1. Phasmophobia
  2. News

Phasmophobia News

Phasmophobia dev apologises and belatedly bans Discord admin after messy nude pics scandal




Phasmophobia is probably the best ghost game ever made, retains a considerable playerbase, and this year has been dealing with a community scandal that, over the last week, blew up. The furore centres around an administrator for the game's Discord, who goes by the handle of Charcoal Salamander, who is accused of both offering to share nude photographs with another community member, and making racist comments. What happened with these accusations, or didn't, is what's brought this to a head...
Read more.

Great moments in PC gaming: Casual ghost-hunting with friends in Phasmophobia




Great moments in PC gaming are bite-sized celebrations of some of our favorite gaming memories...
Read more.

Apocalypse | Hotfix v0.7.0.2

  • Replaced the “change” button in difficulty selection with arrow buttons to make navigation easier
  • Moved the lamp, glowsticks, clipboards, and boombox in the lobby room so that VR players can reach them easier
  • Moved fuse box icons so they're easier to see on the map
  • Significant performance improvements to weather, especially light rain
  • Lowered the volume for heavy rain and thunder
  • You will now be defaulted to the first loadout
  • Adjusted the lined paper’s brightness
  • Player volumes now start at 50%


  • You will no longer get stuck on the main menu if a game starts while you are on the shop or contract vote screen
  • Fixed several bugs with the lobby UI
  • Player bodies will now always disappear when they leave
  • You will no longer be set to unready when there are minor lobby changes
  • The blue ball in the main menu will now be thrown properly
  • The invite code will no longer show for single-player and public games
  • You can now buy equipment if you have the exact amount required
  • The challenge clipboards will now be held in the correct place in VR
  • VR head and controller movement options are no longer inverted
  • You will now be given your equipment back if you crash
  • The voted map will no longer be set to random if the host leaves
  • The voted map will no longer show the wrong map
  • You can now click all main menu UI on 4:3 aspect ratio
  • The Recent Players list will now add players when it fills up
  • Camp Woodwind: You can no longer be killed when outside the gate
  • Camp Woodwind: The ghost can no longer spawn behind the tables in the games tent
  • Camp Woodwind: Fires will now extinguish when walking out of the truck when in heavy rain
  • Camp Woodwind: Leaf piles will no longer disappear when moving away from them


  • Significantly lowered the RAM usage
  • Hallway doors will now have fingerprints in the correct position
  • Removed the black box in the courtyard steps
  • Increased the size of the collider for using the fuse box handle
  • Scratches now reveal behind the wall crucifixes
  • Wall crucifixes are no longer usable by players
  • Removed a wheelchair in the basement storage to stop players getting stuck
  • Renamed nurses room to match the map text (Infirmary)
  • Removed infirmary from Female Wing restricted map


There are still many bugs to fix which we are working on getting done as soon as possible. We are aware there is currently a memory leak which causing very low fps after playing several games, we are looking into a fix and will get it out as soon as we fix it.

If you experience any issues or want to give feedback, please join the official Phasmophobia Discord : https://discord.gg/phasmophobia
Thanks,
[h3]The Kinetic Games Team [/h3]

Apocalypse | Hotfix v0.7.0.1

  • Temporarily removed the reset save button until a warning gets added


  • You will no longer get a grey eye in VR when smooth monitor view is enabled
  • You will no longer be given free items
  • VR players can now click the server buttons to join games
  • Player volumes will no longer reset back to 100%
  • The heartbeat sound will now stop playing when you die
  • Server version is now displayed on the main menu
  • You can now select Arabic as a language filter
  • Thai player names will now be readable
  • Japanese and Arabic are now much more readable
  • Death amount stat will no longer count other players dying
  • You can no longer progress challenges or get a reward when exiting training
  • You will no longer get stuck on the error screen after receiving an error
  • Performance improvements to Non-VR across all maps to hopefully fix the stuttering
  • The journal player card report button can no longer be clicked if you have reported that player within the last 24 hours
  • Sunny Meadows East and west foul linen rooms are now named correctly
  • The old alarm clock animation will now play for the correct length
  • Sunny Meadows courtyard steps are no longer black
  • Sunny Meadows fallen doors will now make sounds when walked on, collide with items, and can have fingerprints left on them


If you experience any issues or want to give feedback, please join the official Phasmophobia Discord : https://discord.gg/phasmophobia
Thanks,
[h3]The Kinetic Games Team [/h3]

Apocalypse | Major Update v0.7.0.0

Welcome back, we’ve got an update for you.

