Summary
- Among Us is regaining popularity with a TV series on the way and 3 new roles for the game: Noisemaker, Tracker, and Phantom, enhancing gameplay variety.
- The new roles add strategic depth, like Noisemaker alerting players upon death, Tracker gathering intel, and Phantom allowing the Imposter to turn invisible.
- The update aims to keep the game fresh, offering new ways for crewmates to catch impostors and injecting excitement into gameplay.
Among Us is getting a great deal of attention at the moment, easing the game out of its slump period. Not only is the indie darling getting itself a TV series with some major voice and writing talent, but Among Us' gameplay is about to be upgraded with 3 new gameplay roles.
This update was shown off during the Nintendo Direct that just passed, hot off the heels of the announcements InnerSloth made earlier this year. However, these new roles coming to Among Us won't be a surprise to some; the trailer shown off during Nintendo's Direct leaked online for a short while—enough for some decent circulation. Fortunately for InnerSloth, nothing about the reveal's contents has been sullied by this leak, a testament to the interesting ideas presented within.
Among Us' Three New Gameplay Roles Explained
With an existing history of new roles arriving in updates to Among Us, these additional class options will fit like a glove to most. The 3 options revealed during the Direct (Noisemaker, Tracker, and Phantom) were teased way back in the 2024 April Fools trailer, but fans can now confirm that their inclusion will be no joke. The Phantom will be a new impostor role (similar to the existing Shapeshifter class) while Noisemaker and Tracker will be given to crewmates. All three will go a long way to keeping Among Us fresh—serving as, in effect, new gamemodes.
Noisemaker
The Noisemaker is an interesting new Among Us role, one whose function activates upon death. This isn't a new concept, with the Guardian Angel also requiring a player to be killed, but its implementation is quite unique. If an impostor kills a Noisemaker, an alert will be sent out to the other players. A small mechanic, perhaps, but it would require an impostor to be extraordinarily tactical in their positioning. It would also make any accusations of self-reporting far more credible, making that tactic far less advised.
Tracker
The Tracker takes up another crewmate role, playing to a niche that's very close to the Noisemaker. This class has the ability to place a tracker on another player, granting the Tracker an incredible level of intel that will surely steamroll some alibis. This intensive playstyle lends heavily not only to those interested in recon and information gathering, but to those who love the social deduction trappings that made Among Us so successful.
Phantom
With a smorgasbord of new ways for crewmates to rat out the impostor, from noise traps to tracking devices, it's only reasonable that those on the villain's team get some sort of edge. While a class like the Shapeshifter plays into the game's horror inspirations (such as The Thing or Invasion of the Bodysnatchers), the Phantom fulfills a more high-tech fantasy. This addition to Among Us' class options can turn invisible for a brief period of time, a period in which they can still carry out their impostor duties. The Phantom can still kill, vent, and sabotage while invisible, and doing so will not reveal them. This shake-up will allow for kills to happen right in front of player eyes, something that could throw lobbies into cataclysmic disarray.
Fortunately for crewmates, the Phantom isn't indestructible. Not only is the vanish period on a timer, meaning players could reappear against their will, but the Phantom's vanishing/reappearing comes with a whole animation. This gives crewmates the chance to catch the Phantom in the act, especially if these new powers make an impostor get a tad too big for their boots. The depth of play options offered by the Phantom, as well as the Noisemaker and the Tracker, may just be the key to boosting Among Us' success even further.
Among Us
- Released
- June 5, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Use teamwork, persuasion and maybe even betrayal in this unique online party game... In space! DEAD BODY REPORTED!
Prepare for departure, but beware the Impostor! Complete tasks to hold your spaceship together and return to civilization, but keep an eye out as one or more random players among the crew are Impostors determined to sabotage the ship and kill everyone. It's up to the remaining humans to finish their tasks and identify the Impostors to eject them into the abyss. But watch out! The Impostors will use every trick in the book to convince everyone they're a crewmate, so don't believe everything you hear. Get your alibi straight or else you might be the one wrongfully ejected!- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Mild Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- InnerSloth
- Publisher(s)
- InnerSloth
- Platform(s)
- PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Party Game
- How Long To Beat
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 1005 MB (November 2023)
- Metascore
- 85
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- Mobile Devices, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Steam User Rating
- 92%
