As part of the Crimson Eye event this year, a number of levels will have the Blood Moon weather occur. This occurrence means that the level will offer harder challenges, with Ghosts as well as Sanity drain being faster. Completing Blood Moon levels, however, will also grant higher rewards.

The pool of maps that will be affected by Blood Moon during this year’s Crimson Eye event are 6 Tanglewood Drive, Camp Woodwind, Grafton Farmhouse, Bleasdale Farmhouse, Point Hope, 42 Edgefield Road, and 13 Willow Street. Every day throughout the period of the event will see four maps picked from this pool to guarantee Blood Moon weather. Other maps from throughout the game can also get Blood Moon, but this can only happen at random.

All rewards that players get from missions with Blood Moon active are increased by 10 percent. Along with this, the Crimson Eye event will end with rewards for all Phasmophobia players, assuming some community and personal goals have been completed. These rewards include an in-game Crimson Eye trophy, and an ID Card and Badge set.

Back in August, art director Corey J. Dixon had spoken about the Early Access development of Phasmophobia, and when we might finally see the title get its 1.0 release. In an interview, Dixon said that the 1.0 update for the game will likely be close to the release of the planned Horror 2.0 update that is still under development. This means that it will likely happen some time in 2026.

“We definitely have plans for 1.0, probably in line with our Horror 2.0 update, where we feel the game is feature-complete,” Dixon said. “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 has been redone, which is the next thing we work on after the [2025’s] Player Update, the game will feel finished. Once that’s in, I think it will be in a good spot.”

Dixon also spoke about how Kinetic Games loves feedback from players, especially when it comes to adding in new features. While the studio loves working on these features, it also means that it becomes harder for it to decide when Phasmophobia can be considered complete.

“It’s really difficult to know [when it may be finished],” he explained. “Our community is constantly putting out, ‘Oh, it should have this!’ so we can look at that and just keep doing it! We’d love to work on it until we’re really happy with it. 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.”

Phasmophobia is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. PC and PS5 players can also use their respective VR headsets to experience the co-op horror offered by the title from a new perspective.

The update will mark developer Kinetic Games as considering Phasmophobia to be “feature-complete”, and while it will no longer be an Early Access game at that point, the studio will continue to work on it. Among the things that players can expect in the form of post-launch support are reworks to maps as well as new content.

“We definitely have plans for 1.0, probably in line with our Horror 2.0 update, where we feel the game is feature-complete,” Dixon said. “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 has been redone, which is the next thing we work on after the [2025’s] Player Update, the game will feel finished. Once that’s in, I think it will be in a good spot.”

As for figuring out when exactly Phasmophobia can be considered complete, Dixon brings up the fact that the studio is often asked by the game’s community for specific features, and the developers love this kind of feedback, which then ends up with new feedback-based features being developed for the title. Ultimately, however, he noted that the game will be done when the studio considers it done.

“It’s really difficult to know [when it may be finished],” he explained. “Our community is constantly putting out, ‘Oh, it should have this!’ so we can look at that and just keep doing it! We’d love to work on it until we’re really happy with it. 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.”

As for whether Kinetic Games has any plans to work on a sequel to Phasmophobia once the co-op game exits Early Access, Dixon noted that the idea is not completely out of the picture. While he didn’t make any promises about a sequel, he did mention that there are aspects of the original game that the studio has wanted to improve now that they have some experience with the game.

“I wouldn’t write it off. 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.”

Kinetic Games had announced a roadmap for Phasmophobia for 2025, which includes additions like a new map, as well as reworks to the game’s older maps. The title is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The PC version of the game also supports SteamVR, while the PS5 release supports PlayStationVR2. For more details, check out our review of the PS5 version.

To kick things off, Phasmophobia will be getting the Chronicle update, which is a new way for players to record evidence of the various hauntings they investigate. Players will be able to post videos and photos of their investigations, and will be appropriately rewarded depending on how valuable this evidence is.

