After a lengthy Closed Beta a while back (which was open to Xbox Insiders), SEGA’s Phantasy Star Online 2 is FINALLY now in Open Beta for everybody!

Oh yeah, did I mention it’s free to play?

While I’d normally shudder at the prospect of a F2P game, Phantasy Star Online 2 actually handles it rather well, with only extraneous stuff being locked behind a pay wall.

I’ve actually been playing since the Closed Beta and haven’t once considered buying anything other than the Mission Pass Gold Ticket, which gets you extra rewards for the game’s current Mission season. Even then, that’s not too big an investment, it’s only about US$10 and should last you a couple of months, till the next season comes around.

If you’ve played in the Closed Beta and managed to get the tiered rewards, they’ll be mailed to you at the end of the month. Personally, I can’t wait to get my Dreamcast Mag, especially since I was sporting it too (and an Opa Opa Mag) back on the original PSO and PSO: Blue Burst.

Now that the game’s in Open Beta, there’s a LOT more people online, though thankfully the servers still seem to hold up.

To access it, you’ll either need to change your console location to the US or download it via the US Microsoft store link.

So what are you waiting for? With COVID-19 rampaging everywhere, there’s no better time to invest in Phantasy Star Online 2!

Sal's been in the industry since the early 2000s. He's written for a ton of gaming and tech publications including Playworks, Hardwarezone, HWM and GameAxis. Recently, Sal served as a juror for the Indie Game Awards at Taipei Game Show 2020. A geek and hardcore gamer, Sal will play everything, on any platform.