Phasmophobia developer Kinetic Games has stated that plans for further development have been ‘reconsidered’ due to the game’s success.
Phasmophobia has been one of 2020’s major break-out successes, following on from the likes of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout and Among Us. Its social ghost-hunting gameplay has made it an instant indie-horror darling, capturing all the delight of tip-toeing through a haunted house with a group of friends.
In an email interview with IGN, ‘Dknighter’ of one-man development studio Kinetic Games stated that his goals had shifted in the wake of the sudden popularity that Phasmophobia achieved, and in response to the increased expectations that follow such a massive success.
“I was originally planning the Early Access to be short where I just add a few more maps, ghost types and equipment. However, due to the game’s popularity, everyone’s expectations are increased so I am going to have to reconsider my plans for the game’s future.”
Dknighter stated that the success of Phasmophobia was entirely unexpected, and that he anticipated active player numbers to top out at around 500 on launch day, then slowly taper off. Now, the game has achieved over two million sales, with a peak active player base of 110,000 individuals.
In response to this success, development of Phasmophobia has changed course, focusing first on updating the game’s code to introduce an array of bug fixes on multiple systems. The emphasis on increasing the quality of the core experience is certainly welcome.
Dknighter also shot down rumours surrounding the potential introduction of a PVP mode, stating that:
“I have no plans to add another game mode, as it would turn the game into something completely different, and push the game away from what I want it to be. I want the game to remain 4 players vs. 1 AI, and balance the game, then add new features around that style of gameplay.”
It sounds like Phasmophobia is in the safe hands of a developer with the best interests of the players’ experience in mind. If you’ve been looking to join in the fun, you can now do so knowing that the game will continue to receive the love and attention it deserves.
