The confirmation came during a Gamescom interview with the AION 2 development team, where Kim was asked directly whether NC would consider a console release if there was sufficient player demand. His answer was considerably more concrete than the usual "we are always exploring opportunities" language. According to Kim, NC is already preparing the console launch, although the immediate priority remains getting the global PC version out successfully first.
AION 2 Console Support Will Come After PC
For now, the global launch remains firmly focused on PC. AION 2 will be available through Steam and NC's PURPLE launcher, with Founder's Pack owners getting Advanced Access on September 30 before the full free-to-play release on October 5. Earlier this year, when we covered NC confirming AION 2's global release plans, the big question was simply when Western players would finally get access. The conversation has moved rather quickly since then. We are now discussing what happens after launch.
NC has not confirmed whether the eventual console version means PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S or both, and there is no timetable beyond the statement that console support will follow the global PC release. That means this should not be read as a surprise console launch arriving alongside the PC version in October. It is a separate project that NC is actively preparing for later.
PC and Console Cross-Play Looks Unlikely
The more interesting part of the interview came when Kim was asked whether the future console release would support cross-play with PC. NC has not made a final decision, but the current thinking appears to be probably not. Kim explained that PC and console usage patterns and gameplay differ, while the separate launch timing also complicates running the versions together.
That could have significant consequences depending on how NC eventually structures the console version. AION 2 is an MMO built around persistent progression, group content, PvP and a long-running economy, so splitting the community across separate platform environments is considerably more important than it would be in a conventional single-player game. The existing AION 2 roadmap already shows how aggressively NC plans to expand the game, and a console edition arriving months later could potentially begin from a different content or seasonal position.
For now, however, that part remains speculation. The useful information is simply that cross-play has not been ruled out officially, but NC currently appears to be leaning against it.
Controller Support Is Already Included on PC
There is some good news for players who want a more console-like experience without waiting for the actual console release. Executive Publishing Producer Merv Lee Kwai confirmed that AION 2 supports controllers on PC. That makes plenty of sense for a game built around modern action combat, aerial movement, gliding and a third-person camera rather than the enormous hotbar forests that once caused MMO players to develop additional fingers through sheer necessity.
Controller support also gives NC useful experience before the console edition arrives. UI navigation, targeting, movement and ability layouts all need to function comfortably without a keyboard and mouse, and the PC release effectively gives the studio a head start on solving those problems.
There Are No Plans for a Global Mobile Version
The same interview also clears up another platform question. Despite NC's enormous presence in mobile gaming, the global version of AION 2 is being treated as a PC game, and Lee Kwai said there are currently no plans to bring the global release to mobile.
That distinction matters because AION 2 has occasionally been lumped together with NC's broader multiplatform strategy. For Western players, the roadmap is now much clearer: PC comes first, consoles are being prepared for later, and mobile is not currently part of the global plan.
DLSS 5 Is Also Being Prepared
NC is thinking beyond platforms on the technical side as well. The developers confirmed that they are working with NVIDIA on DLSS 5 support, while NVIDIA has already confirmed that the Western release will support DLSS 4.5 when Advanced Access begins on September 30.
AION 2 runs on Unreal Engine 5 and leans heavily on enormous environments, long draw distances, dense fantasy architecture and the freedom to move through the world vertically. That makes performance technology particularly relevant here. Flying through Atreia is considerably less impressive if the glorious city on the horizon arrives three seconds after you do.
AION 2 Is Starting to Look Like a Much Bigger Global Project
The console confirmation may not affect anyone playing AION 2 this October, but it does tell us something important about NC's ambitions. This is not being treated as a PC launch that will simply be maintained in its existing markets. The company is already planning how AION 2 expands after the global release, both through new platforms and continued technical development.
For PC players, nothing changes in the immediate future. Steam and PURPLE remain the places to play, controller support is already available, and the October launch comes first. For console players, though, there is finally something more substantial than hope.
AION 2 is coming to consoles. We just do not yet know when, where or whether those players will be sharing Atreia with the rest of us.
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