The Aion 2 global launch went live this Monday, October 5, at 13:00 UTC (6 AM PDT / 9 AM EDT). After five days of paid early access, NC’s MMORPG (formerly NCSoft) is now open to every player, with no entry cost.
The Aion 2 global launch got off to an impressive start. Just a few hours after the servers opened, NC itself thanked the community for reaching the milestone of 400,000 active players.
In short, the Aion 2 global launch brings the game to PC for free, through Steam and PURPLE, with servers in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Founder’s Pack owners keep their early access progress, while newcomers start from scratch without paying anything.
Aion 2 Global Launch: How Launch Day Went
Maintenance, Timing and Server Opening
NC stuck to the announced schedule with no delays, although the public opening caused a few isolated hiccups in the first hours.
- 05:00 UTC: maintenance began and early access ended.
- 13:00 UTC: servers opened to all players.
- First hours: some players saw the game listed as unavailable on Steam, an issue fixed by restarting the client.
- Throughout the day: a few servers temporarily limited character creation due to high population.
What Changed in the Launch Patch
In addition, the maintenance delivered several adjustments. The highlights are:
- The character deletion wait dropped from 168 to 24 hours, with the minimum level lowered from 10 to 1.
- Some bosses were made stronger, since they sat below the intended difficulty for five-player groups.
- A teleport button to Verteron or Altgard was added to the hero quests in Poeta and Ishalgen.
Player Record: Aion 2’s Numbers So Far
From Early Access to the Free-to-Play Launch
On the first day of early access, limited to Founder’s Pack owners, Aion 2 hit 171,530 concurrent players on Steam and topped the platform’s global top sellers chart.
Notably, the game also ranked as the best seller in 12 countries, including the United States, Germany and Brazil.
Official Milestones Celebrated by NC
This Monday, NC first announced the 300,000 active player mark and, shortly after, the 400,000 mark. As a thank-you, everyone received 15 bound resurrection items, according to the official announcement on Aion 2’s Steam page.
| Milestone | Number | Context |
| Steam wishlists | 1.3 million | Before launch |
| Steam concurrent peak | 171,530 | Day one of paid early access |
| Official NC milestone | 300,000 active players | Free-to-play launch day |
| Official NC milestone | 400,000 active players | Free-to-play launch day |
Keep in mind that public Steam tracking does not include players on PURPLE, NC’s own launcher. Therefore, the real player base is likely larger, and the new concurrent record is still being consolidated.
What Is Aion 2 and What Is Its Combat Type
If you want to understand what is Aion 2 in depth, our full breakdown of the Aion 2 global version covers how it differs from the Asian release.
An MMORPG Where the Sky Is the Battlefield
Aion 2 is the sequel to NC’s classic flight-based MMORPG, rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5 with a world 36 times larger than the original. The game has been live in South Korea and Taiwan since November of last year.
You play as a Daeva, a winged being, and choose between the Elyos and the Asmodians. Both factions share the same eight classes:
- Tanks: Gladiator and Templar.
- Melee and ranged damage: Assassin and Ranger.
- Magic damage: Sorcerer and Spiritmaster.
- Support and healing: Cleric and Chanter.
Manual Combat, No Autopilot
As for the combat type, NC has confirmed there is no auto-combat. The system blends traditional targeting with positioning, timing and dodging, rewarding attacks from behind.
Furthermore, interviews and tests point to two control schemes: an action mode with a reticle and a classic mode with Tab targeting. Flight is also part of the fight, not just a way to explore.
Where to Download Aion 2 and How Much It Costs
The global version is available on PC only, with no console or mobile version announced for Western regions.
Where to Download Aion 2 on PC
If you are wondering where to download it, there are two official options: the official Aion 2 page on Steam and NC’s PURPLE launcher. Here is how to play Aion 2 from scratch:
- Install Steam or PURPLE and log in to your account.
- Download Aion 2 for free, setting aside about 100 GB of space (ideally on an SSD).
- Launch the game and choose your region and server.
- Pick your faction and class during character creation.
The official minimum specs call for Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), a Ryzen 5 2600 or Core i5-10500, 8 GB of RAM and a GTX 1050 Ti. For the full list, see our guide to the Aion 2 system requirements.
How Much Does Aion 2 Cost?
When it comes to how much it costs, the short answer is nothing: the game is free-to-play. The Founder’s Packs sold before launch cost $24.99 (Standard), $49.99 (Deluxe) and $99.99 (Ultimate).
All three offered the same five days of early access and 30 days of membership, differing only in cosmetics. The Membership remains optional, with conveniences such as remote storage and market access.
How Do You Play Aion 2 Without Lag on Day One?
With hundreds of thousands of players logging in together, your server and connection make a difference from the very first session.
Choosing Your Server and Region
Players can choose between dedicated regions in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Early access servers remain open, with cross-server queues for dungeons and PvP.
- Pick the region closest to you to keep latency low.
- Consider the new launch servers if you want to start alongside other newcomers.
If you are just starting out, our Aion 2 beginner guide helps you plan your first week without wasting rewards.
Where ExitLag Comes In
During crowded launches, congested routes cause ping spikes and packet loss in dungeons and aerial fights. ExitLag is not a VPN: it analyzes multiple routes in real time and picks the most stable one.
With Multipath, your data travels through more than one path, keeping the connection alive if a route fails. You can also run an Aion 2 ping test to compare server regions before committing a character.
To lock in a more stable connection from your first day in Atreia, grab the ExitLag Download and optimize your route before logging in.
The Aion 2 Global Launch Is Just Getting Started
The coming days will show whether the launch momentum holds. The points to watch are:
- The final concurrent player peak after the first free-to-play weekend.
- The community’s reaction to the membership and the in-game shop.
So far, the Aion 2 global launch has delivered on its promise: an on-time release, stable servers and a player base already in the hundreds of thousands.
All game images used in this blog post belong to NC. They are used for informational and educational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with the rights holders.
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