Outbreak: Shades of Horror - Next-Gen Retro Survival Horror

PS5 Digital Launch is here! General update and PAX East 2026 plans!
28 days ago – Fri, Mar 06, 2026 at 10:00:25 AM

Hello Survivors!

We have been down in the trenches working hard on Outbreak: Shades of Horror, and now that plans are solidified, we'd like to update you on what's coming next.

First, if you backed for a digital PS5 standard copy of the game, you will be receiving your codes STARTING TODAY at the email you backed with!!  Please ensure you have properly filled out your backer survey to receive your copy of the game in a timely manner.

Please note that for release timing reasons, the complementary PS5 download codes for the Dinobreak Crossover Pack DLC and Gold Weapon Skin DLC will tentatively be distributed on or around March 31st.  Thank you for your patience.

If you are playing on PlayStation 5 Pro, you'll find that the game is PS5 Pro Enhanced!  You will be able to take advantage of extensive hardware ray tracing.  This beefs up reflections, shadows, global illumination, and overall lighting quality while maintaining solid performance.

Cross-platform multiplayer has now been rolled out across all platforms.  That means if you're just starting out on PS5, you can play with your friends on Xbox Series X|S and Steam!

For Xbox users, the game now supports Xbox Play Anywhere.  If you own the Xbox Series X|S version of Outbreak: Shades of Horror, you will now have access to the game on Windows PC and handheld (ROG Ally Xbox X) complete with cross-save and cross-platform multiplayer.

The Spring Season update is now available across all versions of the game.  This includes the new Sakura Ridge map in Invasion Mode and Raid Mode, unlockable masks to dress your characters up with, and refreshed decorations for the Cypress Reel hub world.  Maps and cosmetics from previous seasons are still available to enjoy!

We've also made adjustments to improve performance and the general game experience.

Next, we have a small update on Story Mode.  We are continuing to work on this major new campaign for Outbreak: Shades of Horror.  While we will be talking a little more specifically about it in Spring, we wanted to let you know that it will feature large maps teeming with secrets and alternate paths, and there will also be a few new gameplay systems included that we are still working on!  We hope you're looking forward to hearing more about Story Mode soon!

Finally, we want to let you know that we will be at PAX East 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts!  Come by booth 16105 and say hello from March 26th to March 29th!  We will have a special demo of Outbreak: Shades of Horror playable alongside a selection of our other games.  We'll be handing out trading cards, selling all kinds of merch (including a PAX East 2026 exclusive item!), and we'll even be giving away some incredible prizes.  If you grab anything from us or bring us anything you might already have, we are also happy to have our development team sign it if you like!

If you're coming to PAX East 2026, show us that you're a Kickstarter backer (have your backer email ready!), and we'll give you a small surprise gift!

The future is shining bright for Outbreak: Shades of Horror.  More free seasonal content and updates are in the works, as is Story Mode.  For those of you waiting for information on physical rewards including physical PS5 copies of the game, we thank you for your patience as we continue to finalize our plans for distribution.  Once we have more to share, we will alert you all here!

If you haven't followed us on Twitch yet, please consider doing so!  We will be doing a special PS5 launch stream tonight at around 7:15pm ET starting with some Resident Evil Requiem before we jump into the PS5 version of Outbreak: Shades of Horror.  Feel free to come by and ask us questions!  Our regular streams are typically on Wednesday nights at 7:15pm ET where we often show development updates and information, so please stop in if you have time.  All of our streams are made available as VOD's on our YouTube channel afterward, so you can catch up at your leisure!

As always, thank you so very much for your support.  We would not have been able to release this game on all target platforms and incorporate features like cross-platform multiplayer without your generous support and encouragement.  Our team is extremely small, and with shifting conditions in the games industry, even reaching this point has been much more difficult than we previously imagined.  If you have played the game, we sincerely hope you've had a blast and are looking forward to more content soon!

Until next time, keep survivin'!

Winter Progress Update! Big News Soon!
2 months ago – Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 12:06:44 PM

Hello Survivors!

Since the holidays ended, we've been hunkering down and working on all things Outbreak: Shades of Horror!  We wanted to come up for air and give you all a quick update on what we've been up to!

