Bust out your PKE meters, folks—because today’s update is packed with more ghostbusting goodness than ever! If you’ve been playing Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, then you’re in for a real treat with this massive fourth update, the Ecto Edition. After a year of hard work, the devs at IllFonic are finally rolling out this major free update, and it’s a game-changer across the board.
Whether you’re a seasoned buster or just getting started, this update brings improvements to gameplay, menus, and features that make every ghost chase more fun and accessible. We’re talking about smoother mechanics, new content, and plenty of ghostly surprises—like the terrifying new Overlord ghost type and two brand-new spooky maps. Plus, Spirits Unleashed is now available on the Nintendo Switch and Steam, so no matter where you are, you can bust some ghosts with friends.
There’s so much more to dive into—new narrative expansions, gear loadouts, and even Halloween masks—but trust us, this update is worth the wait. Ready to start your next ghostbusting adventure? Check out all the new features and updates below!
Today is an exciting day, we here at IllFonic have been hard at work this past year building up to this release, and it’s finally arrived! This fourth major free update is exciting for so many reasons, and we wanted to really take the time to detail everything involved in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed – Ecto Edition. While the patch notes below will list everything, here are a few things I am most excited for and wanted to share more info about specifically:
We have been playing and working with multiple departments to attack and improve countless features, menus, and gameplay elements across the game. This update allowed us to focus on improving the things that would help out the player experience regardless of skill level. We have been doing this each update drop, but we spent extra time hammering out as many improvements as possible so players can understand and enjoy this ghostbusting experience every step of the way on every platform. Some stuff is noticeable, some stuff is subtle, but when it comes down to it, everything you do in the game should feel better.
We really hope you enjoy this launch/update, it was the product of an extremely dedicated dev team focusing on bringing Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed to an entirely new level. Ever since launching the game a year ago, we have constantly pushed to continue adding and fixing everything possible in order to make this game the best ghostbusting experience out there! I am excited to play more in live and listen to feedback that rolls in across our community pages. As always, thanks for playing and enjoy busting Ghosts!
Lead Designer,
Jordan Mathewson
Now Available
Nintendo Switch
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is now available on the Nintendo Switch! With fully supported crossplay, now you can bust ghosts with your friends just about anywhere! Bringing this game to a handheld device really gave us the opportunity to re-evaluate and improve our games functionality, performance, UX, and UI elements.
The Engineers and Artists spent countless hours optimizing and improving everything possible to create a worthy product for such a dedicated fanbase. These improvements additionally help and improve the experience for all existing platforms considerably!
Nintendo Switch: Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed – Ecto Edition
Now Available
Steam
Speaking of crossplay, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is now available on Steam and verified on the Steam Deck!
For more info, check out the Steam page here:
Steam: Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed – Ecto Edition
New Map
Petey’s Pirate Cove
‘For libations and fun, don’t walk, but run, to Petey’s Pirate Cove!’
Scallywags and buccaneers alike will find games galore, grog by the gallon, and more ghostly apparitions than a sunken shipwreck. Shiver me timbers, indeed!
New Map
Galway Station
Subway patrons report sightings of ghostly old-timey train cars, and encounters with tormented apparitions in the underground, particularly around Galway Station.
New Ghost Type
Overlord
The Overlord is the latest playable Ghost Type and comes with 3 variants.
- Samhain
- Darklock
- Gravebringer
The Overlord Ghost type was extremely enjoyable to build, because we wanted to build a ghost that retained the iconic elements of Samhain, while also allowing for it to be used in a matchmaking environment, as well as create a fun boss fight for the narrative expansion. This led us to crafting a very different and unique Ghost that changes many aspects of the experience.
New Narrative Expansion
We’ve added new acts to the story, which include more incredible narrative cinematics that our team has been working on for quite some time. Dan Akyrod, Ernie Hudson, and crew recorded all new VO for this story expansion and gave continued show stopping performances! We also welcomed Ryan Colt Levy to voice Samhain, the new evil that lurks…In addition to the new Acts, there is also a special Boss Fight that you can conquer with friends once you reach a certain point in the story.
New Tenure Level
Tenure 5
Tenure once again has an additional level now available!
In order to unlock the Molecular Destabilization suit, you’ll have to prove your skill and experience in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed by leveling up and raising your Tenure level!
New Cosmetics
Halloween Masks
Halloween masks are back this year and this time we’ve got 4 new masks to really spice up the festivities!
These masks are only available until November 16th, so make sure to get your costume pictures taken before then!
Cardboard Gear Shells
We’ve got a whole new set of Gear Shells available for your equipment. Perfect for Busters with a limited budget!
New Collectibles
Tobin Pages
Ghosts now have their very own collectibles to search for when haunting the various maps.
Tobin Pages will only appear for Ghosts and can be collected to access some all-new audio logs.
New Feature
Ghost Bounties
To give players more ways to enjoy Ghostbusting, we’ve added Ghost Bounties.
These are randomized ghost bots that you can tackle by yourself or with a group of friends to really challenge yourself and earn some XP. It also allows new players the opportunity to learn the ropes with different levels of ghost difficulty. Team up with friends to try and take on some of the most dangerous ghosts and modifiers for a nice bonus
New Feature
Character and Gear Loadouts
Added fully customizable Buster Characters
- Players can select, play as, and customize any of the 4 Character slots at the Buster Customization lockers.
- These Characters will be used as AI bots when playing a match with missing human party members, letting players form the AI bot dream team of their choosing.
- These Characters are for Buster cosmetic use only and allow players to swap to any 1 of them.
- Characters 2, 3, and 4 can be found doing various activities throughout the Firehouse.
