The co-op ghost hunting game Phasmophobia is set to launch its biggest update so far. Called Ascension, and previously referred to as the first part of Progression 2.0, the update will begin a complete overhaul of how the game plays. The headline feature is a revised leveling system, including the addition of Prestige levels, but there’s also a host of new equipment and equipment upgrades.
Key to this update to Phasmophobia is making leveling feel meaningful. To that end, developer Kinetic Games has revised the XP system, meaning players will now get significantly more rewards on completing objectives compared to the current version of the game. There’s also now a soft level cap of 100. On reaching it, you can choose to continue towards level 999 or to Prestige, resetting your progress in exchange for an extra loadout slot, extra bells and whistles on your ID card, and a cosmetic in-game patch.
Alongside that is the addition of upgrade tiers for each piece of equipment in the game. As you level up, you’ll gain access to upgraded equipment that, once unlocked, can be brought on any mission. Kinetic has revealed some of these upgrade paths over the past few months, including adding Tripods that can rotate cameras remotely and Salt that goes from simply mapping footsteps to actively repelling ghosts.
This Ascension update, therefore, promises huge changes to the ways in which you play Phasmophobia — and offers another compelling case for how Early Access can be hugely beneficial for games. It will be available for players to dive into from 10am UTC (6am ET) on August 17.
Image via Kinetic Games.
The team first revealed plans for Progression 2.0 back in May. Following this Ascension update, Progression 2.0 will be rolled out in two more parts. Those were planned to launch before the end of 2023, but with this update already a month behind schedule, there’s no guarantee of that. The first of those further updates will include changes to the photo mechanics, the possibility of video evidence, and new sound recording equipment. The second centers more on player expression, adding a character creator and overhauling models.
When those updates are complete, Kinetic will move on to Horror 2.0 update for Phasmophobia next year, which will see new ghost models, more events, hallucinations, and much more.
