AION 2 Nearly Hits 400,000 Concurrent Steam Players at Global Launch

Apparently 171,530 players was AION 2 warming up.

One day after opening its doors as a free-to-play MMORPG, AION 2 has reached an all-time Steam peak of 397,905 concurrent players, according to SteamDB's AION 2 player charts. That is more than double the peak recorded during Advanced Access and more than five times the number that turned up for September's temporary Global Launch Scale Test.

For an MMO launch, those are not subtle numbers.

From 73,761 to Almost 400,000 Players

The progression over the past few weeks tells the story rather neatly. During the September Launch Scale Test, AION 2 reached 73,761 concurrent Steam players. We covered that first major milestone in our report on AION 2's Global Launch Scale Test, when tens of thousands of players arrived despite the servers only being open temporarily.

When five-day Advanced Access began on September 30, requiring a Founder's Pack, that record jumped to 171,530. At the time, the obvious question was what would happen on October 5, when the paywall disappeared and the much larger free-to-play audience could finally enter Atreia.

We have our answer.

The October 5 Global launch pushed the Steam peak to 397,905 simultaneous players. That is roughly 2.3 times the Advanced Access record and more than five times the Scale Test peak. It is the kind of increase that neatly illustrates just how much larger the audience becomes when an MMO removes the entrance fee and tells everybody the doors are open.

Those Extra Launch Servers Suddenly Make Sense

The number also explains why NC prepared such an enormous second wave of servers. Ahead of the free-to-play launch, the company confirmed another 44 Launch Servers across 22 Elyos and Asmodian pairs, joining the Advanced Access worlds already running since September 30.

When we looked at the full AION 2 Global launch server list, that expansion looked ambitious. With almost 400,000 Steam players alone attempting to enter the game, it now looks rather more sensible.

MMO server capacity is one of those things that always appears excessive right up until several hundred thousand people press the login button at roughly the same time.

Steam Is Still Only Part of the AION 2 Population

There is an important qualification here. SteamDB measures Steam.

AION 2 is also available through NC's PURPLE launcher, and those players are not included in the 397,905 figure. NC has not published a combined peak concurrency figure for the Global service, so there is no responsible way to simply invent another number and bolt it onto the Steam total.

What we can say is already remarkable enough: almost 400,000 people were playing AION 2 simultaneously through Steam alone.

SteamDB also lists AION 2 among the platform's biggest current titles, while the free-to-play release has pushed the game far beyond anything we saw during testing or paid Advanced Access.

A Huge Launch Is Not the Same as Long-Term Success

This is the point where everybody should resist writing AION 2's ten-year anniversary article immediately.

Launch concurrency tells us that interest is enormous. It does not tell us how many of those players will still be around in November, how the economy will settle, whether the endgame progression keeps people engaged, or how the wider audience ultimately responds to monetization and long-term content updates.

MMOs are particularly fond of spectacular opening weekends followed by considerably more complicated second acts.

But that question belongs to later.

For now, the numbers are difficult to argue with. AION 2 went from 73,761 players during its Global test, to 171,530 behind a paid Advanced Access requirement, to 397,905 after becoming free-to-play.

October 5 was supposed to show us what happened when NC finally opened the gates.

Apparently quite a lot of people were standing outside.

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AION 2 Makes Founder’s Pack Cosmetics Account-Wide After Player Feedback

AION 2 has already received one fairly significant monetization change, and this time NC is making something less restrictive rather than adding another shop button.

Following feedback throughout Advanced Access, Founder’s Pack cosmetics are being changed so they can be used by every character on the account, across every server. That means players will no longer have to worry about effectively abandoning expensive skins, wings or pets because they decide to reroll, move to another server or join friends somewhere else.

It is a particularly welcome change now that the October 5 Launch Servers are opening to the free-to-play population. Server choice is already complicated enough without asking players whether their paid dragon should remain trapped several worlds away.

Which Founder’s Pack Rewards Are Becoming Account-Wide?

The exact cosmetics depend on which Founder’s Pack you purchased:

• Standard Founder’s Pack: Vanguard of Atreia title
• Deluxe Founder’s Pack: Vanguard of Atreia title, Ascended Daeva Armor Skin and Eternal Sun Weapon Skin
• Ultimate Founder’s Pack: everything above, plus Moonlit Aria Armor Skin, Black Dragon pet and Blazing Sun Wings

Once the new system is implemented, those eligible rewards will be available to characters across the account rather than remaining tied to the original server or character setup.

That is a meaningful difference in AION 2 because the game encourages players to experiment with classes, factions and different server communities. Our Steam vs PURPLE guide already covered how platform choice affects Founder’s Pack purchases, but server restrictions turned out to be just as important once people actually began playing.

