Phantasy Star Online 2 is having a stellar August with its Steam release. The game is adding tens of thousands of new players and hits peak numbers quickly.
After a mired Windows Store launch, Phantasy Star Online 2 is now gaining steam. According to SteamDB, the game topped out 19,223 players online, as of this writing. The numbers don’t count those who access the game outside of Steam.
PSO2 gains thousands of players through Steam
Fans of PSO2 waited more than eight years for the game to come to the West. The MMORPG came out to Japan in 2012 and only launch to North America and the EU this year. Even then, the launch was less than stellar.
The game launched for the Microsoft Store before any overhauls to the storefront. The title sunk under the lousy infrastructure that Windows used for the launcher. PSO2 was laggy, and people are unable to connect before the problems patched out.
Months later, the game is now on Steam, and fans are, unsurprisingly, swarming. PSO2, as of this writing, has 18,022 players online. The game had 19,223 players only four hours before.
An 18,000+ player count not a bad figure for a nearly 10-year-old MMORPG. The similarly old Star Wars: The Old Republic hit a higher peak last month at 34,210. Even then, the game now only has around 11,700 players on average.
PSO2 for Steam has extra bonuses for players
Players who want to enjoy Phantasy Star Online 2 can play wherever they want. The North American version is available on Steam, the Windows Store, and Xbox One. Accounts for the game can work everywhere, with Sega providing specific instructions.
The Steam version of the game offers a few more things to its players. It includes some cosmetic improvements that theme after Valve’s first-party titles. Themes include cosmetics from Half-Life, Portal, TF2, and even Left 4 Dead.
The lifespan of PSO2, however, will be in question as the game is aging fast. Sega is offering a new, improved version with PSO2: New Genesis. This new title is a standalone game that takes place 1000 years after the events of PSO.
New Genesis offers better gameplay, a more intuitive UI, and improved graphics. PSO:NG will also carry over some items and magic from PSO2, but on a limited basis. Money, levels, and other crucial stuff won’t carry over.
Phantasy Star Online 2 is only available to play in North America and Europe so far. There is no information if the game will be playable outside of its current regions.
Images courtesy of Phantasy Star Online 2 – Global/Youtube Screenshot