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AION2

AION2 is live globally as a free-to-play PC MMORPG on Steam and PURPLE, following its October 5, 2026 launch. NC is running post-launch promotions, including a hardware giveaway with XREAL and recommended gaming PC listings from Unitcom.

Synthesized from 17 Yomimono stories · updated 1d ago

AION2 launched globally on October 5, 2026, as a free-to-play PC title on Steam and PURPLE, after early access for Founder's Pack holders began September 30. The game is a sequel to The Tower of AION, set in Atreia 200 years after the Tower's collapse, and supports eight languages across Japan, North America, South America, and Europe. It uses Unreal Engine 5 and offers eight classes inherited from the original, including Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Spirit Master, Cleric, and Chanter. The world is about 36 times larger than the previous game, with free flight and more than 200 character customization options.

Before launch, NC positioned AION2 against current MMORPG norms. The game has no gacha monetization; revenue comes from a membership system around $15 per month and cosmetic items that do not affect character power. Developers said players pay to support, not to win. The model had already run in Korea and Taiwan, where the game launched in November 2025 and earned 100 billion won in under two months. Early access on Steam surpassed 170,000 concurrent players on its first day, and after the global launch, concurrent players exceeded 400,000. A Launch Scale Test in September reached about 74,000 concurrent players on Steam alone.

Post-launch coverage has shifted to promotions and hardware. XREAL and AION2 ran a two-phase giveaway for ROG XREAL R1 glasses and cleaning cloths through retail partners Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera, Edion, and Joshin. Unitcom released two AION2 recommended gaming PCs under its iiyama LEVEL∞ brand, priced at 289,800 yen and 439,800 yen, both with AMD processors and graphics. The Japan operations producer, Hong Jung-jin, bungee jumped 215 meters at Gifu Bungee as a launch event, saying he kept a promise made to users on a livestream.

Key facts

Global launch date
October 5, 2026 ↗
Platforms
PC via Steam and PURPLE ↗
Business model
Free-to-play with item charges; no gacha; membership around $15 per month ↗
Engine
Unreal Engine 5 ↗
Classes
Eight classes: Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Spirit Master, Cleric, Chanter ↗
World size
About 36 times larger than the previous game ↗
Early access concurrent players
Over 170,000 on Steam on day one ↗
Post-launch concurrent players
Over 400,000 reported after global launch ↗
Korea and Taiwan revenue
100 billion won in under two months after November 2025 launch ↗
Recommended gaming PCs
Two iiyama LEVEL∞ models at 289,800 yen and 439,800 yen, both with AMD Ryzen and Radeon components ↗

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Noted
XREAL announced a collaboration campaign with NC's MMORPG AION2 on October 20, 2026 · 2026-10-20
Noted
Hong Jung-jin, Japan operations producer for the NC MMORPG AION2, jumped from a 215-meter bungee platform. · 2026-10-09
Noted
AION2 was promised to users on a livestream. · 2026-10-09
Noted
available on Steam · 2026-10-05
Noted
available on NC's PURPLE platform · 2026-10-05
Noted
free download with item charges · 2026-10-05
Noted
pet system where most field monsters can become rideable mounts · 2026-10-05
Noted
automatic chat translation for global players · 2026-10-05
Noted
available through Steam and NCsoft's own PURPLE platform · 2026-07-17
Noted
no mobile version for global players · 2026-07-17
Noted
uses a no-gacha monetization model centered on a membership system (around $15 per month) that provides convenience features, alongside cosmetic items such as costumes, wings, and pets · 2026-07-17
Noted
these items do not affect character power · 2026-07-17
Noted
generated over 100 billion won (approximately 108 billion yen) in under two months · 2026-07-17
Noted
built on Unreal Engine 5 · 2026-07-17
Noted
emphasizes free flight with wings, action-oriented combat with a crosshair aim mode, and large-scale aerial battles · 2026-07-17
Noted
development team consists of about 350 people · 2026-07-17
Noted
supports three factions: Elyos, Asmodians, and Balaur · 2026-07-17
Noted
development restarted from scratch in 2021 · 2026-07-17
Noted
deliberately rejects the gacha and pay-to-win trends common in modern Korean MMORPGs, instead betting on a subscription-light model · 2026-07-17
Noted
earned 100 billion won (about 10.8 billion yen) in Korea and Taiwan within 1.5 months of service, without gacha monetization · 2026-08-07
Release
game · 2026-10-05 · PC via Steam and PURPLE · 2026-10-15
Release
game · 2026-10-05 · global · 2026-10-04
Release
game · 2026-09-17 · global · 2026-10-05
Release
game · 2026-09-30 · worldwide · 2026-10-04
Release
game · 2026-10-05 · worldwide · 2026-10-04
Release
game · September 2026 · worldwide · 2026-07-17
Release
game · November 2025 · Korea and Taiwan · 2026-07-17
Release
game · September 2026 · 2026-06-20
Release
game · September 2026 · 2026-06-26
Release
game · September 2026 · 2026-06-26
Release
game · 2026-10-05 · 2026-08-27
Release
game · 2026-09-30 · 2026-08-27
Release
game · September 2026 · global · 2026-06-06
Announced
Early access available on Steam, surpassing 170,000 concurrent players on day one · 2026-10-05
Announced
No. 1 in worldwide Steam sales · 2026-10-04
Announced
No. 1 in sales rankings in 13 countries including the United States, France, Germany, and Brazil · 2026-10-04
Announced
Special pre-launch live broadcast (AION2 pre-launch broadcast) · 2026-10-04
Announced
global launch date (gamescom Opening Night Live 2026) · 2026-08-27
Licensed by
Steam (Global) · 2026-08-27
Licensed by
PURPLE (Global) · 2026-08-27