First, thank you to everyone who has played the Xbox Series X|S version of the game, spread the word, and given us feedback!  We are thrilled that everyone is playing together and enjoying the ongoing Winter Wonderland and DINOBREAK crossover content!  We've already deployed patches to improve the Xbox experience, and we will continue to improve the game based on player feedback.  You can also expect the same attention given to the Steam version.

Speaking of seasonal content, we're hard at work on the next seasonal event, which is coming this Spring!  Once we're a little closer to deployment, we'll have more information to share.

We're still finalizing timelines and specifics, but there's a lot of other stuff coming up!  Here's a small preview on top of the aforementioned seasonal content...

You can expect news regarding cross-platform multiplayer in the next few weeks.

New DLC content is being planned for release down the line.

Work continues on the PlayStation 5 version of the game.  We'll share more details as we approach Spring!

Progress on Story Mode remains steady.  This is another area we'll be talking more about in the Spring!

We want to take this time to thank everyone for their support and patience as we've continued to build out Outbreak: Shades of Horror.  Game development is no easy task, and with a game as cutting edge as Shades of Horror that includes a large amount of content, features, and supported platforms, it's certainly challenging as a small indie team to craft.

We're extremely excited for you all to enjoy what we've been working so hard on, so we humbly ask for a little more time before we share and release our next wave of zombie-slaying mayhem.

Until next time, take care Survivors!

Xbox Series X|S Launch Day! Winter Wonderland season arrives! Code distribution details!
4 months ago – Fri, Dec 19, 2025 at 10:08:30 AM

Hello Survivors!

As we previously announced, the Xbox Series X|S version of Outbreak: Shades of Horror launches TODAY!  Specifically, it launches for the public at around 6pm ET, but backers here who chose Xbox Series X|S as their platform will receive it....NOW!

Thank you very much to all of you who backed on Xbox Series X|S for your patience.

On top of your code for Outbreak: Shades of Horror, we will also be providing you complementary codes for the Dinobreak Crossover Character Pack DLC and the Pure Gold Weapon Skin DLC packs, just as we did for the Steam version of the game.  While the Dinobreak pack will be available for everyone else today on Xbox, the Pure Gold Weapon Skin will be available to backers first as an early Holiday present; the general release for this DLC will be on December 25th.

To access your codes, keep an eye on the email you used to back the project.  Please keep in mind that the codes sometimes take a little while to propagate, so it may take a little time before your codes appear in your inbox.

Alongside today's Xbox Series X|S launch, we've also deployed new content on all platforms for all players.  Here's the new stuff you can expect to see when you launch the game:

Free New Playable Character:  Illena, Cypress Ridge’s very own DJ, joins the character roster!  Illena features her own unique loadout, stats, and upgrade tree.  Play as her to improve her skills, unlock new weapons and items for her to use, and customize her appearance with dozens of unlockable cosmetics.  The addition of Illena brings the total free default character roster up to thirteen!

Winter Wonderland Season:  Brrr! It sure is cold out!  Enjoy special decorations in the Cypress Reel hub world, and unlock new festive cosmetics to customize your characters with.  A new Invasion Mode map, Wordy’s Winter Wonderland, also debuts with this season; depose the undead in a stormy tundra shining bright with holiday cheer.  As a treat for new players joining on Xbox Series X|S, the availability of the previous Halloween season’s content, including special cosmetics, has been extended.

Quick Action Playlists & Other Improvements:  Looking to jump into a brisk session of zombie murdering mayhem?  Choose from new quick start playlists to instantly dive into a random scenario.  Just starting out?  Get acclimated to Cypress Reel with a new, optional introduction video.  Need better performance?  Feast on a bevy of graphical enhancements, including improved frame rates and refined character models.  Dozens of optimizations, UI tweaks, and bug fixes have also been applied to deliver a smoother gameplay experience.

The Xbox Series X|S version of Outbreak: Shades of Horror includes all previous content and fixes made available in the Steam version of the game.  In addition, it features an improved control scheme, support for HDR and 4K resolution, in-game voice & text chat, 60+ FPS performance on Xbox Series X, and more.

