After our first few months of Early Access, we’ve done quite a bit of learning, thinking, and planning for the future, so we thought now would be a great opportunity to recap as well as to roll out more details on our upcoming roadmap! But first…a quick announcement:
👻MIDNIGHT GHOST HUNT IS CURRENTLY 30% OFF ON STEAM!👻
Now is the perfect time to snag a copy of our 4v4 ghostly prophunt game if you haven’t already!
THE SUMMER PATCH
Before we start looking further afield in regards to our roadmap, it’s important to mention that we have quite a juicy patch incoming! Hot off the heels of Patch 10 comes… THE SUMMER PATCH! Alright, maybe the naming convention could use some work, but this is somewhere between a patch and an update.
Full Changelog:
Added new in-match challenge system to get extra shard rewards. You are assigned optional challenges that may prompt you to try different methods of gameplay for some bonus ghost shards. These are a new system that is fairly experimental, let us know what you think!
New Hero Prop: Ghost in the TV on Museum, School, and Asylum. This new unique TV possessable prop contains an angry Ghost that will swipe out from the TV to score some melee damage! Comes complete with spooky sounds
New Hunter Skin: Birthday
New Hunter Skin: Jock
New Emote: Bully Dance
New Emote: Disco Dance
New Emote: Hyperventilate
New Emote: Satisfactory Clap
New Victory Pose: Bully Dance
New Victory Pose: Disco Dance
New Victory Pose: Hyperventilate
Radar no longer detects Corrupted props, but can still detect Poltergeist floating props, Death Grip, etc
Fixed potential issue causing slowdown if player has many replay files. This limits maximum replays to 20, so make sure to copy any replays you are very proud of
Fixed issue where clients in custom games could get achievement progress
THE ROADMAP
After a great deal of thinking and planning, we’ve put together a look at what we hope to accomplish in the remainder of the year!
Behold, the MGH Roadmap for the second half of 2022!
There’s lots of exciting stuff on here, but let’s start at the beginning! Quarter 3 is the period from the start of July until the end of September. This year, there’s a bit more to look forward to in Q3 than just two awesome months of summer and the start of the changing of the leaves, though. We’ve got big plans!
One of the biggest upcoming features, as you can see in the image above, is the addition of dedicated servers as an option. We’ve started the process of working on this, and hope to have it completed sometime in Q3! Alongside this, we are also working on host migration in P2P hosted sessions. This is a large undertaking from a technical perspective, but both of these features should result in much smoother gameplay and improved stability overall.
Q3 will also have a lot of new content, including a new map, more hero props, more cosmetics like skins, emotes, and victory poses, and of course an updated roadmap to keep you in the loop of future plans and to ensure our timelines are still on track with the realities of development. All things considered, Q3 is looking excellent!
Q4 (the period from October 1st-December 31st) will take us through peak spooky season in the fall, and right to the season of giving. And we’ll be giving all of you some tricks and treats between now and then to be sure! In Q4, we'll be looking to add additional content such as a new map, additional hero props, cosmetics, and... new gear and abilities! We've got some great ideas cooking up, so be sure to keep your eyes on our roadmap moving forward to stay in the loop of when those will drop!
THE EARLY ACCESS WISHLIST
Looking far out to the horizon, we see in the distance the end of Early Access. That’s a ways off, as there’s still a lot we’d like to accomplish while in Early Access. As you can see from the roadmap above, we want to add several new maps and map variations, lots of great props, new things to do in the game, loads of new cosmetics, gear, and abilities, and maybe even a new game mode that'll keep you having fun with MGH for a long time to come.
As this is still a ways off, we can’t say too much about it just yet, but we wanted to keep you all on the same page with our vision for what’s to come!
ONE FINAL NOTE
You might see things slow down a bit during July as far as new content/features are concerned. A lot of our lovely dev team is based in Sweden, and it is pretty common that around July/August, basically everyone in Sweden goes on vacation for a few weeks. So while we will still be fixing bugs and making changes, things will slow down for a few weeks while some of the team takes a well deserved break.
Thanks for your feedback and bug reports as always! If you haven't already, join us on our Discord!
See you on the hunt! - Team MGH
Early Access Patch 10
Hey all, another Friday, another patch ready to roll!
