Nearly seven years after its Japanese release, Phantasy Star Online 2 is now available in North America via Xbox One, Sega confirmed. Additionally, a PC version will be available in "late May."
Phantasy Star Online 2 PC Release
According to a report by Polygon, Phantasy Star Online 2 will be exclusively available on Microsoft Store on PC and that the Windows PC and the Xbox One versions are cross-play compatible.
That means the title will not be available on Steam despite previous rumors, although many are speculating that the exclusivity will not last forever.
Fans believe that it will arrive in Steam in the future and that it will eventually be released on Valve's PC platform.
What's more, is that the North American release of the free-to-play MMORPG game will already include the additional content from the first three years of its release in Japan.
Fans of the title can also enjoy some of the events available in the game right now to celebrate its arrival in North America, including new perks for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, new quests, and even live concerts, among others.
Additionally, players will earn an extra log-in bonus from April 15 to 23.
Players could also join an alliance with four members, or more could also get an SG2O ticket.
PSO2 is Not Region Locked
"Phantasy Star Online 2 changed the history of Online Action RPG's; the sci-fi story, characters, and gameplay has resonated with gamers worldwide and now we're excited to bring North American players this special game -- for free," Fred White, the PSO2 Team North America Head of Marketing, said.
"Our player community is the heart and soul of the game, and we couldn't have done it without their ongoing support and passion."
Ever since its release in Japan, fans outside of the country have been awaiting the day that the title will finally be available in English.
Since the game is not region locked, anyone can play the game despite their physical location, as per Forbes, so it's possible that Europeans could download the game without any fuss, especially since there is no word on a European release date.
Nevertheless, Phantasy Star Online 2 already had an open and closed beta on the Xbox One console. Still, this time around, the game is officially available and will include contents that beta players weren't able to experience.
Sega has also launched the game on the PlayStation Vita but eventually took it back.
PSO2 has also been launched on both the Nintendo Switch and Sony's PS4, but not in the west.
What Can Fans Expect?
Besides the contents and events available in the game today, Sega also confirmed that the NA launch of PSO2 will have fully localized text as well as character voices entirely in English.
Plus, it includes "most-up-to-date balancing and quality-of-life improvements from the Japanese service."
In the game, players will have to choose from four different races and nine classes to complete various missions and collect Achievements. There are also mini-games that players can try out if they get tired of the main quests.