The long-awaited asylum overhaul is finally here, along with much much more...



With Custom Difficulty we’d like to invite you to participate in the Apocalypse Challenge v2 (thanks to our extra testers yesterday).

The event will start in the coming days, keep your eyes peeled for an announcement on discord.

Earn yourself 3 unique trophies for your collectible cabinet, just by playing the game!

To earn the trophies, simply do the following:
  • In Single-player, complete all 4 objectives and get a ghost photo in Sunny Meadows Mental Institution with the following Custom difficulty multipliers
  • 15x or more: bronze
  • 20x or more: silver
  • 24x or more: gold
  • Show off your trophies in your display cabinet!





A new difficulty where you can create your own games!

Modify existing difficulties or create your own, come up with crazy challenges or just have fun.

Each option is tied to a reward multiplier, so you can still earn money and XP from your Custom games.

[h3]Player [/h3]
  • Sanity Pill restoration amount
  • Starting sanity
  • Sanity drain speed multiplier
  • Sprinting use allowance
  • Sprint recharge time
  • Sprint duration
  • Flashlights being broken
  • Losing Items on death toggle
  • Player speed multiplier

[h3]Ghost [/h3]
  • Number of evidence given
  • Chance of changing favorite Room
  • Interaction amount
  • Event frequency
  • Hunt duration
  • Grace period duration
  • Fingerprint chance
  • Fingerprint duration
  • Disable hunts
  • Kills extending hunts
  • Roaming frequency
  • Ghost speed multiplier

[h3]Contract [/h3]
  • Setup time
  • Weather
  • Number of doors starting open
  • Amount of hiding places
  • Sanity monitor state
  • Activity monitor state
  • Fuse box map visibility
  • Fuse box starting state
  • Cursed Possessions quantity
  • Cursed Possession choice(s)

You can save up to 3 Custom Difficulty presets in the main menu



[h3]Sunny Meadows Mental Institution[/h3]
The Asylum has been completely recreated from the ground up, featuring more distinctive room designs, a morgue, hospital wing, courtyard, and experimental area. Be warned, the ghost will lock each wing's main door when it hunts, so prepare an escape route while you're safe.



[h3]Sunny Meadows Mental Institution - RESTRICTED[/h3]
Sunny Meadows is not only a large location but five small locations in one! The new location selection board allows you to vote to play a smaller, more restricted version of the asylum. Each time you enter, you will be given a random section to investigate, with the other sections blocked off or locked. This should help those who prefer playing smaller maps, and offer some variety each time you play!
Unlocked at level 22



[h3]Camp Woodwind[/h3]
A small version of Maple Lodge Campsite, featuring a brand new layout and much fewer rooms. Perfect for those looking for a quick outdoor retreat!
Unlocked at level 19





With the current system, often when a ghost interacts or throws an object, it barely moves. To remedy this, we've reworked how a ghost's throw works to make sure it's impactful, noticeable, and more exciting each time. Some ghosts have had their abilities and traits tweaked too.

[h3]All ghosts [/h3]
  • All hunting and event sound effects volume will now drop to 0% when at least 20m away, instead of just being quiet.
    Note: This should also make the Myling strength more noticeable
  • The singing sound caused by the music box playing will now drop to 0% volume when over 20m away
  • Throws now have a minimum ‘Throw Power’, to avoid small throws
    • 1 - 3 Power (previously 0.1 - 2.5 Power)
  • Objects are now thrown higher, resulting in much more consistent throws
  • During hunts, objects are thrown more often
    • 50% chance to throw an object in range, every 0.5 seconds
    • Poltergeist - 100% chance to throw an object in range, every 0.5 seconds
[h3]Poltergeist [/h3]
  • The Oni super throw has been moved to Poltergeist, as it is more thematical
    • 2 - 6 power (previously 0 - 5 power)
[h3]Oni[/h3]
  • Oni has received additional traits:
    • Oni will now drain double the sanity of a normal ghost during ghost events
    • Oni can now be seen for longer periods when flickering during hunts

