Phasmophobia just dropped another major cleanup patch, and this one is packed with the kind of changes ghost hunters are actually going to notice during investigations. Version 0.19.0.0, also known as Quality of Life Part 2, arrived on August 25 and brings new Restricted versions of some of the game’s biggest locations, smarter evidence tracking, major VR improvements, multiplayer fixes, and a much creepier look for players who do not survive the hunt.

The update follows the first Quality of Life release from July, which launched alongside the reworked 13 Willow Street. This time, Kinetic Games is continuing its push to make investigations smoother and less frustrating while also giving players faster alternatives to some of Phasmophobia’s larger maps.

And honestly, the death changes alone are enough to make every failed hunt feel even more cursed.

More Legal Horror Stories: Ghosts aren’t the only things getting hunted down this week. For more, read our story on Activision’s dramatic cease-and-desist doorstep visit in its war on Call of Duty cheat sellers.

Phasmophobia’s Biggest Maps Just Got Faster Restricted Versions

The biggest addition in Quality of Life Part 2 is the arrival of three new Restricted map variants for Prison, Brownstone High School, and Point Hope.

Restricted maps are smaller versions of Phasmophobia’s larger locations. They give players the chance to investigate familiar environments without having to commit to exploring every corner of the full map. The new additions expand the Restricted map selection beyond Sunny Meadows Restricted and give players more options when choosing contracts.

Kinetic Games has also made the opening moments of investigations a little more convenient. The truck has been moved closer to the main entrance on both Brownstone High School and Prison, cutting down some of the unnecessary distance between players and the investigation.

The new Restricted maps are not completely free of issues, though. Kinetic Games has acknowledged several known problems that players may encounter.

At Prison Restricted, there can be a low number of ghost interactions near the entrance. Equipment can also become lost or impossible to pick up after being placed on certain blockades.

Brownstone High School Restricted has its own issue involving the Bone, which can spawn inside inaccessible hiding spots. Meanwhile, the Fuse Box can appear inside the Visitation Security Room at Prison Restricted even when players only have access to the upper floor.

So yeah, the smaller maps should make investigations quicker, but players might still run into a few haunted technical problems along the way.

More Raid-Sized Comebacks: Smaller, faster versions of big locations aren’t limited to horror games. For more, check out our piece on Armored Mewtwo’s long-awaited return and the Mega Mewtwo takeover during Pokémon GO Fest 2026.

Evidence Tracking Is Finally Getting Less Annoying

One of the most useful changes in the entire update comes from the game’s evidence system.

Photo Cameras, Video Cameras, and Sound Recorders can now show players when evidence has already been recorded. Tier 1 Photo Cameras use a yellow LED as an indicator, while Tier 2 and Tier 3 Photo Cameras display faded text. Video Cameras also use the faded-text system, while Sound Recorders receive their own visual changes depending on their tier.

This should make evidence collection much easier to manage, especially during chaotic multiplayer investigations where everyone is carrying different equipment and nobody remembers what has already been captured.

The Journal has also received an important multiplayer upgrade. Evidence and Ghost Type selections made by other players are now visible to the entire team. That means less repeatedly asking teammates what evidence they found and less confusion when the group is trying to narrow down the ghost.

The old Keys section has also been replaced with a new category called “Items We’ve Found.” This section tracks keys, the Bone, and seasonal event collectibles.

Custom Difficulty has received another interesting change. Players can now select a Ghost Type when creating a Custom Difficulty. Selecting a specific Ghost Type automatically sets the difficulty multiplier to zero, meaning those custom games do not contribute toward progression such as achievements and leaflets.

The Evidence page has also become more helpful. Once players select a Ghost Type, the evidence required for that particular ghost is highlighted.

It is a collection of relatively small changes, but together they should make investigations feel much less like constantly checking menus and more like actually hunting ghosts.

More Buffs Worth Tracking: Phasmophobia isn’t the only game handing out a big round of quality-of-life fixes right now. For more, read our post on Elden Ring’s Patch 1.17 and its Tarnished Pack DLC, major buffs and PvP changes.

Dead Players Now Look Way More Dead

Kinetic Games has also made one particularly unsettling change to the player death experience.

According to the official update notes, “Dead players and dead player bodies will now look dead.”

That means characters who die during investigations now have a more visibly deceased appearance. The change is designed to make the difference between living and dead investigators much clearer during a contract.

It sounds simple, but in a game built around dark hallways, ghost hunts, and teammates suddenly disappearing, making dead bodies look properly dead is definitely going to add another layer of horror.

Voice chat has also changed when a player dies.

Previously, a player’s voice could remain active until the end of the death animation. Following the update, voice chat is now cut off as soon as the player dies during that animation.

The change may be small, but it makes the aftermath of a hunt feel far more final. One second your teammate is screaming over the radio, and the next… silence.

That is Phasmophobia.

More Story Mysteries: If unsettling silence and unanswered questions are your thing, there’s a bigger one brewing elsewhere. For more, read our story on the leak that could reveal what Tommy and Jesse were really doing in Seattle in The Last of Us Season 3.