The 30-Day Membership Is Not Included

There is one important limitation.

The 30-day Membership is not becoming account-wide under this change. The Daeva’s Campaign Supply Chest, Daeva’s Styling Chest and their contents also remain one-time rewards under the existing rules.

So this is specifically a change to the cosmetic portion of the Founder’s Packs, not a complete rewrite of how every paid benefit works.

That distinction matters because Membership has been one of the more controversial parts of AION 2’s monetization discussion. Players who expected everything purchased through a Founder’s Pack to follow them freely between servers quickly discovered that was not necessarily how the system worked.

NC is solving the most visible part of that problem, but not all of it.

The Change Is Not Necessarily Live Yet

NC has committed to making the cosmetics available across all characters and servers, but players should not assume the change is already active immediately after the October 5 launch maintenance.

The company says implementation may still take several days and that a follow-up announcement will explain exactly how characters receive access, whether players need to do anything manually and when the process is complete.

In other words, do not panic if your Black Dragon does not immediately materialize beside every alt the moment you log in.

That is particularly relevant for anyone using the upcoming free server transfers beginning October 14. The new policy means cosmetic ownership should eventually be much less of a factor when deciding where you actually want to play.

PURPLE and Steam Handle Pack Upgrades Differently

NC also acknowledged that the original restrictions may have influenced which Founder’s Pack tier people purchased.

Some players deliberately avoided Deluxe or Ultimate because they did not want expensive cosmetic rewards locked into one part of their account. Now that those restrictions are changing, NC is providing an upgrade route.

PURPLE players can upgrade directly to a higher Founder’s Pack tier. Steam works differently. If a Steam player buys a higher-tier pack on the same account, NC says they will later be able to request a refund for the cheaper pack through Customer Support.

The exact Steam refund procedure has not yet been published, so anyone considering an upgrade should wait for NC’s follow-up instructions rather than improvising.

This Change Came Directly From Early Access Feedback

What makes this especially interesting is how quickly NC moved.

Advanced Access only began on September 30, and the first few days generated plenty of discussion around paid items, server restrictions and what exactly “account-wide” ought to mean in an MMO built around alts and multiple worlds. NC now explicitly says the Founder’s Pack change came directly from that feedback.

That makes it one of the clearest examples so far of Advanced Access functioning as more than a five-day head start. We have already seen NC respond rapidly with launch-day quality-of-life changes and bug fixes, while server capacity expanded almost immediately after players arrived.

Now the monetization rules are moving too.

Founder’s Pack cosmetics becoming account-wide does not solve every concern surrounding AION 2’s paid systems, but it removes one of the stranger penalties attached to simply wanting to play another character or another server.

And if you paid for a dragon, it is probably reasonable to expect the dragon to follow you.

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Last Chance for AION 2 Advanced Access Twitch Drops Before October 5

AION 2's free-to-play launch arrives tomorrow, but before everybody charges through the gates there is one small piece of launch administration worth finishing.

The current Advanced Access Twitch Drops expire on October 5 at 08:59 CEST. That means players have only a limited window left to collect the first launch campaign rewards, including 500,000 Kina, 5,000 Enhancement Stones, Cyber Glasses and the White Headset.

The first War for Atreia Twitch campaign ends at exactly the same time, offering another set of rewards for watching participating creators. After that, AION 2 switches over to a completely new Global Launch Twitch Drops campaign running through October 16.

Advanced Access Twitch Drops End October 5

The current all-channel campaign can be progressed by watching any eligible AION 2 stream on Twitch.

The rewards are:

• 15 minutes: Cyber Glasses (Skin: Eyewear)
• 30 minutes: Customization Voucher
• 45 minutes: 2 Odyle Energy
• 1 hour: 3 Soul Codex
• 2 hours: 5,000 Enhancement Stones
• 4 hours: 10 Resurrection Spiritstones
• 6 hours: 500,000 Kina
• 8 hours: White Headset

The campaign closes at 08:59 CEST on October 5, so players starting from zero now need the full eight hours if they want every reward. If you have already made partial progress, Twitch should continue from your existing campaign total rather than forcing you to begin again.

We previously covered the account setup in our AION 2 Twitch Drops launch guide. If your accounts are already linked and rewards are progressing normally, there is no reason to change anything immediately before the campaign ends.

War for Atreia Has a Separate Reward Track

There is also a second campaign running at the same time.

War for Atreia Series 1 requires viewers to watch one of the 60 participating War for Atreia creators rather than simply any AION 2 channel. This campaign began October 2 and also expires October 5 at 08:59 CEST.

