Phasmophobia maker Kinetic Games has revealed its new roadmap, confirming ghostbusters can expect the reworked Willow Street map by the end of July, “two major quality-of-life updates”, and confirmation that the hugely anticipated 1.0 release has now slipped to 2027.
In a press release, Kinetic stated the revised map – which has been “shaped by community feedback” – “prioritises quality over speed, with adjusted timelines enabling the team to deliver its vision for the game’s full 1.0 launch in 2027”.
The latter will be disappointing for many fans, not least because Phasmophobia released into early access way back in 2020. Kinetic said that when it does arrive, however, the 1.0 edition will bring an overhaul to the game’s ghost models, “replacing the current roster with a cast of unique ghosts that each have their own appearance, animations, and backstory”. It’ll also expand lore through environmental storytelling and “ghost-specific conduits and deeper connections to the people and places behind each haunting”.
Weather systems, spatial sound, immersive investigations, and audio improvements are also planned.
The reworked Willow Street will roll out on 21st July as a free update and will include room refreshes, tweaked hiding spots, and “integrated, never-before-seen lore”. This will release alongside improvements to player character models, animations, and customisation options.
Looking ahead, a second QoL update is also on the way, alongside the game’s migration to Unity 6. You can also expect the return of fan-favourite seasonal events, including Crimson Eye and Winter’s Jest, and the reworked Edgefield map, which is presently planned for December.
“I can only thank the community for the opportunities the game has given us, growing the studio to a team of over 50 people, and allowing us to work on improving Phasmophobia every day,” said CEO and game director, Dan Knight.
“Everyone’s feedback following our first Player Character Update showed that we have many areas to address before moving further along our roadmap. We’re going to take this time to improve and expand this update to shape the game into the refined horror experience our players expect.
“We’re also investing more time into our 1.0 update, allowing us to add more content, further improve existing features, and ensure it launches at the highest standard possible. From the beginning, my vision for Phasmophobia has been to create a unique and immersive co-op horror experience. As the studio has grown, so has our ability to realise that vision, and we’re excited to keep building on it until we can deliver the experience our players deserve.”
Last month, Kinetic Games apologised to players for issues with its long-awaited ‘Player Character Update’, admitting it “missed the mark” and “didn’t deliver on our promises to you”.
In numerous patches and hotfixes released since to address the many issues spawned by the latest update, the studio explained how it had been working through player feedback to provide “a much better experience for everyone playing Phasmophobia”.
“We’ve read feedback from across the entire community. The frustration and disappointment has been clear,” the team admitted.