[h3] Demon [/h3]
  • Demon's rare ability to hunt above 70% will now happen more reliably

[h3]Jinn[/h3]
Jinn’s sanity drain ability has received adjustments
  • The ability will now trigger if you're in the same room, or within 3m of the ghost
  • The ability will now create EMF at the fuse box if any player is drained, not just the host





Through the in-game journal, players can now report others who they believe are breaking our terms of service.
  • Player reports will be reviewed by our team and punished accordingly, depending on the offense
  • Bans are progressive and increase in duration for multiple offenses, some offenses may start further in the chain than others
    • 2 days
    • 7 days
    • 30 days
    • Permanent
  • You may also be banned from abusing the reporting system, e.g. spam reporting players
  • To report a player, open the new ‘Recent players’ tab in the journal, and click the report icon next to that player’s name
  • If banned, you will still be able to play single-player games


  • Due to paranormal entities appearing in our base of operations, Ghost Huntin' Distribution has moved everyone into a new office! A warehouse has been converted with a shop, new investigation boards, access to the truck, and a staff room (coming soon)
  • Player ID cards have been added
  • A ‘Detailed Statistics’ page has been added to the post-game screen
  • A long-term stat tracking page has been added to the journal for various player and ghost stats
  • You will now connect to the last region you were in instead of connecting to your best ping region
  • The journal is now usable in the Main Menu room
  • Steam users can now view and add friends through the new ‘Recent players’ journal tab
  • Weekly challenges have been added
    More will be added with the Progression Update
  • Shortcut buttons have been added to jump between the Location Selection, Main Menu, and Shop screens, additionally you can use the keyboard arrow keys for navigation
  • The whiteboard in the Truck has been replaced with a progressively updating Investigation Board
  • New collectible cabinets have been added to the lobby, try to fill them both!
    • The first time you use a Cursed Possession, it will be added to your collection
    • Collecting each type of bone will add it to your collection, some need to be collected twice!
      More collectibles will be added, closer to the full release of the game
  • The shop has been moved to a separate computer in the lobby
  • Players can now create loadouts for their equipment
    Additional loadouts will be added with the Progression Update
  • You can now view Daily and Weekly challenges in the Truck
  • Equipment items are now placeable back onto the truck’s equipment wall
  • You can now take photos of new interactions to gain extra rewards
    • D.O.T.S. ghost
    • Used Crucifix (1 or 2 uses)
    • The salt pile (when a ghost steps in it)
    • Ghost Writing will now display as ‘Ghost Writing’ instead of ‘Interaction’
  • When the ghost attempts to hunt but is blocked by a crucifix, it will now create an EMF 2 reading
  • Added a house candle to Grafton
  • Arabic now has text and voice recognition support
  • VR players will now see a loading screen to help with loading jitters
  • Save files will now create a backup and automatically restore if they corrupt



  • Controls for equipment have changed to become consistent
    • If an object is placeable, it will always use the secondary button (default: F)
    • If an object is usable, it will always use the primary button (default: Right Mouse)
    Note: This means that smudge sticks are now used with Right Mouse! Don't forget it!
  • Collecting the bone will now grant more rewards when playing on larger maps
    • Large - $30
    • Medium - $20
    • Small - $10
  • The photo ‘point’ system has been removed, instead, players will receive a set amount of money and XP per photo they take. This also allowed us to even out the rewards for photos, so that getting a certain ghost type won't become a "feels bad" moment for what photos you can take
    • $5 - 3 star / $2 - 2 star / $1 - 1 star
      • Dead body
      • Interaction
      • Fingerprints
      • Footsteps
      • Cursed possessions
      • Salt pile stepped in
      • DOTS ghost
      • Ghost writing
    • $10 - 3 star / $5 - 2 star / $2 - 1 star
      • Used crucifix
      • Dirty water
      • Bone
    • $20 - 3 star / $10 - 2 star / $5 - 1 star
      • Ghost
    Note: Photos are no longer affected by the difficulty multiplier, but with these changes, you'll be getting more money than before!