The reward track is:

• 30 minutes: Appearance Change Voucher
• 1 hour: 10 Soul Codex
• 2 hours: 10 Resurrection Spiritstones
• 4 hours: 10 Mysterious Pet Chests

That last reward is particularly worth noticing. Ten Mysterious Pet Chests for four hours of viewing is considerably more interesting than leaving the campaign half-finished because you assumed the ordinary Advanced Access track was the only one running.

War for Atreia has become a major part of AION 2's launch push, with Elyos and Asmodian creator teams competing across multiple regions. We have already covered how War for Atreia scoring works and the wider creator competition.

A New Twitch Drops Campaign Starts With Global Launch

Missing the Advanced Access campaign does not mean Twitch Drops disappear tomorrow.

NC has already confirmed a separate Global Launch Rewards campaign running from October 5 through October 16. It replaces the current reward track with another ten-hour progression ladder.

The Global Launch rewards are:

• 1 hour: 4 Odyle Energy
• 2 hours: Skin Chest x10
• 3 hours: 5,000 Enhancement Stones
• 4 hours: Head Bow skin
• 6 hours: 2 Soul Codex: Reset
• 8 hours: 10 Resurrection Spiritstones
• 10 hours: Adorable Young Elim shoulder cosmetic

So October 5 is not really the end of AION 2 Twitch Drops. It is more like a shift change. The Advanced Access rewards disappear in the morning, and the next campaign takes over with a completely different reward list.

Do Not Confuse Twitch Drops With the Other Free Rewards

AION 2 currently has enough overlapping launch rewards to make a spreadsheet feel increasingly reasonable.

The Twitch campaigns are separate from the free TAKEFLIGHTAION2 launch code, which provides consumables simply for redeeming the coupon. They are also separate from pre-registration rewards, Founder's Pack bonuses and the ongoing community launch events.

If you are joining tomorrow, our AION 2 Before You Play guide remains the easiest place to check the various launch jobs before creating your character.

You may also want to decide where that character is going to live before launch. NC has now published the complete October 5 AION 2 Launch Server list, including all Elyos and Asmodian pairings across Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia.

Check Your Progress Before Going to Bed

The practical advice today is simple.

Open your Twitch Drops inventory, check how many hours you already have on the Advanced Access campaign and see whether War for Atreia Series 1 is active as well.

If you still want the White Headset, 500,000 Kina or the ten Mysterious Pet Chests, 08:59 CEST on October 5 is the deadline. After that, those first campaigns are gone and Global Launch rewards take their place.

AION 2 becomes free-to-play tomorrow.

Apparently the final Advanced Access boss is remembering to leave Twitch running long enough.

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AION 2 Adds 12 New Advanced Access Servers as Launch Demand Surges

AION 2's Advanced Access apparently needed considerably more Atreia than NC originally prepared.

Following the September 30 opening, NC rapidly added 12 additional Advanced Access servers across Europe and North America as players poured into the game. Europe received four new Elyos and Asmodian server pairs, while NA East and NA West each received another pair.

The expansion arrived only hours after Advanced Access began, giving us another indication of just how much demand surrounded the paid five-day head start. We already reported that AION 2 reached 171,530 concurrent Steam players, without even counting players using NC's PURPLE launcher.

Apparently all those Daevas needed somewhere to live.

Europe Received Eight Additional Servers

Europe saw by far the largest expansion. NC gradually opened four additional faction pairs:

• Yustiel for Elyos and Marchutan for Asmodians
• Ariel for Elyos and Azphel for Asmodians
• Fregion for Elyos and Ereshkigal for Asmodians
• Meslamtaeda for Elyos and Beritra for Asmodians

The servers did not all appear at once. NC added them progressively throughout September 30 as existing worlds filled and demand continued to rise.

That is quite a change from only a few days earlier, when we were still discussing AION 2's original Advanced Access server pairings. The initial European lineup contained Siel/Israphel, Nezekan/Zikel, Vaizel/Triniel and Kaisinel/Lumiel.

Advanced Access therefore effectively doubled Europe's original server capacity in terms of faction worlds.

North America Expanded Too

Europe was not alone.

NA East received Vaizel for Elyos and Triniel for Asmodians, while NA West added Nezekan and Zikel.

That brings the total expansion to twelve individual servers across the three regions.

NC explicitly encouraged players encountering crowded worlds to join the newly opened servers instead of waiting for a particular server simply because friends or guildmates had already settled there.

Normally that would be slightly frightening advice in an MMO. Nobody wants to spend several evenings leveling a character only to discover that the rest of the guild lives somewhere else.

