Phasmophobia hits 30 million sales as Crimson Eye returns, and Steam is already calling it another grindfest

Phasmophobia has sold more than 30 million copies across PC and console since entering Early Access in 2020. Developer Kinetic Games announced the milestone on October 8, alongside the return of its annual Crimson Eye Halloween event, which runs until November 1.

A game still in Early Access

That number is absurd for a game that is still technically unfinished. CEO Daniel Knight started Phasmophobia alone at his parents' house. "My initial goal was to sell 1000 units in the first year," he said. "It's hard to believe we're celebrating 30 million".

Crimson Eye brings blood moon weather to a rotating set of maps each day. Ghosts move 15% faster, sanity drains twice as quickly, and events occur more frequently, but payouts are higher. The event maps are Tanglewood Drive, Camp Woodwind, Grafton Farmhouse, Bleasdale Farmhouse, Point Hope, Edgefield Road, Nell's Diner, and Willow Street.

Community goals unlock the Beholder ID Card and Badge, plus the Blood Moon Trophy. Personal goals unlock the Blood Moon Charm, a seasonal T-shirt, and upgrades to the Crimson Eye trophy. Twitch drops run through October 15, double XP runs from October 15 to 22, and Ghost Hunts 4 Hearts returns for the final week to support the American Heart Association. Last year's charity effort raised over $100,000.

A numbered release is on its way

The 1.0 release is now slated for the second half of 2027. Kinetic Games delayed it from 2026 to prioritize quality over speed, following a rocky reception to the Player Character Update. The studio apologized for that update, admitting it "missed the mark" and "didn't deliver on our promises". Sneak peeks of 1.0 development, including overhauls to ghost design and gameplay, will start next year. Phasmophobia is available on Steam, PS5, PS VR2, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch 2 version confirmed but undated.

Not everyone is celebrating. Steam community threads for the event are filled with frustration. One user wrote, "Seasonal events replaced with grindfests and lazy reskins." Another said, "Yawn, another boring event with a boring set of rewards." A third added, "It's like the devs didn't listen to the players when we said we hated this seasonal grindfest". The sentiment is not unanimous, but it is loud. The official Phasmophobia X account celebrated the milestone, noting the team is now 48 people and growing. That growth adds to the tension. A solo project that became a global phenomenon now has to satisfy a player base with wildly different expectations.

Kinetic Games also launched a publishing arm, Kinetic Publishing, earlier this year. Its first game, Contact Protocol, is due in Spring 2027. Whether that expansion helps or hurts the game that made it all possible is an open question. For now, 30 million sales and a Halloween event are a pretty good answer.

Rahim Amir Noorali - Tech Writer - 1163 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025

I am a UAE-based tech writer who likes to build and benchmark PCs both professionally and as a hobby. I contribute to multiple tech publications, including TechRadar and Notebookcheck, as well as Game Rant, where I focus primarily on news, commerce, and buying guides. When I'm not scouring the internet for the latest in tech stories, you will find me playing a game of Civilization or DotA with friends and frenemies alike while dropping recommendations for Apple TV+'s Foundation to everyone I come across.