Connections

Directs of
cha bong seop
Produces of
ncsoft

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/aion2. CC BY 4.0.

Claim activity

When a claim about AION2 was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.

  • Confirmed game 2026-10-05 PC via Steam and PURPLE Oct 16 · source
  • Confirmed platform: Steam; region: Global Sep 8 · source

All coverage

4d ago

XREAL and AION2 Run Two-Phase Giveaway for ROG XREAL R1 Glasses

XREAL announced a collaboration campaign with NC's MMORPG AION2 on October 20, 2026. In the first phase, from October 20 to 26, people who follow the XREAL Japan and AION2 Japan X accounts and repost the designated post can enter a lottery for one ROG XREAL R1 pair of video glasses and 20 sets of two microfiber mini cleaning cloths. From October 21 to 30, buyers of XREAL products at Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera, Edion, and Joshin can apply by email with a receipt photo, and 40 people win the cloth set.

Oct 15

AION2 Developers Detail Character Customization and Flight Design

NC's MMORPG AION2 launched globally on October 5, 2026, including Japan, as a free-to-play PC title on Steam and PURPLE. The game is a sequel to The Tower of AION, set in Atreia 200 years after the Tower of Aion's collapse. Players control the Daeva, choosing from 8 classes, and can fly freely with wings across a world NC says is 36 times larger than the previous game. Character customization adjusts over 200 items, including facial features and body shape. During the early access period for Founders Pack purchasers that began September 30, concurrent players on the Steam version exceeded 170,000, and during the September Launch Scale Test, concurrent players reached about 74,000 on Steam alone, with over 400,000 concurrent players reported after the global launch. NC provided email interviews with Art Director Cha Bong-seop, Business Division Head Seo In-seop, and Development PD Kim Nam-joon.

Oct 15

LEVEL∞ Releases Two AION2 Recommended AMD Gaming PCs

Unitcom released two AION2 recommended gaming PCs under its iiyama LEVEL∞ brand, priced at 289,800 yen and 439,800 yen. The lower model carries an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Radeon RX 9060 XT; the higher model carries a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Radeon RX 9070 XT. Both ship with Windows 11 Home, 16GB DDR5, a 1TB M.2 SSD, and microATX mini-tower chassis, and both support build-to-order customization.

Oct 12

Steam Sets Concurrent-User Record At About 43.5 Million

On October 11, Steam recorded an all-time high of roughly 43.5 million concurrent users. Valve's own figure was 43,501,449, while SteamDB put the peak at 43,505,724, with 14,464,385 people actually in games at that moment. The previous mark, 42,686,616, was set in March of this year. Counter-Strike 2 led the past 24 hours at 1,404,227 players.