Fortunately, AION 2 has two systems that make the decision less painful.

Dungeons Are Already Cross-Server

All instanced content, including dungeons, supports cross-server play. That means friends within the same region do not necessarily need identical home servers simply to run PvE content together.

This was already an important part of the game's Global server structure, but it becomes considerably more useful when players are being actively encouraged to spread across newly opened worlds.

Home servers still matter, of course. Legions, faction identity, the economy and PvP matchmaking give individual servers their own communities. As we explained in our server matchup guide, Elyos and Asmodian worlds are paired for activities such as the Abyss and Spacetime Rifts.

But for ordinary dungeon runs, choosing a quieter server does not mean voluntarily moving to a deserted island.

Free Transfers Give Players Another Safety Net

There is now an even better reason not to panic about choosing one of the newer servers.

NC has confirmed that free AION 2 server transfers begin October 14. Advanced Access characters will be able to move between other Advanced Access servers within the same faction, although they cannot transfer onto the fresh October 5 Launch Servers.

That means a player who moved onto Yustiel, Marchutan or one of the other new worlds to escape a queue will eventually have options once populations begin settling down.

It also explains why NC has been so willing to tell players to spread out now rather than spend hours waiting for one specific world.

And Free-to-Play Has Not Even Started Yet

The remarkable part is that all of this happened before the real launch.

Advanced Access began September 30 and still requires a Founder's Pack. AION 2 does not become completely free-to-play until October 5, when another wave of Launch Servers opens for players who chose not to pay for early entry.

NC has therefore expanded capacity repeatedly while there is still a price attached to entering Atreia.

Whether October 5 produces another enormous population jump remains to be seen. But Advanced Access has already demonstrated one thing fairly convincingly.

AION 2 did not arrive quietly.

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AION 2 Fixes Steam Advanced Access Problems, but Account Linking Issues Remain

AION 2's Advanced Access launch has been extremely busy, and not every problem involves a queue full of several thousand impatient Daevas.

NC has released a new client fix after some Steam players reported that AION 2 was no longer correctly recognizing their Advanced Access status. The company says the issue should now be resolved, along with separate problems affecting in-game purchases.

There is no additional downtime required. Players simply need to restart the client so the latest update can be applied.

One issue, however, is still being investigated: account linking between Steam and PURPLE.

Advanced Access Should Now Be Recognized Correctly

The most immediate problem affected players who had already paid for a Founder's Pack but found that AION 2 was not properly recognizing their Early Access entitlement when they attempted to log in.

That is a particularly unpleasant bug in a game where the entire point of buying a Founder's Pack is getting access before the October 5 free-to-play launch.

NC says a fix has now been deployed. If your account was affected, the first thing to do is therefore very simple: close AION 2 completely and restart the client. The update should then install automatically.

The same patch is intended to resolve reported problems with in-game purchases.

For anyone still sorting out exactly how the two PC platforms work, our AION 2 Steam vs PURPLE guide explains the important differences. The game itself is the same, but account access and purchases make choosing your platform considerably more important than simply deciding which launcher icon looks nicest on the desktop.

Account Linking Is Still Being Investigated

This is the part players should pay attention to.

NC says it is still investigating account linking issues. The company has not yet provided a complete explanation of what is going wrong or a final fix, so players should avoid assuming that today's Advanced Access patch has solved every Steam and PURPLE problem.

There is also an important detail in NC's official Launch FAQ: you do not need to link a Steam account with a PURPLE account simply to play AION 2 through Steam.

Linking is only necessary if you want to access the same character and progression through both platforms.

That means players who are already happily playing through Steam do not need to start connecting accounts simply because the option exists. With linking issues currently under investigation, unnecessary account experiments are probably something best saved for another day.

Twitch Linking Is a Separate Matter

There is another layer of confusion because AION 2 is also running launch Twitch Drops.

Connecting Twitch for rewards is separate from deciding whether Steam and PURPLE should share your game account. We recently covered the process in our AION 2 Twitch Drops launch guide, where players can collect the current cosmetic rewards by watching eligible streams.

In other words, there are currently several different accounts orbiting AION 2, and clicking every available Link button is not necessarily a required launch activity.

Our AION 2 Before You Play checklist also covers the other launch preparations, including platforms, servers, factions and rewards.

AION 2 Is Handling a Very Large Advanced Access Launch

The technical problems are arriving during an unusually large paid head start. AION 2 has already reached 171,530 concurrent players on Steam during Advanced Access, without counting anyone using PURPLE.

NC has also been rapidly expanding server capacity, while the full AION 2 free-to-play Global launch arrives on October 5. That will remove the Founder's Pack requirement entirely and potentially bring another large wave of players into Atreia.