This patch contains some changes to the way Radar works, some damage changes, as well as the usual pass of bug fixes and environment polish across the maps!
Patch Notes
Radar gadget now detects other ghostly activity, such as Corrupted props, floating Poltergeist props, Death Grip traps, Trickster props, and Apparitions. This provides Ghosts with other counterplays to Radar-heavy Hunter teams besides moving/taunting to lower ectoplasm buildup
Ghosts with very low ectoplasm buildup will appear slightly less strong on Radar readings. Higher ectoplasm buildup is unchanged
We've been observing feedback and discussion around the effectiveness of Radar and how it can feel like there is not much counterplay besides lowering ectoplasm, which is very risky. This should open up some further counter play options while also fitting well into the "ghostly activity" detecting nature of the Radar archetype
Adjusted damage of large prop charge-up attack pre-Midnight
Before Midnight, Ghosts could previously do a one-shot technique that was difficult to react to. Fully charged large prop headshot (~95 damage) and a quick Ghost punch (19 damage). Pre-Midnight fully charged large prop headshot is now roughly 75 damage instead, removing the one shot combo. Medium/small props damage has only been slightly adjusted
NOTE: These previously mentioned balance changes are somewhat experimental in nature. The development team will be closely monitoring ongoing discussion to see how these changes end up working and adjust accordingly. Thank you!
Fixed major bug relating to charge-up/slingshot Ghost attack damage not applying if the Ghost was hit by a projectile in mid-air. Ghosts striking a projectile mid-air was incorrectly flagging the prop as having hit the ground instead
Sledgehammer first person animation has been overhauled to give more feedback to what has been struck. If a wall is struck, the hammer will bounce off. If a Ghost or prop has been struck, there is a more clear hit reaction in the animation. This should help make the weapon feel more visually clear and polished
Sledgehammer charge-up sound effect has been added
Various collision fixes and ongoing environment polish
Thanks for your feedback and bug reports as always! If you haven't already, join us on our Discord!
See you on the hunt! - Team MGH
Early Access Patch 9
Hey all, another Friday, another patch coming in hot!
This patch addresses some of the concerns around the new vote kick option, a movement change to sledgehammer, an experimental shuffle teams button for custom games, and general collision and bug fixes!
Patch Notes
Hunters can no longer sprint while charging up a Sledgehammer attack (We have heard the Sledgehammer balance feedback and would like to try this change to see how it feels)
After the match ends, the host is now able to kick directly again. During the match will require a vote to kick. This only applies to manually hosted matches, not matches created via quick play
For custom games only, added an option to shuffle teams in the server tools menu. This feature is experimental and may be adjusted over time
Adjustments and fixes to prop layout variations in Doll Factory
Thanks for your feedback and bug reports as always! If you haven't already, join us on our Discord!
See you on the hunt! - Team MGH
Early Access Patch 8
Hey all, today we have another patch ready for you!
This patch contains the addition of a vote kick system, adding practice rounds, and general collision and bug fixes!
Patch Notes
Added a new vote kick system to replace the current host kicking system. In a 8 player match, 5 votes would be required to vote kick a player. Vote kicks can be initiated in the tab menu or profile menu. After 1 minute without enough votes, the vote kick times out and a cooldown begins to prevent spam
Players can now start a quick practice round vs. bots from the main menu. Players lower than level 5 will see a practice round option next to quick play as a suggestion to practice before playing with live players. A bot practice round can also be started from the Tutorial tab
Fixed an issue where custom games would show clock times as being adjusted in a lobby even when they were not
Various collision fixes and polishing in Doll Factory
Thanks for your feedback and bug reports as always! If you haven't already, join us on our Discord!
See you on the hunt! - Team MGH
Early Access Patch 7
Hey everyone, we have our first patch after Update 1 ready for you today!
This patch contains some minor balance changes, some collision and visual polish, and more!
Patch Notes
Sledgehammer damage hitbox made slightly less wide to better match animations, reducing cleave capability slightly
Murder Doll prop attack velocity reduced slightly to balance against the built-in Shatterproof ability
Murder Doll now has a unique sneak animation (holding left control by default)
Fixed issue where drivable props would have difficulty aiming chargeup attack while moving
Added prop layout variations to Doll Factory
Doll Factory visual polish and collision fixes
Collision fixes on Asylum and Museum
Fixed a few props that would rotate 90 degrees upon possession
Improved animation skeleton/weights on Pioneer skin
Some localization fixes
Thanks for all of the support, as well as your feedback and bug reports! If you haven't already, join us on our Discord!