The second major update planned for the game will be a revamp for the player characters. As part of the update, players will get new models for their characters with improved animations. There will also be new customisation features, which will be coming in an update planned for 2026.

On the maps front, Phasmophobia will be getting a new map. While the studio has avoided spoiling things by giving us too many new details, it has stated that this new map will be a small one of comparable scale to the various houses in the game. The studio has also stated that future maps will also be relatively small, which allows for the development of more maps at a quicker pace.

When it comes to maps getting updated, the studio is currently working on updated versions of Bleasdale Farmhouse, Grafton Farmhouse, and 6 Tanglewood Drive. Bleasdale Farmhouse will be the first of these to come out, set for release in March. The redesign of these maps has been described by the studio as “complete artistic overhauls of each map, including new assets and animations, a high level of visual detail as well as a few layout changes.”

The new seasonal events planned for 2025 will implement feedback the studio got for its events last year, and will be kicking things off with a new take on the Easter event. Halloween and Winter will also see their own events, and will involve players investigating alongside the Blood Moon cult, and even taking on Krampus later in the year.

While Kinetic Games is working on these updates and content releases for this year, it has also spoken about more content planned for Phasmophobia in 2026. This will include what the studio refers to as Horror 2.0, as well as new maps and other reworks.

“While we aren’t ready to talk about all of those right now, we are hard at work at making sure that when we do, they’ll be worth the wait,” wrote the studio.

Phasmophobia is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game can also be played on PC through a VR headset for extra horror vibes. Check out our Early Access review of the PS5 release from last year for more details. You can also read our coverage of the horror title’s success in our report of its console launch getting more than a million players just a month after launching.

Taking to Twitter, Kinetic Games revealed that Phasmophobia has surpassed 1 million players across PS5, PS VR2, and Xbox Series X/S since launching for the platforms roughly a month ago. Earlier this year, the studio announced that the game had sold over 20 million units on PC alone since launching for the platform in early access back in 2020, and clearly the game has continued its enduring success on consoles as well.

In our review of the game’s PS5 version, we awarded it a score of 8/10, saying, “Kinetic Games’ Phasmophobia is a surprisingly scary experience, solo and with friends, though several features – like the lobby browser – need more work.” Read the full review through here.

Phasmophobia is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS VR2, and PC. The game’s price on PC also increased to $19.99 earlier this year, having previously been set at $13.99 for several years since its early access launch.

In just one month since launching on PS5, PS VR2 & Xbox Series X/S, we have welcomed 1 MILLION new Ghost Hunters to #Phasmophobia.

Thank you everyone for your support. We can’t wait to continue to share this journey with you all. pic.twitter.com/hrAUXqy8Q9

— Phasmophobia (@PlayPhasmo) December 3, 2024

On some level, I’ve always known about the game due to the sheer number of Let’s Plays over the years. It debuted for PC in Steam Early Access back in 2020, and given global events at the time, its popularity exploded overnight. Yet, with the recent console launch, I’ve finally gone hands-on and experienced the dread first-hand.

"Even if you do eke out some objective completions, the most cash – which can be used to buy more equipment – is earned from ticking every item off the list, including identifying the ghost."

Phasmophobia’s premise is straightforward. As part of a ghost-hunting crew, it’s your job to investigate paranormal activities and sniff out ghosts seemingly haunting mundane locations. While it sounds simple, the task is more involved than you think. You’re given a rudimentary set of tools – a flashlight, UV light, camcorder, thermometers, a regular old pen and paper, and a spirit box, which lets you ask questions from the ghost. The board offered up some objectives, like getting an EMF reading from the house, having my sanity drop to 25 percent and escaping while the ghost in question was on a hunt.

