Video Games
Black Tower Studios Takes Over as New Lead Development Partner for ‘Friday the 13th: The Game’
Earlier this year, the messy Friday the 13th franchise rights issues put a stop to any and all new content for Friday the 13th: The Game, and to be clear right off the bat, absolutely nothing has yet changed on that front. That said, overall maintenance on the game does continue, and we’ve learned today that Black Tower Studios has entered Crystal Lake.
They’ll be replacing Gun Media’s longtime development partner, Illfonic.
“With dedicated servers and some critical bug fixes in place, our development partner IllFonic has completed all contracted work and will be moving on to different projects that will better utilize the full scope of their team,” Gun Media announced today.
Their statement continued…
“Black Tower Studios has taken the lead on all support and development of Friday the 13th: The Game. Black Tower Studios are very familiar with the project, having previously assisted IllFonic in the creation of content for the past year, including work on the Pinehurst and Jarvis House maps. We are confident in the team’s ability to continue supporting Friday the 13th: The Game. We would like to thank IllFonic for their hard work and dedication to Friday the 13th: The Game since the very the beginning of the project in 2014, and we wish them the best in their future projects.”
Video Games
New Roadmap Revealed for ‘Phasmophobia’ Announcing New Map Rework Release Date, New 1.0 Launch Timeline
Kinetic Games is creeping ever closer to that 1.0 launch for Phasmophobia with a newly-revealed roadmap. But before that, the team has revealed another free map rework, this time in 13 Willow Street, which will be accompanied by the first of two major quality-of-life updates when it launches on July 21.
The updated roadmap for Phasmophobia prioritises quality over speed, and is being shaped by community feedback and the team’s own ambitions for the game. As a result, the roadmap includes adjusted timelines enabling the team to deliver its vision for the game’s full launch next year. That vision also involves a complete overhaul of the game’s ghost models, replacing the current roster with a cast of unique ghosts that each have their own appearance, animations, and backstory.
Following complete overhauls to the iconic Grafton and Bleasdale farmhouse, and most recently, 6 Tanglewood Drive, Willow is next on the list to be brought up to the team’s ideal development standards. This will include room refreshes, tweaked hiding spots, and integrated, never-before-seen lore, and will be accompanied by the first of two major quality-of-life updates that will bring improvements to player character models, animations and customisation options.
After Willow’s rework, players can expect a second quality-of-life update, followed by the game’s upcoming Unity 6 migration. Fan-favourite seasonal haunts including Crimson Eye and Winter’s Jest will also be returning for 2026, and ghost hunters can also look forward to Edgefield map rework, slated for December.
The 1.0 launch will also expand Phasmophobia‘s lore through continued environmental storytelling, introducing ghost-specific conduits and deeper connections to the people and places behind each haunting. Alongside these additions, significant audio improvements are planned for 1.0, including enhancements to environmental effects, weather systems, and spatial sound to create a more immersive investigation experience.
And yes, this all will include the long-awaited release of the game on the Nintendo Switch.
“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 Daniel Knight, CEO and Game Director at Kinetic Games. “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.”
Phasmophobia is available in Early Access on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2, and the Xbox Series.

You must be logged in to post a comment.