Phasmophobia News

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

Due to the size of this update, we have given it the version number of v0.10, even though the Roadmap originally planned different content for that version number. The following updates planned in the Roadmap will instead have increased version numbers, but the content and order of updates remain the same.



Point Hope was recently refurbished by a young family seeking something unique to call home. You'll be welcomed by a modern extension, complete with a hallway, closets and a downstairs bathroom, before entering into the Lighthouse's main Living Room. Decorated with nautical knickknacks, you'll be faced with spiral staircases and round rooms, a first for ghost hunters.

This new location features 10 floors, 12 rooms, and a unique layout which will challenge players in new ways. You'll have to use different techniques for some of those pesky ghost abilities while playing on lower-evidence game modes.

• Unlocks at level 15
  

Several progression and equipment items have been adjusted, based on community feedback:
[h3]Player levelling and rewards[/h3]

• The required EXP to level from 1-100 has been reduced by around 10%, making levelling faster
  
• Players can now level up to 9999 for each prestige
  
• The required experience needed to level up between 999 and 9999 will increase every level
  
• Sunny Meadows Restricted is now categorized as a medium location
  
• Increased rewards for correctly identifying the ghost in medium and large locations
  
  • Medium: from $125 to $150
    
  • Large: from $150 to $200
    

[h3]DOTS[/h3]

• Tier I’s light range has been increased
  
• Tier III's scanning effect can now be paused by interacting with it while it is rotating
  

[h3]EMF[/h3]

• Tier I’s needle will no longer flicker near or past the 5 value during events and hunts, to stop confusion with evidence
  
• Tier III’s EMF5 reading now plays a unique sound
  

[h3]Firelight[/h3]

• Increased the visible light intensity and range for both Tier I and II
  
• Tier I duration increased from 3mins to 5mins
  
• Tier II duration increased from 5mins to 10mins
  
• Firelights and Igniters will now be extinguished accurately in heavy rain. For example, they will no longer be extinguished under house porches and inside small tents
  

[h3]Head Gear[/h3]

• A customizable keybinding has been added to the Controls page for turning on and off Head Gear
  
• Turning Head Gear I on and off will now play different sounds to help know which state the equipment is in
  
• While within range of a ghost event or hunting ghost:
  • Tier III will now have visual interference
    
  • All Tiers will now play a new sound
    

[h3]Parabolic Microphone[/h3]

• Tier I’s red light will now flicker when a sound is detected
  
• Tier III can now receive sounds 1 floor above or below the player using it, with new UI to show which floor the sound is coming from
  
• You now have to hold Parabolic Microphones to turn them on or off
  

[h3]Thermometer[/h3]

• Holding down the USE button while holding a Thermometer II or III will now continuously update, instead of having to restart after each reading
  
• Tier I now has randomization to make it consistent with the other Tiers
  
• Tier III Hold time has been reduced to 2.5s from 3s
  
• Tier III randomization has been reduced to make it more accurate
  

[h3]Tripods and Video Cameras[/h3]

• Ghosts will now throw Video Cameras more consistently
  
• Tripod I knockdown chance increased from 20%, to 30%
  
• Tripod II knockdown chance increased from 10%, to 20%
  

[h3]Sanity Medication[/h3]

• Tier I restoration time has decreased to 20s, from 30s
  
• Tier II restoration time has decreased to 10s, from 20s
  
• Tier III will now instantly refill your sprint endurance in addition to keeping it full for 10s
  

[h3]Sound Sensors[/h3]

• Mute buttons have been added to each Sound sensor’s Truck UI
  

[h3]Spirit Box[/h3]

• Small environment lights such as lamps must now also be turned off to receive a response
  
• You now must hold the Spirit box to use it with text-based voice recognition
  

[h3]UV Lights[/h3]

• Tier I and II have been swapped for better progression during levelling
  

We’ve drastically improved the performance of several areas of the game, which will result in fewer stutters, higher FPS, and quicker loading times, especially on low-end machines. The number of fixes and optimisations would be too many to list, but the following have received the biggest adjustments:

• Photo and video cameras
  
• Shadows
  
• The weather and sky effects
  
• UI
  
• Physics
  
• Audio
  
• Reflections
  
• Textures and shaders are now streamed to the GPU to significantly reduce VRAM and RAM usage
  
• Tent door’s cloth system has been completely overhauled to increase performance
  

• Lowered the temperature of Training to make the Freezing Temperatures section much faster to progress
  
• Reduced the amount of equipment to 1 in each room
  
• You now have to get EMF 5 to get past the EMF room
  
• Props will now get thrown more frequently in the EMF room
  
• Replaced the glowstick with the UV torch (as per the Tier changes above)
  
• In the Ghost Orb section, players will now need to be more accurate with the video camera to avoid accidentally completing the objective without seeing the Ghost Orb
  

• New ID Card badges can now be unlocked:
  
  • Lighthouse Keeper: Correctly identify the ghost on Point Hope 50 times on any difficulty
    
  • Apocalypse bronze: Correctly identify the ghost, take a ghost photo and complete all objectives on Sunny Meadows with a difficulty multiplier of 6 or higher
    
  • Apocalypse silver: Correctly identify the ghost, take a ghost photo and complete all objectives on Sunny Meadows with a difficulty multiplier of 10 or higher
    
  • Apocalypse gold: Correctly identify the ghost, take a ghost photo and complete all objectives on Sunny Meadows with a difficulty multiplier of 15
    
    Note: If you have already completed any of the Apocalypse challenges, you will need to complete a single game of any kind to receive your new ID card rewards.

• Players can now carry an Igniter in addition to 3 other items
  Note: Non-VR players can only carry one Igniter at a time, similar to flashlights
  • Igniters now have their own slot in the VR belt (When placing a tier 1 igniter in this slot, you won't be able to remove it again, until all matches have been drawn)
    
    
    

• Unlocking a new reward that is not tied to levelling up will now show a popup on the mission summary screen
  
• Ghost Writing Books now play new sounds when closed
  
• Added Kate and Catherine to possible ghost first names
  
• Ghosts can now leave single fingerprints on all small lamps and TV remotes in all locations
  

[h3]Equipment[/h3]

• You can no longer swap inventory slots while taking a photo
  
• Removed flashlights from Hide and Seek Extreme as they were disabled from settings
  
• "Deja Vu" weekly now has UV T1 instead of T2 to keep it a flashlight
  
• Glow in the dark weekly now has T2 instead of T1 to keep it a glowstick
  
• Asking the Ouija Board bone location questions will now drain 20% sanity, down from 50%, due to bone rewards not being included in the reward multiplier
  
• Lighting the Summoning Circle candle will now instantly end the setup phase
  

[h3]Ghosts[/h3]

• Non-Ghost Writing ghosts now close the book after throwing it
  
• Ghosts can no longer interact with already knocked-down paintings
  
• Shades can no longer blow out fire sources or write in Ghost Writing books if there are any players in the same room, to keep their strength consistent
  
• Improved the ghost's ability to interact with closed doors
  
• Improved Banshee AI targeting when they stalk a player
  
• “I wish to see the ghost” will now limit your vision after the ghost event instead of before, to allow you to see the ghost
  
• Increased the sanity drain on one of the ghost events to match other events
  

[h3]Environment[/h3]

• "Paranormal Paparazzi" and "Hide and Seek: Hide" weekly challenges now take place in Point Hope
  
• Drastically improved the Sunrise visuals
  
• Turning on several light switches in a room, but not all, will now drain sanity at a reduced rate, instead of the full ‘sanity drain speed’
  
• Props that don't move when hit with another prop will no longer play an additional impact sound
  
• Adjusted all weather’s distant fog color for better blending with the horizon
  
• Removed Point Hope teasers from all maps and lobby
  
• Optimised assets across all maps
  
• Lowered resolution for light cookies (flashlight light shapes etc) but increased resolution for sky light shadows
  
• Moved the green bowl in Edgefield living room to help with the lamp interaction and new fingerprints
  
• The Tanglewood utility room door can now be closed correctly by the ghost
  
• Medium tent windows now have correct collision on both sides
  

[h3]Audio[/h3]