With all this in mind, I set out solo to investigate. Walking around with a flashlight and camcorder didn’t yield much results, but the utter silence only added to the terror. When I brought the EMF Reader, which indicates the presence of Electromagnetic Fields, the ghost started to show itself more frequently. It burst lights in the garage and upon retrieving the Spirit Box to try and question it, a hunt seemingly began. On my last try, I investigated some books that were dropped from a nearby shelf, only to see it appear directly in front. Suffice it to say that after hightailing it and sneaking a peak at a light that it turned on and off, I left, tail between my legs.

As random as it all sounds, there is a clear flow (and strategy) to everything in Phasmophobia. It may be tempting to explore surroundings with only your flashlight, but the ghosts respond to that. They respond to almost everything that you do, and oftentimes, just the act of hiding can be enough to stay alive. Trawling around in the dark isn’t a good idea, since that reduces your sanity and increases the likelihood of a ghost initiating a hunt. It’s a good idea to investigate the ghost’s room and try to learn more information but, as my first case proved, they can move around with impunity within the location.

Even if you do eke out some objective completions, the most cash – which can be used to buy more equipment – is earned from ticking every item off the list, including identifying the ghost. Depending on the ghost’s type, you’ll need to use different tools to gather evidence, but their traits can provide more than a few hints. A Myling emits more paranormal sounds than the others, and good luck picking up without a parabolic microphone, which only becomes available later on. A Goryo is susceptible to D.O.T.S. but will still appear in plain sight during a hunt.

"For a game primarily built for co-op, the lobby browser needs some serious work. While you can sort through other people’s games based on language and region, it doesn’t show the difficulty or cases they’ll be working on."

With so many different behaviors, it’s a lot to take in, and when you’re a new player who jumps in without any experience, things can go bad pretty quickly, especially if you’re not 100 percent sure of the ghost type. During a multiplayer match, I picked up sounds using the Parabolic Microphone, or at least I thought I did. A Myling, perhaps? Nope, it was a Goryo, which I only found out after dying and watching my partner leave the premises before quickly leaving the lobby afterwards.

Since dying will set you back on money earned, there’s a risk vs. reward element to cases. Will you stay and try to figure out a ghost’s type, mopping up additional objectives in the process? Or complete whatever you can get out, vowing to fight (or investigate) another day? The fact that you have to push forward and ultimately overcome your fear to succeed makes it so endearing. Whichever route you go with, earning extra cash allows buying more equipment. You still have to work to level up and unlock them, but it’s worth it for the higher tiers.

It’s easy enough nowadays to look up a cheat sheet or tips to figure out each ghost, but that’s part of the fun in Phasmophobia. Playing alone feels like a survival horror that requires more patience to understand what you’re dealing with (and ideally, escape with your life). The fact that it doesn’t rely on jumpscares, with the sense of dread building at a natural pace, is all the more impressive. Yes, it can lead to some frustration at timers, especially when first starting, but the scares are worth it since you can never be sure when a ghost will strike or how. As spooky as it can be, however, I can see the appeal wearing off over time with more optimal play, thus turning this into more of a mystery than a fight for survival.

Co-op is the main appeal, and while it’s best enjoyed with friends, playing with randoms can be fun. Provided you can find a decent lobby, that is. For a game primarily built for co-op, the lobby browser needs some serious work. While you can sort through other people’s games based on language and region, it doesn’t show the difficulty or cases they’ll be working on. The best thing you can do is hop in and hope they won’t kick you for whatever reason. I would have especially appreciated some way to find lobbies that don’t necessarily mandate a mic or are just looking for a chill time instead of getting through the case as quickly as possible.

"Though numerous titles have popped up over the years and woven Phasmophobia’s mechanics into their premises, very few can capture the same abject level of terror."

Presentation-wise, I’m thoroughly impressed with Phasmophobia. Its levels feel lived-in and natural while offering a uniquely creepy atmosphere. The layouts also feel right whether you’re investigating a regular house, a campsite or a high school. The lack of music in many scenarios only adds to the atmosphere, with ambient sounds taking over and immersing you in the experience. Of course, they also amplify the sounds that ghosts would make, which only adds to the dread. While it may not push boundaries visually, the attention to detail in the environments, lighting and shadows is on point, backed by solid performance on PS5.