Looking ahead, there is much more coming to the world of Outbreak: Shades of Horror in 2026!  Here are a few more updates:

• The PS5 version of the game is in development, and once we're a little farther in development, we'll provide information on release timing.
• Physical releases of the game through Limited Run Games (including standard and collector's editions) are tied to the release of the PS5 version of the game.  We will have more information on these physical copies when we are closer to release.
• Contents of the digital collector's editions are also tied to the release of the PS5 version of the game.  More information on this content, including release timing, will be available in the future.
• If you backed at a level where you're an alpha or beta tester, your early access is tied to the in-development Story Mode.  Once it is far enough along that we're ready for you to try it out, we will share the details on how this alpha and beta testing will work.
• If you backed for content such as your own playable character, NPC characters, name on an in-game tombstone, etc, the implementation of these is also tied to our in-development Story Mode.  When we reach the stage of development where we are looking to prepare these rewards, we will be in touch with those backers to collect the proper information and approvals.
• More seasonal events, game crossovers, maps, characters, and other exciting contents will continue to be added over time as the game continues to grow!

Last but not least, we'd like to thank all of you for another year of your continued support.  We'll be keeping an eye on things here over the holiday period, but otherwise we will return to active development and streaming after the new year!  On behalf of Dead Drop Studios, we wish you and your families the Happiest of Holidays and a wonderful New Year!

See you in 2026, Survivors!

Outbreak: Shades of Horror launches on Xbox Series X|S on December 19th!
4 months ago – Wed, Dec 10, 2025 at 09:53:58 AM

Hello Survivors!

This is a quick but important note today:

Outbreak: Shades of Horror's sneak peek version launches on Xbox Series X|S on December 19th!

The content and game experience on Xbox matches that of the existing PC/Steam version of the game but tailored to the Xbox platform.  Pre-orders are also open to the general public now, so please consider spreading the word!

On the same day, both the Xbox and Steam versions of the game will also receive the Winter Wonderland seasonal event.  This adds new unlockable cosmetics, new decorations in the Cypress Reel theater, and a new Invasion Mode map: Wordy's Winter Wonderland.

If you backed the Xbox Series X|S version of the game, you can expect code delivery on or around December 19th.  Please note it may take a little time for us to roll out codes to all backers.

Keep an eye on the email that you used to back the game for the following codes for Xbox Series X|S:

• Outbreak: Shades of Horror base game digital code
• Dinobreak Crossover Character Pack DLC digital code
• Pure Gold Weapon Skin DLC digital code

As always, thank you for your support as we continue development on Outbreak: Shades of Horror.  Content such as Story Mode, backer characters & storylines, and digital collector edition items are still in the works, and we will share updates on these and more when we have information to share.

Patch 1 released for Outbreak: Shades of Horror!
5 months ago – Sat, Nov 15, 2025 at 03:00:08 AM

Hello Survivors!

This is just a quick note to let you know we just dropped our first patch for the Steam Early Access version of Outbreak: Shades of Horror!

We've included the full patch notes below.

Outbreak: Shades of Horror - Nov 14, 2025 Patch:

• Significantly improved memory usage across the title to reduce the overall amount of memory needed, as well as reduce stutter from memory-related loading events across the title.
• Improved framerate and runtime performance through optimizing thousands of assets across the title.
• All FMVs and movie-related files are now encoded and using Bink Video, which offers significant performance improvements across all machines. Since many menu backgrounds use effects, this also improves overall runtime performance across the game and fixes menu stutter.
• Issues where sometimes characters' skin appears grey or missing textures is fixed.
• You can now see other players' grenades correctly in multiplayer.
• Adjusted map object and asset placement to improve traversal and reduce performance bottlenecks.
• Scrolling lists such as your game log or the in-game information and chat log can now be scrolled using the gamepad triggers or right thumbsticks.
• Gameplay, weapon, enemy, and friendly adjustments to reduce difficulty.
• Invasion Mode has less stutter with spawning in enemies.
• Chaotic scenes will now run with far less stutter and clearer visual effects.
• A tremendous amount of minor bug fixes across the title.

Development steadily continues to bring Outbreak: Shades of Horror to all announced platforms as well as to complete Story Mode.  As soon as we have more information to share, you'll find it here on Kickstarter. We greatly appreciate your support as always, and we hope those of you who've tried the game in its early form have enjoyed it.