Phasmophobia Devs Say Fans Want to Keep a Weird Bug

Many Phasmophobia fans want the game to keep its “bendy backs” animations, studio Kinetic Games has revealed. And while this sentiment has so far discouraged the Phasmophobia developer from addressing this weird bug, that might not be the case for much longer.

Originally released as a PC exclusive in September 2020, Phasmophobia quickly established itself as one of the most thrilling co-op horror games on the market. But as tends to be the case with early access titles, its initial version was a bit rough around the edges. Among other things, its jankiness manifested itself in the form of a bug that caused players’ character models to contort and twist their backs into unusual shapes.

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And while such lack of polish can often be seen as detrimental to the overall gameplay experience, the “bendy backs” bug is something that Phasmophobia fans grew to love, not least because of its tendency to produce absolutely hilarious results. Kinetic Games Senior Developer Ben Lavender confirmed as much in a recent interview with VideoGamer, acknowledging that certain glitches like bendy backs became an inherent part of the game’s identity.

Phasmophobia Developer Has Been Reluctant To Fix the ‘Bendy Backs’ Glitch

Kinetic has thus so far been reluctant to fix this Phasmophobia bug. This is in spite of the fact that it knows exactly how to do so, having previously figured out that the issue stems from the game tying character models’ body movements to camera motions. This is something that Daniel Knight, Phasmophobia‘s original solo developer, decided to do in a bid to avoid having clues show up for two players simultaneously.

Phasmophobia’s ‘Bendy Backs’ Bug Is Still Planned To Be Addressed Eventually

Nevertheless, Kinetic does intend to eventually get around to addressing this bug. On that note, Lavender suggested that bendy backs will be eliminated as part of Phasmophobia‘s character model and customization overhaul. While the British studio still hasn’t committed to a firm release window for this patch, Lavender said that the update is planned to roll out “in the near future.”

In the meantime, Phasmophobia has just made its way to consoles, debuting on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 29. Its console release also prompted a permanent price hike, with the game now retailing for $19.99 rather than $13.99 across all platforms. Even so, Steam users are currently able to grab it at a 25% discount thanks to a Halloween sale that’s planned to run until Monday, November 4. Phasmophobia is also expected to finally leave early access sometime in 2025.

Phasmophobia is a 4-player, online co-op, psychological horror game. You and your team of paranormal investigators will enter haunted locations filled with paranormal activity and try to gather as much evidence as you can. Use your ghost-hunting equipment to find and record evidence to sell on to a ghost removal team.

Immersive Experience: Realistic graphics and sounds as well as a minimal user interface ensure a totally immersive experience that will keep you on your toes.

Unique Ghosts: Identify over 20 different ghost types, each with unique traits, personalities, and abilities to make each investigation feel different from the last.

Equipment: Use well-known ghost-hunting equipment such as EMF Readers, Spirit Boxes, Thermometers, and Night Vision Cameras to find clues and gather as much paranormal evidence as you can. Find Cursed Possessions that grant information or abilities in exchange for your sanity.

Full Voice Recognition: The Ghosts are listening! Use your actual voice to interact with the Ghosts through Ouija Boards and EVP Sessions using a Spirit Box.

Locations: Choose from over 10 different haunted locations, each with unique twists, hiding spots, and layouts.

Game Modes: With 5 default difficulties and hand crafted weekly challenges, there are plenty of ways to test your skills.

Teamwork: Dive in head first, get your hands dirty searching for evidence while fighting for your life. If you’re not feeling up to the task, play it safe and support your team from the truck by monitoring the investigation with CCTV and motion sensors.

Custom Difficulty: Create your own games to tailor the difficulty to your or your group’s needs, with proportional rewards and come up with crazy game modes of your own!

Co-operate: Play alongside your friends with up to 4 players in this co-op horror where teamwork is key to your success.

Play together: Phasmophobia supports all players together, play with your friends with any combination of input types.

Developer(s)

Kinetic Games

Publisher(s)

Kinetic Games

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op

Engine

Unity

How Long To Beat

36.5 hours (solo) / 28 hours (co-op) / 33 hours (vs.)

How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)

T For Teen // Blood, Use of Drugs, Violence

Steam Deck Compatibility

Verified

Supported VR Headsets

PlayStation VR 2 Headset

Number of Players

4

Early Access Release

September 18, 2020

PC Release Date

September 18, 2020

PS5 Release Date

October 29, 2024

Xbox Series X|S Release Date

October 29, 2024

PSVR2 Release Date

October 29, 2024

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