SEGA has detailed what exactly their plans are for Phantasy Star Online 2’s Western release over the coming months, in a hefty content roadmap.
Currently, only content up to Episode 3 of the game is available for Western players, whereas Japan is currently on Episode 6. That, and the game is technically only available in North America right now; and on the Windows Store, which has rendered the game’s launch a bit of a mess for many, who’ve had to deal with a slew of bizarre installation issues.
Apparently that’s all set to change; SEGA is aiming to get the game “to reach parity with the Japanese servers eventually, with simultaneous releases moving forward to ensure that both services deliver the best experience possible to our players.” As the above visual shows, the aim to have that parity reached before the year is over; which is great, and there’s a lot of excellent features in the later episodes!
There also seems to be some reprieve on the way for those who can’t stand the Microsoft Store, as the blog notes that “more PC platforms” are coming soon. Presumably this means Steam, as it was mentioned in a manual for the game during the beta; but there’s every chance it could also mean the Epic Games Store. The plural has us hopeful, at least.
Crucially, they also state that:
We are also working hard to introduce this legendary online action RPG to a global audience this year. We will have more information about the regions where the game will become available in the near future.
Given the initial furore European fans had in response to the blind-eye turned towards fans beyond America (or perhaps that was just me…), it’s about time we heard more on plans to expand globally; even if there’s pretty much nothing to stop said non-American fans getting the game right now anyway.
All in all, it’s shaping up to be an exciting year for PSO2 fans in the West. Episode 4 is currently planned to release in August 2020, bringing with it great features such as crafting and an increased level cap.
You can check out the full roadmap on the PSO2 blog.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
