Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is the name of the first major expansion for the newly ported MMO in the West. The expansion has just been revealed for a western release, and is due sometime in 2021.
Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is following in similar footsteps to A Realm Reborn for Final Fantasy XIV. Phantasy Star Online 2: has been around for a long time in Japan, having released in 2012, and has been getting a bit long in the tooth there. The game is definitely aging for Japanese audiences. Now Sega has shown up with details for a total revamp via the new expansion.
The release is currently in a closed alpha state and is moving into its first closed beta phase in 2021. A closed beta for New Genesis is taking registrations in Japan through January 4. After that, Sega will likely open the game up for wide testing later in the year. The exact Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is not known, but it will likely land before the end of 2021. The expansion is apparently planning for a simultaneous global rollout on all versions, leaving no disparity between the two main audiences in the West and Japan.
The release of the new version of the game is still very much a mystery though in terms of content. The game will be getting a bunch of new stuff, but it’s all basically an upgraded version of the base game. All players will be able to access both the original PSO2 and its New Genesis upgrade when the new version launches. The gameplay and visuals will be a major focus of this rework. That means that the new version of the game will be restricted to older platforms. Sega plans to upgrade the current visuals in the original version of PSO2 to allow seamless character movement between the two versions.
As of now, the rework is planning to come out on PC and Xbox One, with an enhanced Xbox Series X port coming later. Sega has released no timeframe for that next-gen port though.