Oct 9

AION2 Japan Producer Bungee Jumps 215 Meters As Launch Prayer

Hong Jung-jin, Japan operations producer for the NC MMORPG AION2, jumped from a 215-meter bungee platform at Gifu Bungee in Kamo District, Gifu Prefecture. He wore a wingsuit carrying the AION2 logo and shouted the game's name as he fell. Afterward he said his hands were still shaking and that he had kept a promise made to users on a livestream.

Oct 5

AION 2 Launches Globally With Free Flight And 8 Classes

NC launched the official service for the cross-world MMORPG AION 2 on October 5 at 22:00. The game is available as a free download with some item charges, and it can be played on Steam and NC's own PURPLE platform. It supports eight languages: Japanese, Korean, English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian. The global version covers Japan (Asia), North America, South America, and Europe. AION 2 uses Unreal Engine 5 and offers eight classes inherited from the original AION, including Gladiator, Templer, Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Spirit Master, Cleric, and Chanter. Its world, Atreia, is set 200 years after the collapse of the Tower of Aion and is about 36 times larger than the previous game's field. Character creation includes more than 200 customization options plus costumes and dyeing features. A Launch Scale Test held on September 17 and 19, 2026 gave players early access ahead of launch. To mark the launch, NC is running various events and campaigns, including a collaboration with the gaming brand HyperX.

Oct 5

AION2 Early Access Passes 170,000 Concurrent Steam Players on Day One

Early access for the MMORPG AION2 from NC is live, and SteamDB data shows concurrent players on Steam surpassing 170,000 on the first day. Players pick the Elyos or the Asmodian faction and one of eight classes, including Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Spirit Master, Chanter, and Cleric. The setting is a world about 200 years after The Tower of AION.

Oct 4

AION2 Early Access Begins, Tops Steam Worldwide Sales

NC opened Early Access for its cross-world MMORPG AION2 on Steam and PURPLE at 23:00 on September 30. Holders of the Standard, Deluxe, or Ultimate Founder's Packs can play five days before the official service, which is set for 22:00 on October 5. It took No. 1 in worldwide Steam sales and No. 1 in sales rankings in 13 countries including the United States, France, Germany, and Brazil.

Oct 4

AION2 Sets Special Pre-Launch Broadcast For October 4

AION2, the cross-world MMORPG for PC, iOS and Android, begins official service on October 5. A special live broadcast runs on YouTube the day before, October 4 at 20:00, introducing the game. Segments include basic information, an Elyos and Asmodian field tour, and a party content corner covering Shugo Festa and the Temple of Flame dungeon.

Aug 27

AION2 Global Launch Set for October 5, Early Access Starts September 30

NCsoft announced on August 26, 2026 that the MMORPG 'AION2' will launch globally on October 5. The announcement came during the gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 broadcast in Cologne, Germany, where new footage showed intense battles and world exploration. The game is a cross-world MMORPG and the latest entry in the 'AION' series, set 200 years after 'The Tower of AION'. Players become the demigod Daeva in a world torn apart by the collapsed Tower of Aion, with the story centering on the Elyos, the Asmodians, and the newly empowered Balaur. The game is free-to-play for PC via Steam and PURPLE, and it offers a map 36 times larger than the previous game, with free flight and three-dimensional movement. Players can choose from 8 classes and customize their character with over 200 adjustable options. The game includes solo content, multiplayer dungeons for 5 or 10 players, field events, and mini-games. Pre-purchasing the 'Founders Pack' grants early access, allowing play five days before launch. The world is powered by Unreal Engine 5.

Aug 7

AION2 Devs on No-Gacha Revenue: Players Pay to Support, Not to Win

NCsoft's AION2 earned 100 billion won (about 10.8 billion yen) in Korea and Taiwan within 1.5 months of service, without gacha monetization. The global version launches in September 2026 with a free-to-play, $15 monthly subscription, and item shop model. Developers remain cautious, saying global players will judge more harshly.

Jul 17

AION2 Global Launch Set for September 2026, No Gacha Monetization Confirmed

NCsoft is preparing to launch AION2, the sequel to Tower of Aion, for PC worldwide in September 2026. The game will be available through Steam and NCsoft's own PURPLE platform, with no mobile version for global players. AION2 uses a no-gacha monetization model centered on a membership system (around $15 per month) that provides convenience features, alongside cosmetic items such as costumes, wings, and pets. These items do not affect character power. The game has already proven its business model in Korea and Taiwan, where it launched in November 2025 and generated over 100 billion won (approximately 108 billion yen) in under two months. Built on Unreal Engine 5, the MMORPG emphasizes free flight with wings, action-oriented combat with a crosshair aim mode, and large-scale aerial battles. The development team consists of about 350 people. The game supports three factions: Elyos, Asmodians, and Balaur. In an interview with 4Gamer and Game Watch, business room head So In-seop and development producer Kim Nam-joon discussed the decision to restart development from scratch in 2021, the challenges of launching without gacha, and plans for the global release.

