Key Takeaways
- The Phasmophobia community has raised more than $230,000 for the American Heart Association through the Ghost Hunts for Hearts charity event.
- More than 500 streamers participated, marking the biggest creator fundraising campaign in Heart Liive’s history.
- The 2026 fundraiser ran from October 26 to November 2, more than doubling the $100,000+ raised last year.
- Players who log into Phasmophobia before November 15 can claim the animated AHA Advocate ID Card and Badge.
- Kinetic Games originally set a $200,000 fundraising target, which the community successfully surpassed.
The Phasmophobia community has once again demonstrated that gaming can make a difference beyond entertainment. Kinetic Games has confirmed that its annual Ghost Hunts for Hearts charity event raised more than $230,000 for the American Heart Association, more than doubling the amount collected during last year’s campaign.
The fundraising event ran from October 26 to November 2, 2026, bringing together more than 500 streamers who played Phasmophobia while encouraging their viewers to contribute to the cause. According to Kinetic Games, this was the largest turnout ever recorded for a creator fundraising campaign organized through Heart Liive, the American Heart Association’s streaming initiative.
The final fundraising figure was announced on November 6, following a successful week that saw the community comfortably surpass its original $200,000 target. For a game built around investigating haunted locations and hunting down supernatural threats, its players managed to accomplish something considerably more heartwarming.
Phasmophobia Players Raise More Than $230,000 for the American Heart Association
Ghost Hunts for Hearts returned in 2026 after the success of its previous edition, which raised more than $100,000 for the American Heart Association. Kinetic Games wanted to make this year’s event even bigger, inviting streamers and players from across the Phasmophobia community to get involved.
The developer set a fundraising target of $200,000 when the event began on October 26. By the time the campaign concluded on November 2, donations had passed that milestone, eventually reaching more than $230,000.
The result is especially impressive considering the number of creators who participated. More than 500 streamers signed up for the campaign, making it the biggest creator fundraising event Heart Liive has organized so far.
Heart Liive is an initiative from the American Heart Association that works with content creators and their audiences to raise money and awareness for the organization’s mission. Rather than relying exclusively on traditional fundraising methods, the initiative uses livestreaming communities to encourage participation and donations.
Kinetic Games’ lead social media and player experience manager, Tom Dent, praised the community for its contribution, saying:
“The Phasmophobia community never fails to amaze us, and this year they’ve outdone themselves. Thank you to every streamer, viewer and player who took part.”
The achievement also highlights how much support Phasmophobia has built since entering Early Access. What started as a smaller cooperative horror experience has grown into a popular multiplayer title with a large streaming community, and Ghost Hunts for Hearts shows how that audience can come together outside the game itself.
Players interested in the campaign can find more information through the American Heart Association’s official Heart Liive initiative.
Ghost Hunts for Hearts Offered Exclusive Phasmophobia Twitch Drops
One of the interesting parts of this year’s campaign was how Kinetic Games incorporated the fundraiser directly into Phasmophobia. Instead of simply asking players to donate, the developer introduced exclusive in-game rewards that gave viewers another reason to support participating streamers.
Fundraising streamers could distribute an event-exclusive Advocate ID Card and Badge to their viewers through Phasmophobia Twitch Drops. This meant players watching participating broadcasts had an opportunity to receive cosmetic rewards while supporting a charitable campaign.
However, the biggest reward was reserved for the entire community. Kinetic Games had promised that reaching its fundraising target would unlock an animated version of the Advocate ID Card and Badge set for everyone playing Phasmophobia.
Once donations passed the $200,000 milestone, the animated rewards were unlocked for all players. This turned the community’s fundraising achievement into something everyone could celebrate, including players who never participated in the livestreams.
There is still an important deadline for anyone hoping to collect the rewards. Kinetic Games announced that players must log into Phasmophobia before November 15, 2026, to claim the animated AHA Advocate ID Card and Badge.
That makes this a good opportunity for existing players to jump back into the game, even if they missed the actual fundraising event. The campaign itself has ended, but its community-wide reward provides another reason to launch Phasmophobia before the deadline.