For now, the practical advice is straightforward.

If AION 2 suddenly stopped recognizing your Advanced Access entitlement, restart the client and let the new patch install. If the problem involves linking Steam and PURPLE accounts, however, NC is still working on it.

Sometimes the most advanced skill in an MMO launch is knowing which button not to press yet.

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AION 2 Free Server Transfers Begin October 14: Here Are the Restrictions

AION 2 has been live for barely a day, and we have already reached one of the great traditions of MMO launches: everyone wants to be on the same server, preferably the one currently surrounded by a queue.

NC has now provided an escape route. AION 2 server transfers will become available starting October 14, and transfers will initially be free. The system gives players who picked a crowded server, ended up separated from friends or simply regret their opening-night decision a chance to move without immediately reaching for their wallet.

There are, however, several restrictions worth understanding before deciding that server choice no longer matters.

Server Transfers Start October 14

NC announced the transfer date while responding to the heavy demand surrounding Advanced Access. Players waiting in queues are being encouraged to create characters on recommended servers instead of insisting on squeezing into the most populated worlds.

That advice makes considerably more sense now that we know a transfer system is only two weeks away.

Before launch, we explained that AION 2 planned to introduce server transfers after populations had settled, but several important details were still missing. We did not know when transfers would begin, whether they would cost money or exactly which servers would be allowed to exchange characters.

We now have answers to several of those questions.

• Server transfers begin October 14.
• Transfers will initially be free.
• You can only transfer to a server belonging to the same faction.
• Advanced Access characters can only move between Advanced Access servers.
• Advanced Access characters cannot transfer to the new October 5 Launch Servers.

NC has not yet explained how long the free-transfer period will remain available, so players should not assume transfers will permanently cost nothing.

You Cannot Use Transfers to Change Faction

The same-faction restriction is particularly important because AION 2 separates Elyos and Asmodians across dedicated worlds.

An Elyos character cannot use the transfer system as a convenient shortcut into an Asmodian server, or vice versa. The faction decision remains part of your character identity rather than something the transfer service quietly erases.

That also means players coordinating with friends still need to agree on faction first. Our Advanced Access server matchup guide explains which Elyos and Asmodian worlds were initially paired for faction warfare, while our overview of AION 2's Global server regions covers the larger geographical structure.

Advanced Access Players Cannot Transfer to October 5 Servers

The other major restriction prevents Advanced Access players from moving their five-day progression advantage onto one of the fresh servers opening with the free-to-play launch on October 5.

That distinction is sensible. The new Launch Servers are specifically designed to give incoming free players a cleaner starting environment rather than immediately surrounding them with characters who have already spent five days gearing, gathering and progressing.

If you started during AION 2 Advanced Access on September 30, your transfer options will therefore remain within the Advanced Access server pool.

The October 5 worlds remain their own group for transfer purposes, at least when the system first launches.

You Can Already Run Dungeons Across Servers

There is another reason NC is telling players not to sit endlessly in queues simply because their friends chose a different server.

All instanced content, including dungeons, already supports cross-server play.

So if your group has temporarily ended up scattered across several servers, that does not necessarily prevent you from running instanced PvE together. AION 2 was designed with regional cross-server matchmaking precisely because individual server populations should not determine

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AION 2 Hits 171,530 Concurrent Steam Players Before Free-to-Play Launch

AION 2 has not even reached its free-to-play launch yet, and apparently nobody told the players they were supposed to wait.

During its first day of Advanced Access, AION 2 reached an all-time Steam peak of 171,530 concurrent players. That is an enormous jump from the recent Launch Scale Test and particularly impressive considering that the September 30 opening is only available to players who purchased a Founder's Pack.

The actual number of people playing AION 2 was almost certainly higher. SteamDB can only show Steam activity, while AION 2 is also available through NC's PURPLE launcher. NC has not published a combined concurrency number, so 171,530 should be treated as the confirmed Steam figure rather than the total Global population.

Still, 171,530 people buying their way into an MMO five days before it becomes free is not exactly a quiet opening.

AION 2 More Than Doubled Its Launch Scale Test Peak

The most useful comparison comes from only two weeks ago.

During the Global Launch Scale Test, we reported that AION 2 reached 73,761 concurrent Steam players. That was already a strong result for a short test where characters would eventually be wiped and most of the permanent economy was disabled.

Advanced Access has now pushed that figure to 171,530.

In other words, AION 2 has more than doubled its Steam test peak before the doors have even opened to free-to-play players.

