It’s time to open the doors to Phantasy Star Online 2. Or nearly time, at least; the game’s open beta testing is kicking off on March 17th at 8:00 p.m. EDT. That’s only a little more than a week away! Which will mean that since it’s an open test, we will finally be basically at launch for a game that took roughly four decades to be released in North America.
The announcement for open beta does not specifically mention any details of the PC launch, simply stating that it’s coming first to Xbox One and that there will be more information on the official website soon. Odds are that the initial open beta will be on console only and the full “official” launch will be cross-platform, but in lieu of official information that’s just speculation. Still, if you’ve waited this long for a localized release on PC, the fact that we’re this close will make the waiting a bit easier. Or harder, we suppose.
Tokyo, March 9, 2020 – SEGA Games announced today that Phantasy Star Online 2 will launch its North American open beta on March 17, 2020. Following a successful closed beta, the highly anticipated online action RPG from Japan launches the open beta on Xbox One on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 5 PM PDT. Players can begin downloading the client at 10 AM PDT on March 16, 2020.
Players are invited to explore numerous worlds with friends and experience PSO2’s unparalleled action combat and character customization. Choosing from four unique races and nine classes, players can join forces with up to eleven other operatives at a time to experience unforgettable battles and boss fights.
“The team has been working incredibly hard towards this day, and we couldn’t be more excited to open the servers and welcome our amazing community into the world of Phantasy Star Online 2,” shared Fred White, PSO2 TEAM North America’s Head of Marketing. “From the beginning, the game will include Episodes 1-3, representing over three years’ worth of expanded content updates from the start. We look forward to seeing the players in-game on Tuesday!”
The Open Beta will include fully localized text and character voices in English. On first-time login, players will receive a variety of weapons including swords, assault rifles, rods, and gunblades as well as consumable items to get started. In addition to the immersive original PSO2 story, the North American version will also include the most-up-to-date balancing and quality-of-life improvements from the Japanese service. Players will be able to choose from four races and nine classes and explore up to fourteen locations while tackling various missions and collecting Xbox One Achievements. They can also take a break from questing by playing one of the many Casino Mini-Games, chilling in the Alliance Quarters, or attending all-new Live Stage Events.
Players can sign up for the Open Beta on the Microsoft Store. The open beta client can be downloaded in advance on Monday, March 16 at 10 AM PDT. The open beta officially launches on Tuesday, March 17 at 5 PM PDT.
