Phasmophobia V0.174 -

. The ghost’s ability to track electronics has been tuned, meaning that leaving your flashlight on while hiding is now a near-guaranteed death sentence. This reinforces the "quiet and dark" gameplay loop that made the game a hit during its initial launch. What’s Next?

: Fixed issues where VR players were unable to grab objects on the ground or while they were dead.

: Prior to this update, the Crucifix lacked clear usage limits. Update v0.174 capped the Cruifix at a maximum of 2 uses , forcing players to carefully plan its placement in the ghost room rather than relying on it indefinitely.

Before v0.174 and its sister hotfixes, the community strategy focused heavily on exploiting safe zones. Investigators could easily maximize their financial payouts on Professional difficulty with minimal risk.

, such as allowing them to properly grab objects on the ground and preventing them from interacting with items after "death". A fix for a bug where dead players Phasmophobia v0.174

: Smudge Sticks were changed so they no longer immediately end a ghost's hunting phase. Instead, they now provide a delayed use that stops the ghost from targeting a player for a short duration, effectively creating a window to hide.

For players looking to revisit this era, the community frequently uses the Steam Console Depot Downloader with specific manifest IDs to download legacy versions like v0.174. This allows them to experience the raw, unpredictable terror of early 2020 ghost hunting before the implementation of modern tiers and reworks.

: Resolved several spots in the Asylum where ghosts frequently got stuck, making hunts more consistent.

Suddenly, the lights flickered. The front door slammed shut with a finality that made my heart race. There was no sprinting then—just a slightly faster walk as I held my breath. I dove behind a closet door, pressing myself into the corner. In v0.174, doors were your only sanctuary, a thin wooden shield against the unknown. What’s Next

, historically launched on September 28, 2020, as Post Launch Update #2 , remains one of the most critical milestone patches in the history of Kinetic Games' breakout horror title . While the modern game features advanced mechanics like multi-tiered equipment and custom-built training warehouses, version v0.174 is celebrated by fans as the patch that defined "Classic Phasmo." This update laid the groundwork for modern ghost hunting by shifting the meta from an easy cash-grab simulator to a tense, strategic psychological horror game. Today, the nostalgic impact of this build is so strong that fans still maintain community projects like the Phasmophobia Legacy v0.174 project to preserve its terrifying, stripped-down atmosphere. The Core Balance Shifts of v0.174

Patch v0.174 was a bug-fixing tour de force, addressing a long list of issues that had plagued the game since its release.

The update introduced several important gameplay tweaks. A new visual effect made the game more atmospheric, while significant changes altered the balance of player tools. Here's a breakdown of the core changes:

—formally designated as Post Launch Update #2 —stands as one of the most historically significant balancing patches in the early life cycle of Kinetic Games' hit psychological horror title. Released on September 28, 2020 , this specific update completely reshaped the early meta of the game. It fundamentally changed how players survived hunts, utilized equipment, and earned in-game cash. Update v0

Phasmophobia v0.174: Deciphering the Early Access Hunt Phasmophobia revolutionized the cooperative horror genre upon its initial release in 2020. As an indie title developed by Kinetic Games, its early lifecycle was defined by rapid, iterative updates. Patch v0.174 stands out as a critical stepping stone during this formative Early Access period. This update focused heavily on stabilizing the core gameplay loop, refining ghost behaviors, and fixing breaking bugs. Understanding this version provides valuable insight into how Phasmophobia evolved from an overnight viral sensation into a polished horror staple. The Context of the v0.174 Update

: Players with low sanity began to experience hallucinations , specifically seeing lights flicker that were not visible to higher-sanity teammates. Economic and Audio Adjustments

Looking at the game's long-term plans, Kinetic Games has discussed a massive "Horror 2.0" update intended to overhaul ghost and game mechanics, with some development roadmaps from 2021 and beyond indicating it was a planned feature. While not present in v0.174 itself, this update serves as a testament to how Kinetic Games built their framework around the core concepts being tweaked and balanced in patches like this one. The community has since speculated about its release, with some sources in 2025 indicating it could arrive in 2026 as part of the game's official 1.0 release.

: To make individual player sanity more terrifying, v0.174 introduced a feature where lights flicker exclusively for players with low sanity . If your sanity is draining, you see the environment warping, while your teammates remain completely in the dark. Map Adjustments: Enhancing Large-Scale Maps

Addressed issues where VR players couldn't pick up items from the floor or could incorrectly interact with objects after dying.

: The update included a significant rewrite of server and voice server code to address frequent client timeouts and voice disconnects .