• Adjusted audio effects to help identify if sounds are above or below you
  • Sounds that are one floor above are bass-boosted and muffled
    
  • Sounds that are one floor below will be more muffled and quiet
    
  • Sounds that are two floors above you or below will have more extreme effects and volume reduction
• The heartbeat sound will no longer be altered by reverb or other audio effects
  
• Audio levels for the ambient room tone and Ouija Board have been remastered to bring them in line with other sounds
  
• Reduced the volume for the writing sound for Ghost Writing Book III
  

[h3]UI[/h3]

• Difficulty, Money and Prestige level-up popups have received new images
  
• Improved color accuracy of several UI components
  
• Increased the width of the scrollbars in the Shop to make it easier for VR players
  
• Several ID card titles have been renamed and shortened
  
• Changed "Interaction amount" to "Activity level" in custom settings to better reflect what it does
  

[h3]Player[/h3]

• Player movement will no longer be affected by held equipment
  
• Stamina recovery will correctly now start even if you are still holding down the sprint button but not moving
  
• There is no longer a visual glitch when rapidly equipping and unequipping the Head Gear as one of the player models
  
• You can now change your sprint mode while in a game, in VR
  
• Fixed several areas where VR teleport movement could not teleport to
  
• Changing your sprint mode to "hold" from "toggle" on PC, while sprint is toggled on, will no longer keep you sprinting, without pressing the sprint button
  
• Removed sprinting FOV increase due to a graphical issue
  
  

[h3]Ghosts[/h3]

• Hanging Paintings thrown by the ghost will no longer fall through the floor
  
• The ghost and bone can no longer get stuck in several locations
  
• Yurei can now use their ability on doors that are open at the start of the game
  
• Demon and Banshee attempting to use their ability, but failing, will no longer add to the "abilities used" stat
  
• Ghosts will no longer keep throwing the same object over and over, and will instead choose more varied items within it’s interaction range
  
• "Hide and seek extreme" now correctly has 3 evidence instead of only 2
  
• Ghost event player detection will no longer include dead players if they didn't move after dying
  

[h3]Equipment[/h3]

• Motion Sensor II and III detection sounds can now be heard consistently
  
• Parabolic Microphone II now displays the correct volume values
  
• You can no longer get readings on the Parabolic microphone when in the truck
  
• DOTS I and UV Light II's light will no longer stop emitting when placed in some areas
  
• Changing the Sound Sensor size in the truck now only changes the area of effect UI instead of the equipment UI
  
• The Parabolic microphone will no longer pick up sounds when in the truck
  
• EMF reader I will now point the needle closer to the EMF value, instead of including the EMF values above and below it.
  
• You can no longer take multiple photos of the same EMF interaction by using your inventory to refresh the EMF spot
  
• Head Gear II will no longer be detected by the ghost when on if flashlights are disabled in custom settings
  
• An active Parabolic Microphone will no longer muffle your audio when picked up, while holding another item
  
• All Sound Sensor Tiers and Firelight Tier II are now more stable when placed in VR
  
• You can no longer light other people's Incense by physically moving a fire source into it
  
• VR players can now consistently place a Video Camera on a Tripod that is still attached to the Truck wall
  
• The Ouija board will no longer break when saying goodbye with 0 sanity
  
• Crucifix III will now be fully used for all players after it prevents a Cursed Hunt
  
• Extinguished matches will no longer light other objects
  
• You no longer need to swap hands between each Tarot Card draw in VR
  
• Grabbing/swapping props or equipment in VR will no longer set the wrong hand position and rotation
  
• Igniters can no longer be used if another player fully used up the fuel
  
• Tripod III placement highlight is now visible when first placed
  
• UI for text voice recognition will no longer get stuck if another player grabs the Ouija Board while you are using it
  
• All Motion and Sound sensor map icons are now accurately sized on all maps
  

[h3]Environment[/h3]

• The player and ghost will now correctly be detected when moving between different rooms and floors, this will make evidence gathering much more consistent
  
• Sunny Meadows reverb sound effects will no longer turn off while moving around in certain rooms
  
