Outlast is an American survival reality competition television series held in Alaska and Panama. The first season premiered on March 10, 2023, on Netflix with eight episodes. It is produced by Aggregate Films and Nomad Entertainment, with Mike Odair serving as the showrunner. Jason Bateman, Grant Kahler, Michael Costigan, Emma Ho, and Odair are executive producers. In May 2023, the series was renewed for a second season. In February 2025, the series was renewed for a third season.
In the series 16 players must survive off the land with meager supplies in the Alaskan wilderness. In season one, the players were referenced as "lone wolf" survivalists at times by critics. For each season, players begin in four teams of four players each. Players leave the game by firing a flare gun, which triggers an emergency rescue, medical evacuation, or extraction. The last remaining team of two or more people wins a million dollars divided among the winners. After a certain number of days pass with only two teams in the game, a navigation and endurance race is begun to gain the prize money.
Contents
Format
Players compete for a $1,000,000 prize split with the members of the winning team. Rules include:
1. Must be on a team with at least two people
2. Teams may vote someone off and that someone must accept the vote
3. May not physically harm anyone
4. Can not lay traps to protect your camp which may harm each other
5. There can not be more than four teams
6. If a player is without a team, they have 24 hours to be accepted into another team or they are eliminated
7. A player may ask for a medical evaluation. If it is determined the player is unable to remain or accept help, they are eliminated
8. When only two teams are left, the producers begin a race to determine the final team
Production
Season 1 filmed in the autumn of 2021 in Alaska, near Neka River, on Chichagof Island, west of Juneau. On May 15, 2023, Netflix renewed the series for a second season which filmed at Little Duncan Bay southwest of Petersburg, Alaska. Season 3 took place in Panama. For the third season, Team Alpha began with a hunting advantage and received three bows with arrows. Team Bravo had a fire advantage and made use of char cloths, and dry kindling. Team Charlie's advantage was having tarps, nails, rope, and paracord.
Season 1 (2023)
Season 2 (2024)
Critical reception
The Guardian's Lucy Mangan found the first season "completely addictive, ridiculous and great". The Age's Karl Quinn also noted the addictive nature of the series, but bemoaned the lack of clear rules in the competition, which in turn enabled players to cheat and potentially endanger other players. Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred says "With no rules Netflix's Outlast spawns brilliant, odious, predictable play... (it's) an average survival show that has shocking but predictable behavior to get its $1 million prize."
Spinoffs
Outlast: The Jungle
On a remote tropical island, 16 players have to survive in the wild, beat their rivals, and team up to win a one-million-dollar prize.