NC's global service for AION 2 launched October 5, 2026, after a paid Early Access period that saw the game top Steam's worldwide sales chart. The company has also set a December 2 pre-open for Lineage Classic and plans a year-end alpha test for Cinder City.
The recent stories center on AION 2, which launched its global service on October 5, 2026. NC first opened paid Early Access on September 30 for Founders Pack holders. The game took No. 1 in worldwide Steam sales and No. 1 in sales rankings in 13 countries during that window. The launch version is a free download with item charges, runs on Steam and PURPLE, supports eight languages, and uses Unreal Engine 5. AION 2 is set in Atreia 200 years after the collapse of the Tower of Aion, with the Elyos, Asmodians, and Dragons in conflict.
NC had previously announced the October 5 date at gamescom on August 26, 2026. The game's early access tier and its place in global sales rankings were covered in multiple stories. Lineage Classic, a new title based on the early-2000s PC MMORPG Lineage, opened pre-registration on October 21 and will start a pre-open on December 2 at 19:00. In August, NC announced the team-based survival FPS Like or Die, previously known as Project Bonfire, for PC and consoles.
Cinder City, an open-world MMO tactical shooter, received a footage reveal at gamescom 2026. NCSoft vice president James Bae described an August pre-alpha test in North America with about 7,000 players. An alpha test is planned for the end of the year across North America, Europe, and Asia, including Japan. A separate Lineage 2M update, SANCTUARY, was announced for August 26. XREAL ran a two-phase giveaway with AION2 in October.
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NC opened a special site for the PC MMORPG Lineage Classic on October 21 and began taking pre-registrations, which run until 23:59 on December 8. The game is a new title based on the early-2000s PC MMORPG Lineage, reviving its graphics, character development, and player conflict in a modern PC environment through the PURPLE platform. A pre-open anyone can join starts at 19:00 on December 2.
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.
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.
NCSoft vice president James Bae discussed Cinder City in a 4Gamer interview, describing the open-world MMO tactical shooter set in a collapsed Seoul modeled on Samseong-dong and Nonhyeon-dong. A three-day pre-alpha test ran in North America in August 2026 with about 7,000 players, and an alpha test is planned for the end of the year across North America, Europe, and Asia, including Japan.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.