While effective scares are the backbone of the horror experience, Phasmophobia has built a reputation for its janky player characters and unpredictable animations. For a significant portion of the community, these rough edges—such as the remarkably silly way investigators move through haunted environments—have felt more like a beloved feature than a technical bug.
Kinetic Games has long acknowledged this "jank" factor, but they have maintained a consistent goal: smoothing out these visual inconsistencies to improve immersion. Today, the studio revealed that their upcoming update will finally address these movement issues directly.
The Upcoming Player Character Update
Scheduled for release on May 5, the free patch is being officially titled the Player Character Update. This patch promises significant changes to how investigator avatars look and behave within the game world.
While the primary focus involves refining character movement, the update will also overhaul how players interact with their spooky locales. The goal is to replace the current clunky motions with more fluid, realistic animations that better suit the high-tension atmosphere of a ghost hunt.
New Customization and Shop Features
Beyond the animation overhaul, the update introduces several highly anticipated features:
- In-Game Shop: The shop interface, which has remained empty on the safehouse computer for quite some time, will finally be populated with content.
- Character Models: Players can choose from 12 base character models.
- Deep Customization: Users will be able to modify features including clothing, hair color, and more.
- Future Content: Kinetic Games has confirmed that more cosmetic options will arrive over time.
How to Get Early Cosmetics
If you are looking to customize your investigator immediately following the patch, there is a specific way to do so. In the week following the update's release, players can obtain the High Priestess t-shirt through Twitch Drops.
While some veterans might miss the era of goofy animations, this transition marks a major step forward in Phasmophobia's evolution from a cult indie hit to a more polished horror staple.