That makes the timing particularly interesting. AION 2's full Global launch does not happen until October 5, when players no longer need a Founder's Pack to enter. If Advanced Access can attract more than 170,000 simultaneous Steam users behind a paid entry requirement, October 5 will be the first real stress test for just how much demand is waiting outside.

AION 2 Is Also Number One on Steam's Top Sellers

The concurrency figure is not the only launch statistic getting attention.

AION 2 has also reached #1 on Steam's Top Sellers chart. That makes sense when every Steam player currently inside Advanced Access has necessarily bought one of the Founder's Packs, but reaching the top of the global chart still demonstrates how much interest has built around the Western release.

That interest was already visible before launch. Players piled into the test, the Advanced Access preload began two days before opening, and NC published the first permanent server matchups only shortly before players entered Atreia.

Then everybody arrived at once. MMO launches do enjoy tradition.

The Steam Reviews Are Positive, But Hardly Unanimous

The player count tells us people are interested. It does not automatically tell us everybody is happy.

At the time of writing, roughly 71 percent of Steam user reviews are positive. That is actually fairly close to what we saw during testing, when AION 2 finished its Launch Scale Test at 69 percent positive.

The arguments remain familiar. Some players praise the combat, visuals, enormous world and sheer quantity of MMO systems to dig into. Others remain less enthusiastic about progression design, monetization and the unmistakable structure of a modern Korean MMORPG.

In other words, the test did a surprisingly good job of predicting the conversation.

There is also some useful context when looking at the Steam numbers. AION 2 remained unavailable through Steam in several countries immediately before Advanced Access, while PURPLE players are completely invisible to SteamDB's concurrency chart.

October 5 Is the Number That Really Matters Next

For now, 171,530 is an extremely strong opening figure.

But Advanced Access is still a peculiar sample. Everyone currently playing was interested enough to spend money before a game that becomes free only five days later. Those are, by definition, some of AION 2's most motivated players.

October 5 changes the equation.

That is when the paywall disappears, new Launch Servers open and the much larger group of players who decided to simply wait can finally enter Atreia.

The Launch Scale Test peaked at 73,761. Advanced Access has already reached 171,530.

Now we get to see what happens when the doors are actually open.

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AION 2 launches into Advanced Access today, which means thousands of players will naturally celebrate by doing the most MMO thing imaginable: watching somebody else play it.

There is at least a reward for doing so.

AION 2's Global Twitch Drops system is now part of the launch period, with players already sharing images of the free outfit connected to the campaign. The cosmetic has quickly become one of the more talked-about launch freebies, particularly because it gives Global players another appearance option without buying one of the more expensive Founder's Packs.

It also finally puts NC's official AION 2 Twitch Drops page to practical use after the infrastructure appeared before launch.

Yes, You Need to Link Your Account First

The important part is not simply opening Twitch and leaving an AION 2 stream running somewhere behind seventeen browser tabs.

Your Twitch account needs to be connected to the account you actually use for AION 2. Steam players should pay particular attention here because NC specifically tells them to select the Steam icon when linking their account.

We already covered the complete setup in our AION 2 Twitch Drops guide, including account linking, claiming rewards and how progress works when moving between participating channels.

Once a campaign is active, Twitch tracks your viewing progress automatically on eligible streams. You do not have to remain with the same creator for the entire requirement, so switching between participating channels does not throw away the time you have already accumulated.

The Free Outfit Is Getting Plenty of Attention

The interesting part today is the cosmetic reward itself.

Players are already showing off the launch outfit, and the initial reaction has been remarkably enthusiastic for something being handed out through a viewing campaign. Naturally, fashion remains one of the few true endgame systems every MMO launches with completely functional.

There is also an amusing regional wrinkle. Players familiar with the Taiwan version have pointed out that the same or equivalent outfit was previously distributed there extremely cheaply or effectively free. Global appears to be using Twitch instead, turning the cosmetic into part of the launch marketing campaign rather than simply placing it directly into everyone's wardrobe.

That fits neatly with NC's broader launch strategy. War for Atreia already makes Twitch activity part of its scoring system, and the competition itself puts 60 creators into six Elyos and Asmodian Legions during the opening weeks of Global service.

NC therefore has a fairly obvious reason to give ordinary players something for watching.

War for Atreia Is Part of the Launch Push

The Twitch campaign is closely tied to a much larger creator push surrounding AION 2.

We first covered War for Atreia when NC announced the two-week faction competition. Since then, the six Captains and full creator teams have been revealed, with North America, Europe and Latin America each fielding an Elyos and an Asmodian Legion.

That event begins alongside AION 2 Advanced Access on September 30 and continues through the October 5 free-to-play launch.