VR Players Are Getting a More Responsive Ghost-Hunting Experience

VR is another major focus of Quality of Life Part 2.

Kinetic Games has improved the VR character rig to provide “more accurate and responsive movement.” Players using Text Voice Recognition Mode can also interact with the Spirit Box without needing to physically grab it.

The update addresses several VR issues involving doors, hand animations, reticles, tripods, player movement, and multiplayer interactions.

Among the fixes is an issue that made opening doors more difficult than intended. Incorrect VR reticles when interacting with doors have also been fixed, along with broken hand animations that could occur when grabbing tent doors.

Kinetic Games has also addressed an issue where other players could experience lag when someone was holding a tripod.

Another fix targets a problem where players could be pushed by doors opened by ghosts. Teleport locomotion also had an issue that prevented players from using it while holding a walkie-talkie, and that problem has now been addressed.

There are still some known VR issues listed by Kinetic Games.

Head Gear can fall off when another player closes a door on the person wearing it. Character profile pictures can also appear blank when joining a lobby. Players using Immersive Animations may also see distorted ragdolls after dying.

So VR has received some meaningful improvements, though a few supernatural-looking bugs are still hanging around.

More Open-World Upgrades: Improved movement and interaction systems aren’t unique to horror titles either. For more, dive into our piece on what playing in GTA 6’s Leonida actually feels like, from police chases to unexpected chaos.

Ghosts, Equipment and Multiplayer All Get a Major Round of Fixes

Quality of Life Part 2 is not only about the headline features. The update also includes a substantial number of fixes across ghosts, multiplayer, equipment, environments, locations, and player characters.

Kinetic Games has made network-stability improvements designed to reduce disconnects.

The studio has also fixed an issue involving the “Ghosts Misidentified” statistic. Previously, that stat could increase every time the Debriefing screen was opened, even when the ghost had actually been identified correctly.

Another multiplayer problem has also been fixed after preventing players from starting a game when the host left the lobby.

The update even includes a correction for the Oni.

An Oni’s singing event had been draining 10 percent when it was intended to drain 20 percent. That issue has now been corrected.

Several environmental problems have also been addressed. These include hiding spots remaining open despite the No Hiding Spots setting being enabled.

Kinetic Games also fixed delayed door-closing audio that could make players mistakenly believe they had encountered a Yurei.

Location-specific fixes cover a long list of maps, including:

• 13 Willow Street
• Sunny Meadows
• Prison
• Point Hope
• Bleasdale Farmhouse
• Camp Woodwind
• Maple Lodge Campsite
• Other locations

Equipment has received fixes across a wide range of items, including:

• Photo Cameras
• Video Cameras
• Motion Sensors
• Music Box
• EMF Readers
• Sound Recorders
• D.O.T.S Projectors
• Firelights
• Flashlights
• Tripods
• Tarot Cards
• Igniters

The player-character side of Phasmophobia has also received fixes involving visual stuttering, hand positioning, crouching animations, cosmetics, character animations, Voice Recognition, the Ouija Board, the Spirit Box, and interactions involving dead or revived players.

In other words, this patch is doing a lot of behind-the-scenes cleanup even in areas that are not getting flashy new features.

More Relationship Drama: Not every fix this week is about bugs and equipment lists. For more, read our story on how GTA 6 lets Jason and Lucia’s relationship shift the narrative without a full romance path.

Quality of Life Part 2 Is Part of Phasmophobia’s Bigger Cleanup Push

The timing of this update is particularly important for Phasmophobia.

Kinetic Games has spent much of 2026 responding to player feedback and addressing technical problems connected to the game’s major Player Character Update.

The studio previously apologised to players over issues with that update, acknowledging that it “missed the mark” and “didn’t deliver on our promises to you.”

In later patches and hotfixes, Kinetic Games said it had been working through community feedback to provide “a much better experience for everyone playing Phasmophobia.”

Quality of Life Part 2 fits directly into that larger effort.

Rather than adding one massive new gameplay system, the update focuses on improving the experience players already have. Investigations are becoming smoother, multiplayer communication is getting easier, VR is receiving more attention, larger maps now have quicker alternatives, and a huge number of smaller problems have been addressed.

For ghost hunters, that means more convenient ways to play some of Phasmophobia’s biggest locations, a less cumbersome evidence system, improved VR movement, better multiplayer functionality, and a few extra horror touches that make dying feel just a little more disturbing.

Version 0.19.0.0 is now live, and Kinetic Games is continuing development on Phasmophobia as the studio works toward the game’s eventual 1.0 release.

More Hardware Headaches: Bigger releases are facing their own behind-the-scenes struggles too. For more, read our post on why Sony’s PS6 release date keeps slipping amid rising memory costs and shifting plans.

Disclaimer

This article is based on Kinetic Games’ official v0.19.0.0 patch notes and the supplied Eurogamer report. Features and known issues mentioned above reflect the information available at the time of publication.

Sources

• Kinetic Games — Phasmophobia v0.19.0.0: Quality of Life Part 2
• Kinetic Games — Official News
• Kinetic Games — Phasmophobia
• Eurogamer — Phasmophobia’s second Quality of Life update

Featured Image Credit: Kinetic Games