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Phantasy Star Online 2 Western release is not an Xbox exclusive

Phantasy Star Online 2 will eventually make its way to other platforms in the West.

If you set aside Keanu Reeves' unexpected appearance at E3 this week, the most out-of-left-field announcement at Microsoft's E3 show was Phantasy Star Online 2 coming to the West.

The reveal trailer only listed PC, and Xbox One as launch platforms, but head of Xbox Phil Spencer has since confirmed it's not an exclusive. Speaking to Giant Bomb at E3, Spencer told the story of how the deal came to be.

"Sega is primarily - ultimately responsible for it," said Spencer.

"I go to Japan fairly often now. I meet with all the publishers, and I go to see Sega - and I am sure they've been getting this from other places - and I just said, 'you know, so many of the constructs in today's multiplayer games [...] were born in Phantasy Star and 90% of the gamers today don't know what a Phantasy Star Online is.'"

Cover image for YouTube video

After speaking to the Phantasy Star team, Spencer asked if Microsoft could support them in any way. "It was really just, I wanna do something with Sega. They were very receptive," recalled Spencer.

"I happen to have a soft spot for PSO and I do think it can be a meaningful franchise. [...] It was so cool to have them on our stage and to be able to work with them - and yes, it'll end up on all platforms," he added.

You can watch the full interview above, though it should start at the Phantasy Star Online question.

Phantasy Star Online 2 launches sometime next spring for PC, and Xbox One. It was recently confirmed that the initial launch is only planned for North America.

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Phantasy Star Online

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Phantasy Star Online 2

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Sherif Saed

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Sherif (he/him) is VG247’s go-to shooter and Souls-likes person. Whether it’s news, reviews, or op-eds – Sherif is always eager to tell you about video games. He's one of VG247's most veteran writers, with 10+ years experience on the site.

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