Even players with absolutely no interest in watching streamers argue about faction superiority therefore have a reason to keep an eye on Twitch during the launch period.

Do Not Forget the Other Free Launch Rewards

Twitch Drops are also separate from AION 2's other launch rewards.

Players who completed the pre-registration requirements can receive free companions, which we covered in our guide to AION 2's free pre-registration pets. Founder's Pack bonuses are separate again, as are any future event rewards.

Our AION 2 Before You Play checklist covers the various account jobs worth completing around launch, because there are now enough free pets, Twitch connections, server choices and platform accounts involved that starting an MMO occasionally feels disturbingly similar to completing paperwork.

Still, a free outfit is a free outfit.

And in AION, where wings and fashion have been serious business since 2009, looking good while waiting for the next dungeon group is practically a core mechanic.

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AION 2 Advanced Access Starts Today at 15:00 CEST: The Launch Time Is Finally Confirmed

We have spent more time discussing AION 2's launch clock than anyone should reasonably spend discussing a clock, but the guessing is finally over.

AION 2 Advanced Access begins today, September 30, at 13:00 UTC, which is 15:00 CEST in Central Europe. The full free-to-play launch follows at the same hour on October 5. That finally confirms the timing we previously spotted through Steam when we reported that AION 2 appeared to be heading for a 13:00 UTC global launch. At the time, the date was official but the exact hour was not. Now the calendar can stop looking suspiciously unfinished.

AION 2 Advanced Access Starts at 13:00 UTC

For players entering through a Founder's Pack, September 30 is effectively launch day. Characters created during Advanced Access are permanent, progression continues into the full release, and all three Founder's Pack tiers provide the same five-day head start. If you are still deciding whether that is worth paying for, our complete AION 2 global release and Advanced Access guide covers the launch dates and what the packs actually include.

The important times are now straightforward:

• US West Coast: 6:00 AM PDT
• US East Coast: 9:00 AM EDT
• Brazil: 10:00 AM BRT
• United Kingdom: 2:00 PM BST
• Central Europe: 3:00 PM CEST
• Eastern Europe: 4:00 PM EEST
• Japan: 10:00 PM JST

The same schedule applies to the October 5 free-to-play opening, which should make the second launch considerably easier to plan.

Do Not Forget About the Encrypted Preload

There is, however, one small piece of traditional PC gaming theatre standing between players and Atreia. The AION 2 preload is already available, but the downloaded files are encrypted and must be decrypted before the client can run. That does not mean downloading the entire game again, but the process can still take time depending on your storage and PC hardware.

In other words, having the game downloaded does not necessarily mean you can press Play at 14:59 and glide gracefully into Atreia sixty seconds later. We have also looked specifically at why the encrypted AION 2 preload could delay some players at Advanced Access.

Steam users who participated in the Launch Scale Test should also make sure they are using the correct client. NC instructed test players to uninstall the separate Playtest application and install the normal retail version instead. PURPLE users have a simpler transition, although anyone still choosing between the two platforms should read our Steam versus PURPLE comparison before buying anything, since Founder's Pack purchases are tied to the platform where they are made.

Choose Your Server Before the Gates Open

Launch preparation is not only about downloading files. AION 2 separates Elyos and Asmodians onto different servers and then pairs those servers for cross-faction activities such as the Abyss. NC has already revealed the first Advanced Access matchups, so groups planning to play together should settle their faction and server choices before character creation begins rather than discovering five minutes later that half the guild has wandered into the wrong version of Atreia.

That is particularly important because AION 2's global server structure covers Europe, North America, South America and Asia, and the opening days are likely to be busy. Our AION 2 Before You Play checklist also covers factions, classes, rewards, storage requirements and the other small decisions that are considerably more pleasant to make before a login queue appears.

This Time the Characters Stay

The Launch Scale Test was useful, but everything there was temporary. Today is different. Levels matter, items matter, character names matter and the strange creature you spend twenty minutes perfecting in the character creator is now somebody you may still be staring at hundreds of hours later.

For Founder's Pack owners, AION 2 starts today at 15:00 CEST. Everyone else joins the same adventure on October 5.

After months of trailers, Korean updates, tests, monetization debates and launch preparation, we have finally reached the wonderfully simple part.

Now we actually get to play it.

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AION 2 Preload Is Encrypted: Why You May Still Have to Wait at Advanced Access

If you have already preloaded AION 2 for Advanced Access, there is one small detail worth knowing before September 30: the files currently sitting on your PC are encrypted.

That means Steam will still need to decrypt the installation before AION 2 can actually start. NC has specifically warned players about this because it can look suspiciously like the game has decided to download itself all over again at exactly the moment everybody wants to log in.

It has not.

