AION 2 Opens Paid Early Access Ahead Of Free Launch On October 5
A Steam concurrent peak above 170,000 during a paid early access window, alongside a Mixed user rating and a Mostly Negative Founders Pack page, means the free launch will test whether the audience stays past the paywall.
Key Facts
- AION 2 early access began on September 30, 2026 at 11:00 PM Japan time for Founders Pack buyers, ahead of the official free-to-play launch on October 5, 2026.
- AION 2 is available on PC via Steam and NC's Purple platform, with servers in North America, South America, Europe, and Japan.
- AION 2's Steam concurrent player count peaked at 171,530 during the paid early access period, according to SteamDB.
- AION 2's open world is 36 times the size of The Tower of AION, and the game supports Japanese subtitles and voice.
Reporting from 2 sources: Automaton, Game Spark.
NC began early access for AION 2 on September 30 at 11:00 PM Japan time for buyers of the Founders Pack, five days before the free-to-play MMORPG's official launch on October 5, 2026. The game is available on PC through Steam and NC's own platform Purple. The Founders Pack comes in three tiers: Standard at 3,900 yen, Deluxe at 7,850 yen, and Ultimate at 15,500 yen, each bundling a five-day early access right, a Daeva Adventure Supply Box, an in-game title, and a 30-day Quailin Premium Membership. AION 2 is set in Atreia 200 years after The Tower of AION, with the Elyos, Asmodians, and Dragons in conflict. Its open world is 36 times the size of the previous game, and players take the role of a demigod Daeva who can fly freely and tame field monsters as mounts.
The global version has no data carryover from the Taiwan or Korea versions. Japanese subtitles and voice are included and can be switched from the settings menu, and servers are located in North America, South America, Europe, and Japan. The Steam and Purple versions have identical content and share servers. A Steam account alone is enough to play, though linking a Purple account shares characters and progress data.
The player character has more than 200 appearance options across facial features, body shape, costumes, wings, and colors, and there are eight classes to choose from. Multiplayer content includes five- and ten-player dungeons and field events, while solo play is supported. The early access perk applies only to the first character created, and some players reported being unable to log in after distribution began, with the start itself delayed past its scheduled time. The Founders Pack page sits at a Mostly Negative rating with 29 percent positive from 87 reviews.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.