Phasmophobia Community More Than Doubles Its 2025 Fundraising Total
Another impressive aspect of Ghost Hunts for Hearts is how much the campaign has grown compared to last year. The 2025 event raised just over $100,000 for the American Heart Association, already making it a successful fundraiser for Kinetic Games and the Phasmophobia community.
This year’s total of more than $230,000 represents a major improvement, with the community raising more than twice the previous amount. The increase also came alongside a record number of participating creators, showing that the campaign’s reach continues to expand.
The involvement of more than 500 streamers is particularly noteworthy. Livestream fundraising depends heavily on creators encouraging their audiences to participate, and the large turnout helped bring the campaign to viewers who might not otherwise have encountered it.
It also demonstrates the value of gaming communities when developers give their audiences a shared reason to participate. Phasmophobia players were not simply competing to identify ghosts or completing difficult investigations this time. They were helping raise money for an organization focused on heart health.
For Kinetic Games, the results provide another successful example of its community coming together for something beyond regular gameplay. The developer has already thanked every streamer, viewer, and player who contributed to the campaign.
What Is Phasmophobia?
For anyone unfamiliar with the game, Phasmophobia is a cooperative paranormal investigation horror experience developed by Kinetic Games. It first entered Steam Early Access in September 2020 and quickly became a popular choice among players who enjoy playing horror games with friends.
The game supports teams of up to four players, who take on the roles of paranormal investigators sent into haunted locations to identify the supernatural entities lurking inside.
Players must use specialized equipment to gather evidence and determine which type of ghost is haunting a location. Items such as EMF Readers, Spirit Boxes, thermometers, and video cameras help investigators narrow down the possibilities, although completing an investigation is rarely as straightforward as it sounds.
Ghosts can become increasingly aggressive as investigations progress, turning an ordinary investigation into a desperate attempt to escape before the entire team gets wiped out. This mixture of cooperation, unpredictable encounters, and terrifying moments has helped Phasmophobia become a regular feature in horror gaming livestreams.
That streaming popularity also makes it a natural fit for a fundraising campaign like Ghost Hunts for Hearts. Viewers can watch their favorite creators tackle haunted locations while contributing to a cause that extends beyond the game.
Phasmophobia’s 1.0 Release Has Been Pushed to 2027
While the charity success provides some positive news for the Phasmophobia community, Kinetic Games still has plenty of work ahead as it continues developing the full version of the horror game.
The studio previously confirmed that Phasmophobia’s 1.0 release would no longer arrive in 2026. Instead, the developer moved the full launch into the second half of 2027, explaining that it wanted additional time to improve the game’s quality, stability, and overall experience.
Kinetic Games also acknowledged that the earlier Player Character Update did not meet its own standards or the expectations of players. The studio subsequently outlined a revised development roadmap focused on quality-of-life improvements, technical upgrades, and more transparent communication with the community.
The latest development plans point toward a late 2027 launch for version 1.0. The Nintendo Switch 2 edition is also planned to arrive alongside the full release, meaning console players interested in the portable platform will have to wait a little longer.
In the meantime, the developers are continuing to introduce updates and improvements to the existing Early Access version. The upcoming Resonance update is another important step in that process, bringing the Unity 6 transition, performance improvements, new equipment, and additional gameplay features.
Players can follow the studio’s progress through the official Phasmophobia development roadmap for further information about the full release and upcoming content.
Phasmophobia’s Charity Success Gives Its Community Another Reason to Celebrate
Phasmophobia has had a few difficult moments during its Early Access journey, particularly following updates that did not meet player expectations. However, Ghost Hunts for Hearts offers a reminder that the game’s community remains capable of coming together for something positive.
Raising more than $230,000 for the American Heart Association is a major achievement, especially when compared to the previous year’s fundraising total. The participation of more than 500 streamers also shows how much support the campaign received from creators and their audiences.
With the animated Advocate ID Card and Badge available to all players who log in before November 15, the event also leaves the community with a small in-game reminder of what it accomplished together.
Ultimately, Ghost Hunts for Hearts is a good example of gaming communities using their influence for a meaningful cause. Kinetic Games deserves credit for organizing the event, but the biggest contribution came from the streamers, viewers, and players who helped turn a $200,000 target into a fundraiser worth more than $230,000.
