The indie ghost hunting simulation gamePhasmophobiabroke onto the scene just in time for Halloween, and its developer Kinetic Games has capitalized on this timing with therelease ofPhasmophobia’s third major post-launch update. A majority of the update focuses on fixing bugs and adjusting balance throughout the game, but there is also new content - apparently including a reference toBreaking Bad.
One might expect references to series like Syfy’sGhost Huntersor Travel Channel’sGhost Adventuresgiven that programming inspired the visual language ofPhasmophobia’s gameplay loop, in which players work together to gather paranormal evidence with devices like electric and magnetic fields (EMF) meters. However, Kinetic Games has instead teased that a potential new ghost name will be “the one that knocks.”
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For those who are not in the know, given AMC’sBreaking Badwent off the air in 2013, this is a reference toBryan Cranston’s infamous line from Season 4 of the hit dramain which his character Walter White tells his wife that he is not in danger; rather he is the one who creates danger for others. In a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly’s Jess Cagle, Cranston said this was the moment audiences would fully recognize the character’s “transformation” into his drug lord alter-ego, Heisenberg.
The reference likely won’t go deeper than lifting a name fromBreaking Bad, based on what Kinetic Games said on Twitter. While AMC does have a history of crossing over its shows with video games, such asThe Walking Deadcharacters appearing inBrawlhalla, it does not seem like this has occurred in any official capacity. If anything, it’s just the developers showing their appreciation for a popular show.
That being said, it’s hard to imagine that Kinetic Games could not get an official brand deal if they wanted to.Phasmophobiahas been a breakout success for the studio thanks to its large presence on Twitch, even outsellingBaldur’s Gate 3,The Outer Worlds, andCyberpunk 2077pre-orders on Steam.
Other simple, community-focused games like Mediatonic’sFall Guysand InnerSloth’sAmong Ushave seen similar success thanks to streaming websites like Twitch. With regards to the prior,Fall Guysrecently announced a crossover withGodzilla, building on previous connections to games like Valve’sHalf-Lifeand Sega’sSonic the Hedgehog. It seems entirely possible thatPhasmophobiacould go in a similar direction going forward, and feature ghosts based on characters beyond Walter White.
