Phasmophobia dev says there are 'plans for 1.0' and doesn't rule out a sequel: 'It would be a fun challenge to see if we could do another one'

One of the character models in Phasmophobia, he's standing in the truck with a flashlight on his shoulder. He's also holding an upgraded Spirit Box. — (Image credit: Kinetic Games)

Phasmophobia is one of those games that shows early access at its best. It first released in September 2020 and had the core ghost-hunting experience nailed from the start, but it also felt a little like a proof-of-concept: There weren't too many maps, the environments leaned heavily on asset packs and soon felt a little samey, and there were all sorts of rough edges.

The game's success allowed solo developer Kinetic Games to focus on improving all of these aspects and begin building a team to do so. The five years since have seen Phasmophobia receive regular updates, both large and small, which has gradually transformed the look and improved nearly every element while keeping the heart of what makes it special: having the bejesus scared out of you with friends.

"We definitely have plans for 1.0, probably in-line with our Horror 2.0 update is where we feel the game is feature-complete," says Dixon. "It doesn't mean we'll stop working on it—we still want map reworks and new maps and stuff in the future, so there'll be more stuff for the game. But I think once the Horror 2.0 update has been redone, which is the next thing we work on after the player update, the game will feel finished. Once that's in, I think it will be in a good spot."

Phasmophobia ghost closeup — (Image credit: Kinetic Games)

The Horror 2.0 update is scheduled for next year, but Dixon says "we haven't set a date or an update that's like: we're done. I think we'll just know: there'll be that company-wide feeling that this project is done now, we've made it the best it can be, which is what [creator Dan Knight] wanted Day One. I think we'll know when we hit that milestone—I don't think we can plan for that."

Dixon is full of praise for Phasmophobia's community, which has informed countless changes made over the years, and in some cases has even suggested ideas that have ended up incorporated into the experience. Some requests, however, would simply need a different game: increasing the maximum number of players above four, for example. That's the kind of thing that would need a sequel.

"I wouldn't write it off," says Dixon. "It would be a fun challenge to see if we could do another one. There are a lot of things that I know we would change as a company if we went into Phasmophobia fresh. There's definitely things we would all probably say, 'Oh, let's not do that!' Or 'that would be awesome. We should do that instead.' So, yeah, you never know. It's definitely not off the cards."

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Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."

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