Thanks again and see you on the hunt! - Team MGH
UPDATE 1 IS HERE!
Hey Ghosts and Hunters,
We hope you’ve been enjoying the Midnight Ghost Hunt Early Access thus far. We promised we’d be cooking up some exciting new stuff during EA, and now our first major content update of Early Access is ready for you to check out! We have an eerie new map (Doll Factory) for you to check out, new cosmetics, improvements to the melee gear, new hero props, and more.
Starting today, MGH will be on sale all weekend long, 20% off!
New Map Doll Factory
The Doll Factory is now open for business. You can haunt or hunt in an abandoned doll factory in the dead of night! In typical MGH fashion, this eerie doll factory is equal measures charming and terrifying!
Factory is back and better than ever
Full of new props, hiding spots, and creepy dolls
Watch out for the murder dolls...
Ghostsmasher Rework
Added a small buckler shield that can be used to block incoming damage. It is not as effective as the full riot shield, but can be useful when dueling a Ghost before or after Midnight.
New small buckler shield to block some incoming damage
Can chain lightning damage up to 3 times against Ghosts or moving possessed props
Sledgehammer Rework
Added the ability to charge up an attack for added damage; the higher you heft your hammer, the stronger your swing will be!
New charge up attack
Can destroy large props in 1 or 2 hits depending on the charge up
New Hero Props
Murder Doll - Runs around and lunges at hunters with a knife
Warehouse Gate - Acts as a guillotine to smash hunters
Forklift - Yeeting hunters into the air has never been more fun
Soda Machine - Lobs cans of Midnight Ghost Drink™ at unsuspecting hunters
Speaker - Pump up the volume and the damage - use sound waves to knock hunters around
Cosmetics
Early Backer Skins
The Lord and Lady Ghost skins and The Veteran and Rookie Hunter skins are now available
As a bonus for patiently waiting, we have also thrown in two new emotes exclusive to Early Backers, the Gentleman and Lady
New Skins
Satisfactory Pioneer Hunter
Satisfactory Pioneer Ghost
New Victory Poses
Pray
Idol
Nirvana
Clown Dance
Confident
Admire the Duck 🦆
Facepalm
New Emotes
Clown Dance
Confident
Wipe Sweat
Facepalm
New Titles
Longtime players have been asking for a way to flex their Ghost Shard balance - well, now you can! The Wealthy title costs 100k shards, while the Millionaire costs...well, you know.
We hope that you’ll enjoy Update 1, and we look forward to getting in some matches with you all on the Doll Factory soon!
For those of you who haven’t joined us yet on Discord or Twitter, be sure to do so! It’s a great way to give us your thoughts and feedback, and connect with other awesome players in the community! Until next time, happy haunting and hunting!
- Team MGH
Early Access Patch 6
Hey all we have another patch ready for you today!
This patch has a fairly large matchmaker change for lower level players, as well as some bug fixes. The team is hard at work behind the scenes on a large content update as well, keep an eye out for more information on that very soon! 👀
Patch Notes
Low level player matchmaking changes: players level 6 or lower now have their own matchmaking pool for up to 2 minutes before resetting back to the wider pool. Bots will be used to fill empty slots depending on queue times/player population. This is in an effort to improve the new player experience
Fixed the "Master of Loadouts" achievement not unlocking properly. If you have previously met the requirements, simply log in to receive the achievement and title
Sledgehammer damage increased (note: melee weapons are due for a larger rework, stay tuned)
Fixed an exploit that could allow for multiple ghost chargeup attacks at once
Fixed spots on Ghost Ship where possible to avoid salt water damage
Fixed many collision issues on Ghost Ship, Asylum, School, Theatre, and Museum
Fixed incorrect prop damage on a few props
Thanks once again for all of your feedback and bug reports! If you haven't already, join us on our Discord!
Thanks again and see you on the hunt! - Team MGH
Early Access Patch 5
Hey everyone, today we have another patch ready for you!
