Phasmophobia roadmap 2026: 1.0 launch, character overhaul, Switch 2 and the long-awaited horror

This caught my attention because Phasmophobia has quietly been one of PC horror’s most influential early-access successes – and Kinetic Games is finally promising a full 1.0 launch after more than five years of updates. The roadmap mixes the cosmetic fixes the community has begged for (goodbye clunky player models) with deeper, potentially game-changing work (a horror rework, Unity upgrade and a Switch 2 push).

Phasmophobia 2026 roadmap: 1.0, character overhaul and the horror rework

• Key Takeaways

• Phasmophobia is slated for a full 1.0 launch in 2026, moving it out of early access – exact date TBD.
• Q1 brings a major character overhaul with new models, customization and animations (first rough window: before April 2026).
• A Unity engine update and a Switch 2 release are planned – Kinetic Games hints 1.0 will ship across all platforms the same year.
• New maps plus reworks of Tanglewood and 13 Willow Street, plus a bundled “horror rework” and lore update rolled into 1.0.

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Publisher|Kinetic Games

Release Date|2026 (roadmap announcement; no firm 1.0 dates)

Category|Roadmap / Major update (1.0 launch)

Platform|PC (Steam/VR), Switch 2 (planned), other platforms (1.0 said to be cross-platform)

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What the roadmap actually says — and what it probably means

Kinetic Games’ roadmap is ambitious but light on exact dates. The clearest timing is the Q1 window for the character overhaul — new models, cosmetic items and, importantly, new animations so you can see your ghost hunter do more than stand awkwardly in menus. That’s the kind of polish small studios often deprioritize, so seeing it frontloaded is a good sign.

The Unity update and Switch 2 release are listed together. That pairing makes technical sense: a Unity upgrade can modernize rendering, performance and VR support and is often a prerequisite for console ports. Kinetic Games also says 1.0 will “set to release across all platforms simultaneously this year,” which suggests the full launch will likely follow the Switch 2 launch window — a dependency that could push 1.0 later in the year.

Map work is a mix of fresh content and careful reworks. Nell’s Diner (2025) proved Kinetic can deliver distinct, memorable locations; 2026 promises another new map (teased but unnamed) plus reworks for Tanglewood and 13 Willow Street. From the roadmap blurb, Willow Street seems to get structural attention while Tanglewood focuses on new interactions and a “mystery” tied to 6 Tanglewood Drive — the kind of hidden detail players will enjoy hunting down.

The long-delayed Horror 2.0 concept appears reborn as a bundled “horror rework” inside 1.0, paired with a lore update. Expect scarier ghost models, new jump-scares and more animation-driven interactions that make encounters feel less scripted. That’s exactly the kind of systemic change fans have wanted, but these deep tweaks are also where balance problems can appear — more terrifying can also mean more frustration if evidence systems or ghost behavior aren’t rebalanced.

Why this matters for players

• Cosmetic upgrade = immediate payoff: cleaner player models and new animations will make both solo and co-op play feel more immersive.
• Unity upgrade could bring better VR performance, fewer bugs and smoother frame rates — crucial for a tense horror game where immersion matters.
• Cross-platform 1.0 is a win for matchmaking and the community, but its timing tied to Switch 2 means the 1.0 date could depend on external hardware schedules.
• The horror rework + lore update signals Kinetic wants to cement Phasmophobia’s identity beyond early access — a pivot from iterative tweaks to a cohesive, finished product.

There are still unknowns: the roadmap skips hard dates, we don’t know how the Unity migration will affect ongoing modding or VR stability, and big gameplay reworks risk breaking the familiarity long-time players rely on. Historically, Kinetic has balanced new features and community feedback well, but 1.0 is the biggest test yet: it must be both a celebration of what Phasmophobia is and an actual step forward.

TL;DR — The quick take

Phasmophobia’s 2026 roadmap is the clearest signal yet that Kinetic Games intends to finish what it started: a Q1 character overhaul will tidy up visuals and animations, a Unity update and Switch 2 port set the stage for a simultaneous 1.0 across platforms, and a bundled horror rework plus lore update aim to make the full launch feel meaningful. No firm dates yet — expect 1.0 after the Switch 2 timeline — but this is the biggest, most concrete step toward a finished Phasmophobia we’ve seen.