Phantasy Star Online 2 has finally arrived on Steam
Rise and shine, ARKS agents.
It might've taken eight years for Phantasy Star Online 2 to make it to the West, but fortunately, the jump from the Windows Store to Steam only took the Japanese MMO a mere couple of months. Sonic Team's free-to-play anime romp has finally found a place on Valve's shelves, making it easier than ever to hop in and bash a load of goblins in a Gundam.
Phantasy Star Online 2 launches on Steam alongside the North American release of Episode 4 - a very silly story update wot pits a fleet of sci-fi mechs from outer space against some old Japanese boats on more terrestrial oceans.
While this whole western launch is ostensibly the same North American edition of PSO2 that hit the Windows Store earlier this year, I'm assured by RPS contributor Dominic Tarason's tweets that Steam treats the game as a proper international release. Us Eurofolks should be just as able to log in, level up and engage in all the real-money nonsense as our friends across the sea.
Besides a profoundly anime new episode that has you beating up the WW2 battleship Yamato with some high-schoolers, PSO2 arrives on Steam with a bundle of slightly terrifying Valve-themed cosmetics. While it doesn't yet have a release date, it also looks like standalone expansion New Genesis will hit Steam when the glow-up eventually launches later next year.
Phantasy Star Online 2 is free to play over on Steam. If you've already been playing for a bit, Sega have put together a handy guide for linking Steam with your existing accounts.