AION 2's Advanced Access window closes tonight, and NC's global commercial launch takes over on October 5. In a run of notices posted to Steam on Sunday, the publisher confirmed the final maintenance window that separates the two phases, named the new launch servers for every region, and extended its pre-registration rewards to anyone who logs in before December. If you have been waiting for the free-to-play release rather than paying for a Founder's Pack, this is when the doors open.
When AION 2 goes live
The switch happens during one scheduled maintenance. Servers go down at 22:00 PDT on Sunday, October 4, which is 01:00 EDT, 05:00 UTC and 07:00 CEST on Monday, October 5. NC lists the downtime at roughly eight hours, so if everything runs to plan the game should come back as the full commercial release around 06:00 PDT / 09:00 EDT / 13:00 UTC / 15:00 CEST on October 5. NC notes that the timing can change and says it will update the same notice if it slips, so treat the reopening time as a target, not a promise.
The maintenance notice spells it out: Advanced Access ends, and the commercial launch begins. Anyone still logged in when the servers go down will be disconnected.
AION 2 is free to play on Windows PC through Steam and NC's own PURPLE launcher. Both storefronts share the same servers and the same content. You do not need to link a PURPLE account to play on Steam, but you will need to link them if you want one character and its progress on both. Progress from the Korean and Taiwanese versions, which launched earlier, does not carry over to the global service.
The launch servers
Each AION 2 server holds a single faction. When you start the game you choose a region, then Elyos or Asmodian, then a server, and every Elyos server is paired with an Asmodian counterpart. Those pairings decide who you meet in cross-faction content such as the Abyss and Spacetime Rifts: if your server is paired with Siel, Siel's players are the ones you will be fighting. NC says the pairings last for a limited time, so the rivalries will be reshuffled later.
The servers opened during Advanced Access stay online, and NC is adding fresh pairs on top of them for the wider launch. Europe gets the biggest expansion: nine new pairs (Nania and Hadala, Tahavatha and Ludra, Luteros and Ulgorn, Phernos and Munin, Daminu and Odar, Kasaka and Zemurru, Bakarma and Kromede, Tsenka and Quai, Kochi and Baba) join the nine pairs already running there. NA West, NA East, Latin America and Asia also get new pairs, mostly reusing the familiar AION server names such as Kaisinel, Lumiel, Yustiel and Marchutan. If you want to play with friends who started in Advanced Access, check which server they are on before you make a character, because each server is locked to one faction.
What it costs, and what you get for logging in
NC's launch FAQ says there is no subscription fee. The game makes its money from an optional monthly membership, cosmetic items and a Battle Pass. The membership is not purely cosmetic, though: according to NC, it unlocks access to the player-driven economy and the currency exchanges, which matters for anyone who plans to trade seriously.
To mark the launch, NC is extending its pre-registration and Steam wishlist rewards to everyone. Create an account and log in before the maintenance that begins at 23:30 PST on December 1, and the rewards arrive automatically by in-game mail. They include a pet chest, which lets you pick one of Papis, Silver Blade Rotan, Konutin Worker or Black Smoke Murute, and a supply chest with 10 Resurrection Spiritstones, 100 Life Potions, 50 Healing Potions and stacks of return, courage, speed and benediction scrolls. The mail expires on December 8, so claim it promptly.
The Advanced Access Twitch Drops campaign ends at 23:59 PDT tonight, just before the servers go down. A separate global Twitch Drops campaign runs until October 16. Drops go to whichever NC account your Twitch account is linked to, so check that link first.
A change for Founder's Pack owners
Advanced Access players paid for the head start through Founder's Packs, and the biggest complaint NC has acknowledged is that the pack cosmetics were tied to a single character. That made them awkward for anyone who wanted to level alts or follow friends to another server. NC has now committed to making the Founder's Pack cosmetics usable on every character on an account, across every server.
The Standard pack carries a unique title. The Deluxe pack adds an armour skin and a weapon skin, and the Ultimate pack adds further armour, a pet and wings. The 30-day membership and the one-time supply and styling chests stay one-time rewards. NC warns the change will take several days and will only be finished after Early Access ends. Players who bought a cheaper pack because of the old restriction can upgrade on PURPLE, or buy the higher tier on Steam and ask support to refund the cheaper one. NC says a follow-up post will explain how that works.
PC requirements and support
AION 2 runs on Unreal Engine 5, and its Steam page lists these specs:
- Minimum: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or Intel Core i5-10500, 8 GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB), DirectX 12, Windows 10/11 64-bit
- Recommended: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel Core i7-11700, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA RTX 2070 (8 GB)
- Storage: 100 GB, SSD recommended
NC's notes are worth reading: at 1080p, minimum-spec machines should use the Very Low preset and recommended-spec machines the Low preset. The game will run with a controller, but controllers are not officially supported, and neither are Linux or Steam Deck. Voice acting comes in English, Japanese and Korean, with interface and subtitles in eight languages, including French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and Russian. The global version is PC-only for now, with no mobile release announced.
Why the launch matters
AION was one of NC's defining MMORPGs, and the sequel's big idea is still the sky. Flight is built into the fights, so gaining height is a tactical choice, not just a way across the map. The global launch is the point where that design meets its full audience. Advanced Access was limited to paying players, but from October 5 anyone on PC can download the game free, pick a faction and find out which server across the Abyss is about to become their enemy.