Though numerous titles have popped up over the years and woven Phasmophobia’s mechanics into their premises, very few can capture the same abject level of terror. The trial-and-error approach to investigating ghosts combined with the random nature of some interactions, may not appeal to everyone, and the lobby browser is long overdue for improvements. Nevertheless, if you’re seeking a horror title unlike anything else currently available on consoles, it may be worth popping in for a ghost hunt or two.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Phasmophobia features cross-platform support across all platforms, which means players on all platforms can band together for excursions into the game’s many maps as they try to decipher clues and find and identify all manner of supernatural entities- while trying not to get killed, of course. 

As revealed recently by the developer, on PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game runs at 4K and 60 FPS, while on the latter, it also features a 120 FPS option. On Xbox Series S, meanwhile, it run at 1080p and 60 FPS, with no other graphics option being available. 

Phasmophobia is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS VR2, and PC. Kinetic Games announced earlier in the year that the game had sold over 20 million units since its early access release in 2020. 

On both PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, features two modes, both targeting 4K/60 FPS, presumably with the native resolution being lower in the Performance Mode. Meanwhile, Xbox Series X also features a 120 FPS option, which isn’t available on PS5. 

On Xbox Series S, Phasmophobia will run at 1080p and 60 FPS, with no other graphics mode being available. Finally, on PlayStation VR2, the game will run at a native resolution of 2000×2400 per eye, at a 60Hz refresh rate and 120Hz reprojection rate. 

Phasmophobia is currently available on PC, and launches for consoles on October 29. The game has sold over 20 million units since its early access launch in 2020, Kinetic Games recently announced.

Phasmophobia launches in early access for PS5, PS VR2, and Xbox Series X/S on October 29, with cross-platform multiplayer supported across all platforms (including PC, of course). As previously announced, the game will be sold at a price of $19.99. 

Kinetic Games CEO Daniel Knight said, “We are so happy to see Phasmophobia enter console early access. The community has been asking for console versions, and has waited a little while for it to happen. The development team at Kinetic Games have worked exceptionally hard to make this request a reality.”

Meanwhile, Kinetic Games has also announced that Phasmophobia has now sold over 20 million units worldwide. The game has been available for PC in early access since September 2020. 

Phasmophobia will launch for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PS VR2 in early access this October, alongside the game’s Halloween event- though a specific release date is still unknown. Kinetic Games says the console versions will be up to date with the PC release, and that all future updates and content will come to all platforms simultaneously. Cross-play will be supported across all platforms, as well.

Kinetic Games says there’s no current plans for a Game Pass release, so don’t hold your breath on that front. Meanwhile, the developer has also announced that Phasmophobia’s price will increase on all platforms to $19.99 later this year. Currently, the game is sold at a price of $13.99, but Kinetic Games says the new price will be a “fair increase” because of “the amount of content and playtime added since the start of early access”.

The developer has said that owing to multiple factors – including fully optimizing the game for PS VR2 and consoles, which has also resulted in a complete rework of the Maple Lodge Campsite map – Phasmophobia’s console port is being delayed beyond October. Though a new release window hasn’t been announced yet, Kinetic says it is “working diligently to minimize the impact of this delay”.

“In preparation for the PlayStation VR2 launch, we have been diligently reviewing the game’s performance and optimizing it across all maps to ensure a seamless experience for all of our console players,” the developer wrote. “In this regard, we had to rework Maple Lodge Campsite with a completely new layout. This decision, though time-consuming for our art team, is essential to provide the best possible gameplay experience.

“While we had hoped to present you with a special launch alongside the Halloween event, the complexity of our current challenges means we need more time. We will keep you updated on our progress and provide a revised release date as soon as we have more information to share. We are working diligently to minimize the impact of this delay, and we want to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support.”

Kinetic Games added, “We promise, when Phasmophobia arrives on consoles, it will be worth the wait.”