Jul 7

AION2 Launches September 2026, Realizing Creator's 18-Year-Old Vision

NC's MMORPG sequel AION2 arrives September 2026 with hundreds of character customization options, 8 classes, over 200 dungeons, and free-flight wings powered by Unreal Engine 5. Development lead Paek Seung-wook says he poured in dreams that could not be realized 18 years ago when the original AION launched.

Jul 1

AION2 Media Preview Highlights Vast World, Deep Customization, and Classic MMORPG Design

NC held a media hands-on event for the upcoming MMORPG 'AION2,' offering a first look at the game ahead of its global release in September 2026. The preview focused on character creation, field exploration with the series' signature flight system, combat, and dungeon content. Set in Atreia 200 years after the events of the original 'The Tower of AION,' the game divides players into the Elyos and Asmodian factions. Character creation is notably deep, allowing adjustments to facial features, body proportions including trapezius development and belly protrusion, and even equipment material and color. The world, built in Unreal Engine 5, is reportedly about 36 times larger than the previous game, with seamless flight enabling access to nearly all visible locations. Combat supports both traditional targeting and a non-targeting action-oriented mode, with skills that can be customized via a specialization system. The preview included solo content 'Nightmare' and a four-player dungeon 'Expedition,' as well as party mini-games. NC confirmed the game will launch on PC via Steam and its PURPLE platform, with no mobile version planned for Japan.

Jun 26

AION2 Navi Live Broadcast Airs June 26

NCSoft will host the first official Japanese live broadcast for its upcoming MMORPG AION2 on June 26, 2026 at 20:00 JST on the game's official YouTube channel. The stream, titled "AION2 Navi -Global Service Commemorative Live Broadcast-", will feature Japanese version gameplay showcasing the world view, graphics, character customization, and field exploration. In the latter half, AION2 Business Office Manager Seo In-seop and Development PD Kim Nam-joon will appear from South Korea for a Q&A session addressing pre-collected player questions. The game, a sequel to the PC MMORPG Tower of Aion, is slated for a September release on NC's cross-platform service PURPLE and Steam. Early hands-on coverage describes a world roughly 36 times larger than its predecessor, rendered in Unreal Engine 5, with near-unrestricted flight, a hybrid target/non-target combat system, eight classes, deep character customization including muscle definition and heterochromia options, and over 200 pet types acquired from monsters and daily dungeons. The design balances solo-friendly field content with challenging party dungeons that require traditional role distribution.

Jun 20

AION2 Launches in September, Lets Players Fly Anywhere

At Summer Game Fest 2026, NCsoft announced that AION2, the sequel to the 2009 MMORPG The Tower of AION, will officially launch in September. The new game removes the original's flight-area restrictions, allowing players to fly anywhere in normal fields. It features eight classes matching the original Japanese launch lineup, enhanced graphics, deep character creation with shareable presets, and extensive equipment customization.

Jun 6

AION2 Global PC Release Set for September 2026

NC Corporation announced a global PC release for the MMORPG AION2 in September 2026. The news came during a new trailer shown at Summer Game Fest 2026. The trailer highlights free flight, aerial combat, and fast-paced battles in the world of Atreia, rendered with Unreal Engine 5. The game is set 200 years after the original Aion. It will launch on Steam and NC's cross-platform service PURPLE. Pre-registration is now open. Players who pre-register will receive the in-game companion pet Pagati and a choice of one additional pet from four types: Black Smoke Molt, Konuti Worker, Silver Blade Rotan, and Papiss. An official Discord server has also launched, with class-specific channels for community building. AION2 includes eight classes, solo content, 4-player and 8-player dungeons, advanced character creation, and a pet system. The game has been available in South Korea and Taiwan since November 2025. A closed demo for media and creators is being held at the Summer Game Fest venue.