  • The photo priority system has been improved
    • Items are "scored" by distance and how close they are to the middle of the photo. The top "scoring" item will give rewards
    • Ghosts will always take priority over other items
    • The reliability of the system has been improved
    Note: This also means that you will always get interaction photos before fingerprint photos, get those UV lights back out!
  • The placement highlight mechanic has been reworked
    • You will only see the highlight when holding down your designated placement key (PC: default ‘F’ / VR: Trigger) and release to place
    • Moving the mouse left/right whilst the F key is held, will rotate the highlight object
    • You can now place and rotate the tripod
    • Various equipment's placeable areas have been adjusted
  • The fuse box has received a new design, when in house and farmhouse locations
  • Sanity drain for “Hide and seek” is now 0%
  • The key in the truck has been moved to hang next to the door keypad, instead of on the desk
  • Increased rewards for all Daily Challenges
  • Rewards for playing on medium and large maps have been increased
  • You can now view 10 photos in the lobby room (increased from 6), from your previous game
  • To improve performance, objects will no longer render when behind closed doors
  • Adjusted the visuals for skyboxes, for each weather, so that they are more realistic
  • Improved the heavy rain and snow effects and performance
  • The main menu options screen has been removed, and is now accessible only in the Journal
  • Some locations have been renamed
  • When dead, players can now see doors, but walk through them
  • The volume of the guitar being played and camping stove toggle, has been lowered
  • Ghosts will no longer see you through the trees by the cabin in Maple Lodge Campsite
  • Ghosts can no longer set these rooms as its favorite in Maple Lodge Campsite:
    • Entrance
    • Central path
    • North path
    • North East path
    • Picnic area
  • Rebaked occlusion in Maple Lodge Campsite which may improve performance
  • The Journal default button on a gamepad is now “select” instead of D-Pad up
  • Room names for the Sound Sensors will now be in the room they are placed in, instead of the room you were standing in when you placed it
  • Candles will now extinguish when placed into your inventory
  • Ghosts now use the sprinting footstep sound when hunting on dirt floors
  • Reduced RAM usage for fonts, this is significant in languages with many characters
  • Adjusted several lights bloom values
  • Adjusted campfire particles and bloom


  • Fixed long-distance roams, chance is now:
    • High - 30% when wandering
    • Medium - 20% when wandering
    • Low - 10% when wandering
  • Fixed ghost changing favorite room’s chance, for example:
    • If a ghost long roams and ends up in a new room, do a chance check
    • Low - 33%
    • Medium - 66%
    • High - 100%
    • Then do a check based on insanity (e.g., 30% sanity = 70%)
    • If successful for both chances, change favorite room
  • Goryo will now have half the chance of other ghosts to long-roam instead of double
  • Myling will now decrease the audible range of its hunt audio, instead of only footsteps.
  • If you have less than 16% sanity when lighting the last Summoning Circle, the ghost will now hunt instantly after being summoned
  • When the summoning circle is lit, the ghost’s position will now sync faster for non-hosts
  • Fingerprints on camping lamps will now be the correct size
  • You can no longer place objects on the truck ceiling
  • Fixed a rare issue where the voice recognition would not work due to an empty voice models file
  • Picking up a tripod with a camcorder attached by someone else, will no longer break the camcorder
  • You are no longer unkillable when hiding under stairs or similar objects in some locations
  • The hiding spot next to the cabin will no longer get you killed
  • Grafton’s upstairs locker can now be blocked
  • Bleasdale’s workshop locker can now be blocked
  • Having ALT as your push-to-talk button will no longer keep your voice active after alt-tabbing
  • The toilets upstairs in Edgefield now flush
  • Ghosts will no longer affect the living room collider when standing on the basement stairs in Tanglewood
  • You can no longer glitch behind the small tents to access safe spots
  • The Mare will no longer stop attempting to do its light switch ability after you use the light switch several times
  • Doors will no longer spin when closing for a hunt



If you experience any issues or want to give feedback, please join the official Phasmophobia Discord: https://discord.gg/phasmophobia
Thanks,
[h3]The Kinetic Games Team [/h3]