• Maple Lodge Cabin window fingerprints will be visible again
  
• Removed several locations where the ghost could get out of bounds in Sunny Meadows
  
• Removed a spot where the ghost could get stuck behind the generator in Camp Woodwind
  
• The camping chair next to the lovers' bench on Woodwind is no longer white
  
• All overhead tarps on Maple Campsite now have rain sounds
  
• Reduced visibility of geometry seams where you can see the skybox in Sunny Meadows
  
• Keys collected will now have the correct name in the Journal
  
• Window rain will no longer make things black when viewed from certain angles
  
• All Brownstone High School windows and doors now have the correct fingerprint material
  
• You can no longer place equipment in the gap under the cabin
  
• Lights will no longer turn on if you turn them off during a flicker
  
• Added skybox blockers to multiple areas to stop tiny gaps in geometry that show the sky:
  
  • Tanglewood
    
  • Edgefield
    
  • Ridgeview
    
  • Willow
    

[h3]Sound[/h3]

• Impact sounds will no longer play multiple times at once
  

[h3]UI[/h3]

• Skipping the animation when you level up more than once will no longer skip the previous levels' unlock popups
  
• Challenge map names will now be correct
  
• You can no longer complete the ghost photo objective when there is no space for photos in the journal
  

[h3]Known Issues[/h3]

• Deogen pathing can be inconsistent during hunts on Point Hope
  
• Small items can occasionally fall through walls and floors in Point Hope
  
• Interactions can sometimes repeat multiple times
  
• MSAA will cause visual artifacts while dead
  

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

Welcome back, we've got some news for you!



Our Twitter followers and users in the Discord may have noticed that we have been expanding the company this year. So far we've hired an additional 2 Artists, an Email Support, a Sound Designer and a QA Lead. Additionally, we are actively interviewing for several other roles, with new employees joining us throughout the year.

We are committed to expanding our team at a manageable pace, taking extra precautions while we continue working from home.

Our new office will soon be ready and we're looking for talented and passionate people to join us in our journey. If you're interested in joining our team and can work in the UK, you can find a list of our currently available positions on our website.

• Kinetic Games Careers

We appreciate your patience and understanding regarding the delay of Phasmophobia for consoles. Our team is still working to meet the high standards we've set for the game. While we understand that delays can be disappointing, we believe that the wait will be worth it. Our goal is to ensure that the console release delivers the best possible experience at release.

We will share more information on the development and plans for the Console within the next few weeks.






Initially, the "Point Hope" and "Adjusting the Ascension" updates were planned as separate releases earlier this year. However, we decided to address significant game optimizations and combine them with the new content. This approach ensures a much smoother experience for you when the new update is released!

We're excited to announce that Phasmophobia's "Eventide" Update will launch next Tuesday, June 25th. This update will include the brand-new location: Point Hope, the Ascension adjustments, and a host of optimizations, changes, and fixes. Our Official Partners will be streaming the update on Monday the 24th!






I wish for something real...

We're currently selling a limited-time plushie of the Cursed Possession: The Monkey Paw. It's a high-quality plushie made by the folks at Makeship; it's incredibly soft, has a felt tag and even has fur on the back of the hand!

This is a one-time run and won't be sold again, so don't miss out! Find more information and purchase one for yourself here:

• Makeship - Monkey Paw

Join our official Discord to enter a free giveaway later this week for one of five free plushies!

• Phasmophobia Official Discord

Thanks,
[h3]The Kinetic Games Team [/h3]

Changes
Removed Easter 2024 event

Welcome back ghost hunters, we've got some news for you.

• The Easter 2024 event has begun, it will be around for 2 weeks, so get investigating and earn those exclusive rewards!
  
