The new Phasmophobia Ghost gets a presidential nickname

Phasmophobia players can't stop talking about Obama after the game introduced a new ghost whose name is loosely similar to that of the 44th US president. The coincidence turned into a full-fledged meme that is currently flooding in Phasmophobiauser's online community.

The new ghost, officially called Obama, is one of the many additions included in the latest Winter's Jest pro update Phasmophobia. A patch was released on December 16, raising the game's version number to 0.15.1.0 and kicking off the 2025 edition of its annual holiday event.

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Phasmophobia: Winter's Jest 2025 Event Guide

Find out how Phasmophobia's Winter's Jest works and what rewards are in store for completing all objectives.

Phasmophobia's Obama Ghost Nicknamed 'Obama' by Fans

Within hours from new Phasmophobia update was launched, fans began to nickname Obambo “Obama”. The fact that the patch introduced a new holiday activity seemingly helped the gag take off quickly, as many players logged into the game to play the annual seasonal event and immediately began posting information about the hunts for “Obama.” The joke has already found its way into many popular meme formats, including the evergreen “thanks, Obama” template.

Some players are amused 'Obama' debuted in Phasmophobia Before Spectre

Amidst the constant sea of gags that can be found on gaming's biggest subreddit, one meme that recently gained attention saw its author amused. Phasmophobia get “Obama” before Spectre. FYI, fans have been clamoring for a new type of ghost called the Spectre for years, going so far as to develop detailed concepts for it, while claiming that such an addition would be a perfect fit for Kinetic's hit survival horror game. The British developer has yet to give any official indication that it is seriously considering the move, potentially causing some localization issues PhasmophobiaThe terrifying teleporting Wraith is translated as “Wraith” in some languages.

Phasmophobia just hit a record number of players on steam for December 2025

The Obama meme may have helped fuel the rollout of patch 0.15.1.0, which saw the game grow to 36,891 concurrent players on Steam, a new record since December 2025. According to December 17 data compiled by SteamDB Phasmophobia is currently the 39th largest game in Valve's storefront by daily active users, as well as the 45th best-selling game on the platform.

Serious player reactions to 'Obama' Ghost Phasmophobia are mixed

Memes aside, serious player reactions to Obamba seem to be mixed at the moment. While some fans have praised the ghost's design as scary enough to keep them on their toes, others don't seem to enjoy its oscillating activity, which reportedly fluctuates wildly between calm and spikes, so its hunts can be sudden. Some player frustrations aren't directed at the ghost itself, but rather at the game's log, which favors flavor text over clear instructions on how to identify Obambo. This issue also affects two other spirits introduced in update 0.15.1.0: Gallu and Dayan. As a result, finding out PhasmophobiaThe three new ghost types without outside help can be a frustrating experience – one that will likely remain until Kinetic adds clearer hints or evidence combinations become more familiar among players.

What's next for phasmophobia in its post-Obama era

Expected to be patch 0.15.1.0 Phasmophobiathe last content update in 2025. For 2026, Kinetic has already confirmed several major additions are in the works, including the so-called Horror 2.0 update, which should coincide with the game leaving early access after more than five years. This redesign PhasmophobiaThe core mechanics are expected to introduce new ghost events and interactions, among other innovations. Separately, Kinetic is also working on additional maps and seasonal events. Phasmophobia was also announced for Switch 2 during The Game Awards 2025, with an eShop release currently slated for 2026. According to Kinetic, the Switch 2 version of the co-op horror game will offer the same content as its PC, PlayStation, and Xbox counterparts.