chateauneuf and Hugo Dallaire in 2011. The three were previously developers for Ubisoft Montreal and EA Montreal, but founded the company after the origination of an original intellectual property by Dallaire in 2010. After leaving their respective workplaces, the team's online presence began in July 2012 and a trailer for the game that became Outlast.

History

Philippe Morin, David Chateauneuf and Hugo Dallaire were originally video game developers for Ubisoft Montreal and were hired in 1997–1998, with Chateauneuf working on Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, and Morin and Dallaire developing .[2] Morin left Ubisoft Montreal in 2009 and worked for EA Montreal in 2010 for an original intellectual property concept by Dallaire, but was cancelled within the same year. With no other options, Morin left in January 2011 to pursue Red Barrels. Chateauneuf remained a part of Ubisoft Montreal and was involved with level design work for the first Assassin's Creed game.[3]

After resigning, Morin met Chateauneuf and Dallaire after the trio left their jobs, agreeing to start their own company. After a technical difficulty with a prior submission, the group acquired in funding from the Canada Media Fund during the 2012–2013 fiscal year, and in the 2013–2014 year.[4] [5]

In October 2012, the company announced Outlast, which was released in September 2013. The following October, Morin announced that a sequel, Outlast 2, was in development. Outlast 2 was released in April 2017. In July that year, the company released the first issue of comic mini-series The Murkoff Account, which was set for five comics detailing the narrative gap between Outlast and Outlast 2.[6] On December 4, 2019, the company announced a multiplayer game, The Outlast Trials and released a teaser image.[7]

Games developed

YearTitlePlatform(s)
2013OutlastMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch
2017Outlast 2Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
2024The Outlast TrialsMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
Outlast 3TBA

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About . Red Barrels . October 4, 2018 . May 2, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190502145532/https://redbarrelsgames.com/about/ . live .
  2. Web site: Taking Risks and Reaping Rewards With Outlast Developer Red Barrels . Paul . Policarp . August 8, 2016 . PressA2Join . October 4, 2018 . November 28, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181128212141/https://www.pressa2join.com/developer-focus/taking-risks-and-reaping-rewards-with-outlast-developer-red-barrels . live .
  3. The Making Of: Assassin's Creed . Edge Staff . March 24, 2013 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20130327034149/http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-making-of-assassins-creed/ . March 27, 2013 . dead.
  4. Web site: Don't think of going indie as romantic, says Outlast dev . Brendan . Sinclair . November 7, 2013 . . October 4, 2018 . July 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200728090523/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-11-06-dont-think-of-going-indie-as-romantic-says-outlast-dev . live .
  5. Web site: 25 Canadian companies receive more than $14 million for their interactive digital media projects . Pierre . Campeau . July 9, 2012 . . October 4, 2018 . April 4, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190404072510/https://www.cmf-fmc.ca/en-ca/news-events/news/july-2012/25-canadian-companies-receive-more-than-$14-millio . dead .
  6. Web site: Red Barrels launches Outlast horror comic series . Joe . Donnelly . July 18, 2016 . . October 4, 2018 . July 16, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200716064228/https://www.pcgamer.com/red-barrels-launches-outlast-horror-comic-series/ . live .
  7. Web site: The next Outlast game will be multiplayer . www.polygon.com . December 4, 2019 . Polygon . 4 December 2019 . December 4, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191204144537/https://www.polygon.com/2019/12/4/20993875/outlast-trials-coop-multiplayer-release-date-red-barrels . live .