Official service for Phantasy Star Online 2 will begin on July 4 at 14:00, Sega said today. The currently running opening open beta test will end on the previous day at 11:00.

Phantasy Star Online 2 is free-to-download-and-play, meaning you'll be able to download the client for free and play for free. To make in-game purchases, you'll use "Arcs Cash." Sales of Arcs Cash will begin at 15:00 on July 3.

For those who like package versions of their Phantasy Stars, Sega will offer the Phantasy Star Online 2 Premium Package. Set for release on September 13 at ¥6,279, this package release includes a game install disc and download codes for a set of five original weapons and a "Mag Evolution Device."

Going along with today's announcement, Sega released a new trailer for the game. View it here:

Registered IDs for the PSO2 open beta, which began on June 21, has crossed the 500,000 mark, Sega also said today. This, according to the company's own figures, makes it the largest scale open beta test in Japanese history. The game has reached a maximum simultaneous connection total of 80,000 players.