Added fully customizable equipment Loadouts
- Players can select and assign loadouts to themselves and their AI Character companions at the Gear Customization desks
- You can build a kit featuring of various gear upgrades, gadgets, and tints that can be assigned to whichever of the 4 Loadouts they have selected for quickly swapping equipment
- Multiple AI Characters can be assigned the same Loadout.
- AI Characters can have their loadouts unassigned, allowing the AI bot Character to use randomized gear upgrades and gadgets when entering jobs
You can now save your loadouts and assign them to your friendly bots, whom you can now find hanging out around the firehouse! These loadouts are separate, so you can customize appearance and gear loadouts separately, mixing and matching.
This has always been high on our list to get in, and we feel it has been worth the wait. So enjoy kitting out your team to bust ghosts in style!
New Feature
Offline Progression
With the release of Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed on two additional platforms, we wanted to allow the ability to play on the go and retain your progression.
With this update we’ve added the ability to progress in offline mode, which will then sync with your account when you get back online. This will allow you to play ghostbusters and progress regardless of your internet connection! This is something that all platforms will utilize and have access to.
Changes and Improvements
General
- Added Tether Magnetism Aim Assist, Trap Assist, Trap Aim Assist, and Jump Scare Magnetism accessibility toggles in the Settings>Accessibility menu
- Added tutorial popups to various menus in the Firehouse to further explain their utility upon opening them for the first time
- Various AI improvements to Busters and Ghosts
- Fixed several map locations that were causing Busters and Ghosts to become stuck
- Fixed several map locations that were displaying objects and meshes incorrectly
- Fixed several possessable objects that were not taking damage or being destroyed properly
- Made several improvements to Ghost Portals and Fear accumulation to improve gameplay consistency
- Fixed an issue where certain minions would not react (visually) when taking damage
- Fixed several menus that contained incorrect text
Busters
- Busters are now granted EXP when damaging and assisting in capturing Drudges
- Reduced time to tether when tethering Drudges
- Fixed an issue where the Ghost Trap would sometimes become unusable when attempting to capture a Drudge while also destroying the Drudge
- Fixed an issue where the Disruptor pylon would continue to work even after the battery is depleted
- Fixed an issue where the R.T.V Trap would behave erratically when in range of Peeky’s Lookout ability
Gear and Gadgets balance changes
Disruptor Pylon
- Disruptor Pylon now disrupts Phase Portals, preventing the Ghost from using the portals while the Pylon is active
- Increased max charges to 4 (from 3)
Detection Amplifier attachment
- Reduced Ghost Detection
- Increased Rift Detection
- Reduced Pulse Range
Pulse Booster Bypass attachment
- Removed Movement Speed modifier
Ghosts
After adding the drudges, we feel we finally reached a good baseline balance for the Ghost experience. This allowed us to review a lot of community feedback and data to hand out some changes (mostly buffs) to some of the Ghosts we felt needed adjustments. Read below for more details, but ultimately try everything out in game and send feedback our way!
We still have things in mind but want to reevaluate after this update to see the changes in action. Always, a huge thank you to our community for providing passionate feedback on gameplay, it’s very helpful when balancing asymmetrical multiplayer games like this.
General
- Fixed an issue where certain Ghost projectile abilities would not cause consistent damage depending on the location
- Reduced the speed and health of several possessable objects
- Fixed an issue where Ectovision couldn’t be activated while tethered
- Fixed an issue where Ectovision could be activated while possessing a human
Ghouly
General
- Reduced Fear Inferno windup time and cooldown
- Reduced Fear Inferno damage
Drake
- Reduced cost over time during the Possess Human ability
- Increased Civilian fear during the Possess Human ability
Infernal
- Increased Darkness Orb damage, radius, and health
Wraith
- Reduced Nightmare Pulse cooldown
Basher
General
- Reduced Fist Slam’s windup time
- Reduced Fist Slam’s cooldown
Squidler
- Reduced Hurl Object cooldown
- Made adjustments to the Hurl Object aiming system
Gloom
- Increased Spectral Barrage damage, rate of fire, projectiles, and radius
Howler
General
- Reduced Sonic Pulse windup time
Bramble
- Increased Floating Seeker projectile speed
Poltergeist
General
- Reduced Overcharge windup time
Toxie
- Slightly increased fear and damage for each Shock Pillar pulse
- Reduced Shock Pillar cooldown
Glutton
General
- Glutton’s variants ultimate abilities now deal damage to Buster traps and gadgets
- Increased possessable consumption rate
- Consume ability now replenishes P.K.E
- Adjusted ultimate ability costs, damage, and cooldown to account for the new Glutton changes
Possessor
General
- Reduced Terrorising Possession activation cost and cost over time
- Reduced Terrorising Possession (Buster) stun duration
- Increased Terrorising Possession (Buster) damage
Terror Sentinel
- Trap Claws will now be destroyed starting from the oldest placed trap when going over the limit of Trap Claws
- Increased Trap Claws radius
- Reduced Trap Claws arming time
- Reduced Trap Claws damage
- Reduced Trap Claws movement speed penalty
Hellion
- Increased Charging Chaos cost
- Reduced Charging Chaos cooldown
- Reduced Charging Chaos stun duration
Scuttle
- Increased Malevolent Vortex damage and radius
- Reduced Malevolent Vortex activation delay
Watcher
General
- Fixed an issue with the Watcher’s default tint selection
- Overall increase in Watcher’s stats
Bugeye
- Reduced Optical Flail cooldown
- Reduced Optical Flail cost over time
- Increased Optical Flail damage and range