← all stories
NCSoft
NCsoft is preparing to launch AION2 globally in September 2026, with a no-gacha monetization model, while also releasing the Lineage 2M update SANCTUARY on August 26, 2026.
Synthesized from 3
Yomimono stories · updated
Aug 27
NCsoft is in a period of active global expansion. The company 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 that provides convenience features, alongside cosmetic items that 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 in under two months.
Built on Unreal Engine 5, AION2 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.
NCsoft also hosted the first official Japanese live broadcast for AION2 on June 26, 2026, featuring Japanese version gameplay and a Q&A session with So In-seop and Kim Nam-joon. The broadcast gave Japanese players their first direct line to the Korean development and management team. Meanwhile, NC Corporation will release the Lineage 2M update SANCTUARY: The Miracle That Revives the Front Lines on August 26, which includes a class reboot for the Orb weapon type, updates to Origin World and Reserve World, and an INTERLUDE coupon.
Key facts
- AION2 global launch window
- September 2026 for PC worldwide ↗
- AION2 platforms
- Steam and NCsoft's PURPLE platform ↗
- AION2 monetization
- No-gacha model with a membership system and cosmetic items that do not affect character power ↗
- AION2 business model proof
- Launched in Korea and Taiwan in November 2025, generating over 100 billion won in under two months ↗
- AION2 development team size
- About 350 people ↗
- AION2 factions
- Elyos, Asmodians, and Balaur ↗
- AION2 Japanese live broadcast
- Held June 26, 2026, featuring gameplay and a Q&A with So In-seop and Kim Nam-joon ↗
- Lineage 2M update SANCTUARY release date
- August 26, 2026 ↗
Timeline
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
All coverage
Aug 27
At gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, NCsoft released new footage for Cinder City, an open-world multiplayer TPS developed by BigFire Games. The trailer, shown during the broadcast in Cologne, Germany, depicts a woman recording the moment the world collapses on a typewriter. The game is set in a near-future Seoul, South Korea, where dystopian control prevails and a scientific disaster causes creatures to mutate. Players take on the role of super soldiers called Cinder Knights, fighting enemy forces to reclaim the ruined city. The footage also teases an unsettling conspiracy woven into the narrative. Cinder City was previously showcased at G-STAR 2025, where it was playable as a solo campaign described as a well-crafted single-player experience akin to a packaged game. The title is described as an open-world tactical shooter with MMO elements, and it is planned as a PC release. Details on a release window remain undisclosed in the new footage.
Aug 27
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 27
NC announced its new team-based survival FPS 'Like or Die' during the gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 broadcast on August 26, 2026, releasing a reveal trailer, a lore trailer, a Steam store page, and a brand website. The game, previously known as 'Project Bonfire,' casts players as streamers on a universe-scale platform called 'Quaya Stream,' competing in matches of four teams of four players each, for a total of 16 players. Each team defends a base called a 'Nexus,' which allows respawning as long as it stands; the goal is to destroy enemy Nexuses and be the last team alive. The signature mechanic is 'Block Action,' where players place simple square blocks to build walls, bridges, and high ground, reshaping the battlefield. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5 and is planned for PC and consoles, with a PC (Steam) release confirmed. The release date has not been announced. In an interview, Director Hyungsoo Chun and Production Head Hwan Kim explained that 'likes' function as an out-of-game quest reward from cosmic sponsors, tied to avatar customization, not in-match stats.
Aug 12
NC Corporation will release the Lineage 2M update SANCTUARY: The Miracle That Revives the Front Lines on August 26. The update includes a class reboot for the Orb weapon type, updates to Origin World and Reserve World, and an INTERLUDE coupon. Details arrive August 20.
Jul 17
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.
Jun 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.