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Sega's massively multiplayer online game Phantasy Star Online 2 will likely never make its way stateside — it's been available in Japan since 2012, with no news of a localization in years — but PSO fans in North America have one thing to look forward to: an anime adaptation.
Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation will air in Japan beginning in January as part of the winter anime season and distributor Sentai Filmworks will release it North America sometime in 2016. The anime will be available through "select digital outlets" with a physical release to follow.
According to Sentai, the animation focuses on protagonist Itsuki Tachibana, "a player of Phantasy Star Online 2, and the challenges he faces both in and outside of the game."
Director Minoko Takasu and character designer Minoko Takasu are working with animation studio Telecom Animation Film on the project.
Phantasy Star Online 2 was first released on Windows PC in Japan in 2012. A PlayStation Vita version arrived the following year. Sega plans to release PSO2 for PlayStation 4 — again, in Japan — sometime in 2016.
