Developers of Phasmophobia prefer steering clear of the live service sphere with seasonal events, yet harbor strategies to maintain an active player community.
Ghost hunting game Phasmophobia has a passionate community that's always yearning for more shared, haunting experiences. During a demonstration at the Summer Game Fest, I couldn't help but inquire about potential community-driven activities like seasonal events from lead social and community manager Tom Dent.
"We don't want to stray into the live service area," Dent explained. "We're more about making the game standalone, and have events to bring our year together. Our community is so active and engaged, so we want to keep them on board."
As the CEO and lead developer of Kinetic, Daniel Knight, delved a bit deeper into their plans for Phasmophobia's long-term support, noting that while they aim to keep the hauntings going strong, they don't want players to expect endless updates.
"We're not going to keep doing this forever," Knight said. "We've got a set plan for the game, and that's why we're doing regular content fixes and overhauling the game to reach version 1.0. After 1.0, we'll still release content updates, but it won't be as extensive."
While Knight and the team didn't entirely rule out the possibility of new ghost types and additional content like maps, they made it clear that these major overhauls we've seen so far won't be part of the post-1.0 plan. Instead, they're more focused on refining Phasmophobia's core gameplay without relying too heavily on online components.
"The game can be played offline, and we don't want to tie seasonal events or similar content to internet connections," Knight noted. "We're trying to avoid going down that road. The three seasonal events we have now seem like enough for our live service content."
Although it's a bit disappointing not to see holiday-themed ghostly entities like a possessed turkey or demonic valentine, it's refreshing to see a game take a measured approach to community engagement and maintain its own identity without becoming another always online nightmare.
Sources:[1] Kinetic Games. (2025). Phasmophobia Roadmap v1.0. Retrieved from https://kineticgames.com/phasmophobia-roadmap/[2] Shearon, A. (2025, May 31). Phasmophobia developers discuss the game's long-term plans beyond Version 1.0. Retrieved from https://www.pcgamer.com/phasmophobia-developers-plans-version-1-0/[3] Knight, D. (2025, June 24). Major Phasmophobia Chronicle Update Adds Sound Recorder and More [Interview]. Retrieved from https://www.pcgamer.com/major-phasmophobia-chronicle-update-adds-sound-recorder-and-more/[4] Shearon, A. (2025, May 6). Exploring Phasmophobia's Grafton Farmhouse map following the Bleasdale Farmhouse overhaul. Retrieved from https://www.pcgamer.com/exploring-phasmophobias-grafton-farmhouse-map-following-the-bleasdale-farmhouse-overhaul/[5] Peacock, J. (2025, June 11). Phasmophobia's tentative roadmap and Steam release reveal 1.0 release date. Retrieved from https://www.pcgamer.com/phasmophobias-tentative-roadmap-and-steam-release-reveal-1-0-release-date/
- Despite the passionate community's yearning for more seasonal events in the game Phasmophobia, the developers have a set plan, aiming to reach version 1.0 and then continue releasing content updates, but not as extensively.
- The game's lead developer, Daniel Knight, emphasized that Phasmophobia can be played offline and they don't want to tie seasonal events or similar content to internet connections, opting to avoid the always online model.
- Gadgets and technology enthusiasts might appreciate the upcoming addition to Phasmophobia, as a sound recorder feature has been announced for a significant update.
- As entertainment and social-media platforms discuss potential collaborations with Phasmophobia, it's interesting to see the game taking a balanced approach, engaging with its community while maintaining its unique identity.
