MMOSite reports that Phantasy Star Online 2’s SEA version is no longer IP blocking people from other regions, meaning anyone should be able to play AsiaSoft’s English version of the game at the moment, without having to resort to a VPN to circumvent the IP block. But while this may seem like good news, there are a few things to take into account.

First of all, it’s unlikely that this is a permanent change. Some fans have noted that this may just be an emergency fix, as the IP block appeared to also affect users from the SEA region. Additionally, the SEA version has been criticized for its translation, which “simplifies” some names. For example, “Monomates” was translated to “Health Drink”, and the “Force” class became “Wizard”. The SEA version is also far behind in updates compared to the Japanese version of the game. For those reasons, it seems most people prefer to use the unofficial English patch to play the Japanese version of the game instead. For those who want to try the SEA version of the game (as long as the IP block isn’t reinstated), you can visit the official SEA website here.

Sadly, there’s still no update on the US and EU release of the game. Officially, the localization is still ongoing. We can only hope we do see a surprise release eventually, although things are not looking particularly hopeful. There’s an ongoing petition from fans asking for news from Sega regarding the localization of the game, which is nearing the 1000 signatures mark.

Source: MMOsite