This patch is a little smaller than the previous ones, but as always we are working behind the scenes on new content as well. Keep an eye out for more information on that soon! 👀
Patch Notes
At low health, players now have a red screen outline that is more visible the lower the HP currently is
Fixed issue where Hunters could avoid salt water damage for a very long time with Juggernaut and Medkit
Fixed the "Rainbow" victory pose not working for Ghosts
Telekinesis door kills are now properly flagged as Telekinesis kills and not door kills
Fixed a rare crash relating to anti-cheat
Sound mixing tweaks
As always, fixing various collision and out of bounds locations
Thanks once again for all of your feedback and bug reports! If you haven't already, join us on our Discord!
Thanks again and see you on the hunt! - Team MGH
Early Access Patch 4
Happy Friday all, today we have another patch ready for you!
We have seen some improvements overall to the quality of matches created since the changes last week, and are still keeping a close eye on it to make sure they continue to improve.
As always, we are focused on addressing the biggest issues and incorporating feedback.
Patch Notes
Hosts of quick play games (games created by quick play) can no longer kick players or force change teams. Games manually hosted can still kick, though we are now monitoring more closely for kick abuse in public lobbies
New Victory Pose: "Rainbow" - adapted from our recently added Rainbow in-game emote
Hunters can now properly jump onto ladders without sliding down
Ghosts can no longer break fellow Ghosts out of Doppelganger form with damage
Ghost charge-up attack and ghost punch damage reduced slightly but only before Midnight, after Midnight is unchanged
Ghosts can now more reliably damage traps that are placed on a slope below or above them
Added Ukrainian as a supported in-game language
Fixed bug in custom games with respawns enabled always displaying "99" lives remaining until the first respawn occurs
Fixed bug where consuming bots and sometimes players would not show up in the killfeed properly
Beta tester title and skins no longer appear to players unless they have it unlocked since they are no longer attainable
Suit of armor on Asylum behind invisible wall fixed
Out of bounds in Museum nature room dome fixed
Potentially fixed rare bug where Hunters could respawn out of bounds
Fixed Ghost Ship collision issues with sword trophy prop
Various collision and unintended hiding spot fixes as usual
Various localization fixes and updates
Thanks once again for all of your feedback and bug reports! If you haven't already, join us on our Discord!
We are also hard at work on a roadmap for Early Access to share with you all, stay tuned for that.
Thanks again and see you on the hunt! - Team MGH
Early Access Patch #3
Hey all! Happy Friday, we have another patch ready for you!
As always, we are focused on addressing the biggest issues and incorporating feedback.
We are continuing to adjust our matchmaker to provide better quality matches. Initial tests look promising, though may result in slightly increased wait times. We will continue to monitor and tweak going forward, thank you for the feedback and ongoing discussions.
Patch Notes
Ongoing matchmaker tweaks, should result in better matches although could increase wait times slightly
Generator is now invulnerable for 10 seconds after match starts (eventually will have salt circle VFX to illustrate this)
Anvil prop damage reduced, was misclassified as a 'large' prop
Hunters are now much easier to ping directly
Quickcharge Ghost perk now comes with a longer cooldown (roughly 20% longer) to make staying airborne a little more difficult
Ghost punch damage lowered slightly
Fixed prop chargeup attack multi-hit bug when knocked back by Salt Shotgun or Riot Shield
Fixed issue where rarely possessing a prop that was just destroyed will pull you underground
Fixed bug where you could not start firing automatically if you have run out of grenades
Fixed bug where Ghost Ship was incorrectly marked as Mansion in match history
Fixed bug where Lamp title was not properly awarded upon completion of achievement
Fixed bug where Hunter's Worst Nightmare and Ghost's Worst Nightmare achievements were mismatched
Fixed bug where unlocking cosmetics in the firing range would not count towards cosmetic unlock achievements
Easter Egg props have been collected and put into storage until next year
Shader and texture optimization work is ongoing
Many collision and out of bounds fixes
Thanks once again for all of your feedback and bug reports, they have been extremely helpful. If you haven't already, join us on our Discord, where we have channels setup to make it super easy to tell us all about any bugs you run into or any feedback you might have!
We are currently preparing a roadmap for Early Access to share with you all, stay tuned for that.
