Phantasy Star Online 2 launched in North America yesterday on Xbox One in beta form - and its servers were quickly crippled by the huge number of people trying to play.

As excited fans struggled to get into the game, Phantasy Star Online 2 began trending on Twitter.

Anybody got 7 dragonballs imma bout to make a wish #pso2 pic.twitter.com/fZtQlLrFWh

— Chhipz (@FakeChhipz) February 8, 2020

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Sega right now:

"Wait... people actually wanted to play Phantasy Star Online 2?!"#PSO2

— Mollie L Patterson 🇺🇦 (@mollipen) February 8, 2020

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Sega trying to fix the #PSO2 servers right now: pic.twitter.com/Kq5elfNT7Y

— @thatdudethatdraws.bsky.social (@RacerSonic) February 8, 2020

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#PSO2 servers right now. pic.twitter.com/UteMvm32xO

— Thomas (C0mms OPEN) (@RogerDatSoldier) February 8, 2020

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Eventually the official Phantasy Star Online 2 Twitter account explained that Sega's online multiplayer sci-fi game, which first launched in Japan nearly eight years ago, was trampled by fans.

Hi, Arks. Just an update on what happened:
(1) More users tried to log in than we could have anticipated, which resulted in players not being able to access the server.
(2) We identified problems in our data processing program, those have been addressed as well.

— Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis - Global (@play_pso2) February 8, 2020

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Brilliantly, those who do manage to get into Phantasy Star Online 2 can watch a trailer for the soon-to-be released Sonic movie, which plays on screens in the ark lobby.

The fact the sonic movie trailer plays on the ship screens occasionally is hilarious to me #PSO2 pic.twitter.com/jxS5UDCoZG

— Nuke Kioh (on bsky!) (@NukeKioh) February 8, 2020

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Woah this is cool. In the #PSO2 lobby, you can see the trailer for the Sonic Movie. pic.twitter.com/rMlGYGwU8A

— RGX 🌟 (@RGXSuperSonic) February 8, 2020

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Here's the new Sonic movie trailer, if you haven't seen it already:

Sonic The Hedgehog (2020) - "Super" - Paramount Pictures Watch on YouTube

Servers are back up (at the time of this article's publication people are streaming the game). The closed beta test ends today, Saturday 8th February at 11.59 PST (that's 8am Sunday in the UK).

If you're wondering how the game looks, the video below two-and-a-half hours of gameplay from the beta.

Watch on YouTube

There's no word yet on access for European players, although an open beta test is planned.