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Phantasy Star Online 2's "New Genesis" Update Skyrockets the Classic MMORPG into Steam's Top 10 Most Played Games

Japan's Beloved RPG Sequel from 2012 is Back Once Again and Bigger Than Ever

June 9, 2021 by

It’s been almost ten years since Sega first released Phantasy Star Online 2 for Windows on July 4, 2012 in Japan.

Since then, the classic sci-fi MMORPG sequel has been re-released numerous times on other platforms such as the PlayStation Vita in 2013 and PlayStation 4 in 2016.

More recently, Sega finally brought PSO2 to North America on PC where it peaked with 20k concurrent players on Steam last year.

But after a great start in Summer 2020, the older MMO saw its player base decline by around 75% as western gamers lost interest in the free-to-play game’s dated mechanics and graphics.

In an attempt to win fans back, earlier today, Sega released the multiplayer co-op game’s highly anticipated update, “New Genesis,” which completely overhauls PSO2 with a new open world, modern graphics, and enhanced character models that essentially make it a whole new experience.

And since the massive update, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis has seen its player base skyrocket, peaking with 59k players shortly after its slightly delayed launch on Steam.

Currently sitting in Steam’s Top 10 Most Played Games after a 1000% increase in players and Mostly Positive feedback, PSO2:NG is set to once again have a huge weekend as one of Sega’s most popular games in both Japan and North America.