Video Games
‘Phasmophobia’ Receives Major Player Character Update on May 5th
Ahead of Alan Wake 2 showing up for a brief stint next month, Kinetic Games is continuing to polish Phasmophobia, announcing that the hit asymmetrical multiplayer title will be getting its much-anticipated Player Character Update on May 5 on all platforms. The major overhaul will see each ghost hunter reimagined, adding new animations, movements, and better character customisation.
The update allow players to customise the new and improved character models with hairstyles, innerwear, outerwear, accessories, and more. All cosmetics can be unlocked through gameplay challenges or purchased via the new in-game store – entirely run on in-game currency, with no microtransactions.
“Since Phasmophobia launched in 2020, the team has put in so much effort to make the game more immersive and replayable, and giving players the freedom to personalise their ghost hunters feels like the natural next step,” said Corey Dixon, Art Director at Kinetic Games. “Player customisation unlocks so many possibilities for us in the future, and paired with the updated models and animations we’re also starting to up the scare factor even more – which is just a small part of the bigger journey to 1.0.”
Players had the chance to unlock new character customisation options during the 2026 Cursed Hollow event. Those who completed the limited-time missions will receive these exclusive items at launch, including a necklace, t-shirt, and Forest Spirit Mask.
Additional updates, such as the new death, revival, and EMF reader animations, were previously teased in Phasmophobia’s 2026 roadmap, showcasing more dynamic, realistic movements as the game makes its way towards that 1.0 release later this year.
Meanwhile, Alan Wake 2 crosses over with Phasmophobia in a time-limited event starting on May 12, and going until June 2. More details will be shared leading up to the event.
Remember in Starbreeze Studios’ The Darkness where you could watch Robert Mulligan‘s To Kill a Mockingbird in its entirety? Steelkrill Studio has decided to do something similar with their upcoming psychological survival horror game Where Dolls Hang. Players will be able to discover and watch complete feature-length hour-long horror films directly inside the game world.
Backing up a bit, Where Dolls Hang is set in Mexico and inspired by the country’s folklore and the real-life Island of Dolls (Isla de las Muñecas). Blending psychological horror, survival, exploration, and detective investigation, you’ll be searching both the forest and your home, where you can stumble upon working televisions and projectors that play full public-domain horror films from beginning to end.
Rather than short clips or Easter eggs, these are complete movies that players can sit down and watch if they choose. Among the featured films is George A. Romero‘s iconic 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead, with additional public-domain horror films hidden throughout the world.
Described as a blend of The Forest, Outlast, P.T and Silent Hill, Where Dolls Hang combines survival mechanics, exploration, and crafting with psychological horror and a unique forensic investigation system. Players step into the role of a detective investigating disappearances inside a living forest overrun with mannequins, puppets, and unnatural figures that seem to appear where they shouldn’t.
What begins as a missing persons case slowly becomes personal as players search for clues tied to the disappearance of the detective’s own daughter. Investigate crime scenes, examine bodies, photograph evidence, and survive a hostile wilderness that grows increasingly dangerous after dark. Beyond the forest trails, flooded swamps, and hidden waterways can be explored by boat, leading to isolated locations filled with disturbing discoveries and hidden dangers.
Between investigations, players return to a customizable safehouse where they can craft supplies, upgrade equipment, and prepare for the next descent into the unknown. Dynamic weather systems, adaptive threats, survival mechanics, and immersive detective gameplay combine to create a horror experience where uncovering the truth can be just as terrifying as surviving the forest itself.
Where Dolls Hang is currently in development for release on Steam.