Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis Beta Now Live

Sega's closed PC beta test for Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is here. The beta officially kicked off on May 14 at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET and offers players a chance to try out the upcoming reboot/expansion before it officially launches next month.

As Sega previously announced, the closed beta test is only available to a limited number of players on a first come, first served basis. Registration began back in April through the Xbox Insider Hub app. The beta itself will run through the weekend, concluding at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET on May 16.

For those who may be having trouble installing the beta client, the official Xbox Insider Twitter account shared some steps to potentially remedy the issues, suggesting players restart their PC and sign out and back in to the Microsoft Store. Sega has also outlined instructions on how to join the beta, along with system requirements, on the official PSO2 website.

Those who are accepted into the New Genesis closed beta will be able to earn a variety of rewards for accomplishing certain tasks, such as suppressing a boss or reaching level 10 with one class. These rewards will be distributed after New Genesis officially launches. To receive the items, however, you'll need to log in to New Genesis "within a certain period of time" after it releases using the same Xbox Live account as during the beta. A specific timeframe will be announced at a later date.

New Genesis launches globally sometime in June 2021, Sega announced during its recent Prologue 3 livestream. Despite revamping the overall experience, the expansion/reboot will exist alongside the base version of PSO2. You'll be able to share characters across both games, but almost all progress will be independent in each version.