  • More information can be found in-game
    
• ID cards have had a facelift!
  • All badges now have a unique background when using that badge’s ID theme
    
  • Prestiges 11-20 have animated backgrounds to match their badges
    
  • Several colors have been adjusted
    
  • VIP and Artist have received new Badge designs
    
  • Volume slider colors are now the same as the EXP bar colors
    
• Headphones are now visible when listening through the parabolic microphone
  

• The middle lines of the ID card have been removed to make space for the new background designs (funds / ready status)
  
• A ready sticker will now appear on the player ID card when that player is ready
  

• Fixed several Lobby-Equipment desync issues between players
  
• UI will no longer overlap when applying a locked difficulty
  
• You can now complete the “Survive with starter items” daily challenge
  
• You can now place a video camera on a tripod more than once in VR
  
• Parabolic microphone III will now determine the direction of sounds properly in VR
  
• EMF Reader III will now determine the direction of EMF spots based on your screen position (non-VR only)
  
• Shop gamepad buttons no longer still activate when not focusing on shop
  
• The VR cursor is now in the correct position when highlighting Thermometers
  
• You now get insurance when you die in Amateur or Intermediate difficulty
  
• Hovering over the corkboard in the truck no longer appears as interactable
  
• The thermometer tiers now highlight correctly when hovering over them
  
• Tier 1 upgrades are no longer locked in the inventory manager when you are at the required level
  
• Ambient Occlusion will now correctly turn off when the setting is disabled
  
• Firelights will no longer blow out as soon as they are turned on again after being blown out by the ghost
  
  

[h2]Known Issues[/h2]

• One of the lobby effects after completing the event may not be visible in every lobby
  
  • Leaving the main lobby and rejoining may fix the visual, until you return from a contract where it will break again.
    

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

Welcome back Ghost Hunters, we've got some news for you.

The long-awaited shop rework is finally here, boasting a new, easier way to manage your gear!



Based on player feedback, the shop has had a complete overhaul!

• 3 separate pages for more intuitive usage
  
• Easy buy options for controller
  
• Renamable loadouts
  
• Player-specific colours for supplied equipment
  
• Quick shortcuts to navigate between screens to unlock equipment
  
• Full tutorial for each page
  
• Shortcuts for gamepad users
  

New accessibility options:

• You can now customize each player's color for many areas in the game:
  
  • Main menu stickers
    
  • Shop interface
    
  • Sanity screen in the truck
    
• You can now customize your cursor
  
  • Shape
    
  • Color
    
  • Opacity
    
  • Size
    
  • Additional options when highlighting objects
    
  Note: VR players can only adjust their highlight cursors colour and opacity

• You can no longer receive a photo of a DOTS ghost while it’s not inside a DOTS Projector's light
  
• You can now rotate the Sound Sensor III whilst placing it
  
• Greatly improved the DOTS Ghosts AI navigation, this will result in more consistent evidence across the board
  
• Reduced the brightness of the Journal
  
• Reduced the volume of various sounds
  

General:

• Improved the AI pathing for the Phantom and Wraith abilities
  
• Ouija board will now break if you do not have enough sanity to use it instead of answering a question then breaking
  
• The shop screensaver will no longer appear and disappear when walking into/away from the shop screen in non-VR
  
• Fixed a ghost AI navigation issue on the Tanglewood living room
  
• DOTS Ghosts AI navigation will now work correctly when you are in the same room as the ghost
  
• Ghosts can now correctly interact with all telephones
  
• The grandfather clock ghost interaction now works correctly
  
• The sound sensor “offline“ text is now translated for non-English languages
  
• You can now swap to the 'Blocked Players' page using the gamepad shoulder buttons
  
• The Sunny Meadows Apocalypse sticker will now show during single player
  
• You can no longer back out of the menu with a gamepad while the Journal is open
  
• You can no longer use the Main Menu left and right UI arrows while the Journal is open
  
• The Haunted Mirror will now correctly break straight away if you do not have enough sanity (20%)
  
• Gamepad 'Local push to talk' rebind tape is now the correct image
  

VR:

• VR players can now prestige
  
• Sound sensor III can now have its shape changed in VR
  
• Motion sensor II can now have its shape changed in VR (while placed)
  
• Up and down arrows now work in the VR journal
  
• You can swap between hold and toggle grab types again in VR
  
• You can now drop the Sound Sensor III in VR
  
• Fixed a lag spike when a VR player joins the game
  
• The VR Journal sounds can no longer be heard from far away
  
• Spirit Box 3 VR text voice recognition now works
  

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