Sega finally confirms Phantasy Star Online 2 in English

As of writing this, Phantasy Star Online 2 has been released in Japan and is now available for anyone to play (including domestic players clever enough to follow translation guides), but the question as to whether or not the game would see an English release was left in limbo – with Sega’s current financial situation and the increasingly niche market that Phantasy Star Online has begun to occupy, it would not be a huge surprise if PSO2 stayed in Japanese.
Thankfully, that is not the case, as Sega of America and Sega of Europe have officially announced an English release of Phantasy Star Online 2… coming in 2013, a good 6-9 months from now. The official press release follows:

SEGA ANNOUNCES THE WESTERN RELEASE OF PHANTASY STAR ONLINE 2 SEGA’s Epic Free-to-Play Multiplayer Action RPG Coming to North America and Europe in Early 2013
SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON – July 9th, 2012 – SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd today announced that free-to-play multiplayer action RPG Phantasy Star Online 2 will be coming to North America and Europe in 2013. For a first look at this new entry in the legendary Phantasy Star series, check out the official Phantasy Star Online 2 teaser site at www.pso2.com.
“Phantasy Star Online was a revolutionary game when it was released, and we want to make sure that its successor in the series is every bit as ambitious,” said Chris Olson, Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “We look forward to introducing Phantasy Star Online 2’s unique, easy-to-access multiplayer action to the rest of the world next year!”
“The number one thing we want to provide players in Phantasy Star Online 2 is an adventure that changes every time they log in. Just as great table-top RPG experiences revolve around imaginative and unexpected encounters, we want players to consistently be surprised as they explore dungeons and undertake quests,” added Satoshi Sakai, Phantasy Star Online 2 Producer at SEGA of Japan.
Over ten years have passed since the release of the boundary-breaking Dreamcast hit, Phantasy Star Online, and SEGA is poised to continue the Phantasy Star series’ multiplayer legacy on PCs worldwide with Phantasy Star Online 2. In the Year 238, the New Era of Light, players will join a new band of Arcs in the fight against mysterious D-Arkers, embarking on another epic adventure of infinite possibilities!
Phantasy Star Online 2’s features include:

• Deep sci-fi fantasy universe filled with lush landscapes, extraordinary creatures, and epic adventures
• Revolutionary real-time combat and third-person action with devastating combos and counters to master
• Flexible, class-based leveling system that lets players define their own play-style with distinctive melee, ranged, and magic weapon types
• Randomized dungeon maps and unexpected mid-quest encounters that ensure each quest is different for each player
• Deep character creation system with a nearly limitless number of potential appearances
• Three degrees of humanity to experience across three unique races: the versatile Humans, spiritually-powered Newmen, and artificial CAST

For more information about Phantasy Star Online 2, visit the official site at www.pso2.com.
For more news, follow SEGA on Twitter @SEGA (http://twitter.com/phantasystar) or “like” us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/sega.pso2).
About SEGA® of America, Inc. SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment. SEGA® of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com.
About SEGA® Europe Ltd. SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA’s global website site is located at www.sega.com.

PSO fansite PSO-world.com also mentions a YouTube trailer commemorating the English version of the game, but as of this writing it is currently set to private – the same goes for the trailer and screenshots posted in the media section of pso2.com – though I’m sure they’ll come online later today.