The important distinction is simple: decryption is not a reinstallation.

What Happens When Advanced Access Begins?

NC's official preload instructions are unusually straightforward. Download AION 2 now, wait for September 30, allow the client to decrypt the files, then play.

The preloaded files are deliberately encrypted so the playable game cannot simply be extracted and launched before Advanced Access officially begins.

Once the release condition is met, the client must process those encrypted files and turn them into the usable installation.

NC specifically notes that the amount of time required will vary depending on the player's PC specifications.

So even if your entire preload finished yesterday, you should not assume pressing Play will immediately place you at character creation.

Steam May Look Busy Without Downloading the Whole Game Again

This is the part most likely to cause launch-day panic.

You have already downloaded AION 2.

September 30 arrives.

Steam suddenly starts doing a lot of disk activity.

The progress bar moves slowly.

And somewhere, somebody immediately decides that deleting everything and starting over is clearly the sensible solution.

Don't.

NC's official preload announcement specifically says that the decryption process is not a reinstallation. Let the process finish unless Steam actually reports an error.

Preloading Is Still Worth Doing

The existence of a decryption step does not make preloading pointless.

Without the preload, players starting on September 30 still need to download the entire game before installation and launch. How long that takes depends heavily on internet speed.

Preloading moves the large network transfer out of launch day.

You are effectively exchanging a large download for a local processing step.

If you have already followed our AION 2 preload guide, the main job is done. Steam Launch Scale Test players should have removed the separate Playtest client and installed the normal retail AION 2 application instead.

Do Not Fill the Drive After Preloading

It is also sensible to leave some free storage available rather than finishing the preload and immediately filling the rest of the drive with something else.

AION 2's official PC requirements call for 100 GB of available storage, with an SSD recommended. Our complete PC requirements guide covers the hardware in more detail.

The amount downloaded during preload does not necessarily represent the final installed footprint in exactly the same way, because packaged and processed game data can behave differently during installation.

The easy rule is therefore: give Steam some breathing room.

Should You Restart Steam at Launch?

If the Advanced Access time arrives and Steam still shows AION 2 as locked, restarting the Steam client is a reasonable first troubleshooting step.

But once Steam begins decrypting or unpacking the preload, leave it alone.

Repeatedly restarting the client, cancelling the process or deleting files because the progress bar is not moving quickly enough is far more likely to create extra work than save time.

NC has already told players to expect this stage.

What About PURPLE?

NC's preload announcement applies to both Steam and PURPLE players, and the company warns generally that the downloaded files are encrypted and need to be decrypted before play.

The exact interface will naturally look different between the two launchers, but the principle is the same: the preload gets the files onto the PC before Advanced Access, while the final processing happens when the game becomes playable.

If you are still choosing between the two platforms, our Steam vs PURPLE comparison covers the more important long-term differences.

The Last Thing You Want to Do Is Panic-Reinstall

We are now at the point where AION 2 launch preparation is mostly about avoiding unnecessary problems.

Claim the rewards. Pick the faction. Coordinate the server. Install the correct client. Leave enough disk space. Our Before You Play checklist covers the rest.

And on September 30, remember one final thing:

If Steam starts processing AION 2 even though you already downloaded it, that does not necessarily mean something has gone wrong.

The preload is encrypted.

It still needs to be decrypted.

Let the launcher do its job before sacrificing the entire installation to the traditional MMO launch gods.

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AION 2 Advanced Access Server Matchups Revealed: Who Will Your Server Fight?

Two days ago, we were still asking where everybody was supposed to play. One day before AION 2 Advanced Access, NC has finally started filling in the blanks.

The first Advanced Access server matchups are now official, showing which Elyos and Asmodian worlds will initially be paired against one another when permanent progression begins on September 30.

That matters because AION 2 does something slightly different from the original game. Elyos and Asmodians do not simply share one normal home server and occasionally decide to make each other's afternoon unpleasant. Each world belongs to a faction, and those faction servers are then matched together for competitive cross-server content.

In other words, choosing a server also tells you something about who your first enemy is going to be.

NC Has Finally Published the Advanced Access Server Information

Only two days ago, we reported that AION 2 still had no final Advanced Access server information. We knew the regions, we knew servers were separated by faction, and we knew how the two-wave launch structure worked. What players did not have was enough information to make an actual permanent world choice.

That has now changed.

NC has published its Advanced Access server information together with the opening matchmaking structure, allowing Founder’s Pack players to identify both their home faction server and the opposing world they are initially connected to.

The timing is admittedly cutting things rather fine. Advanced Access begins tomorrow, September 30.

Still, late information is considerably more useful than discovering your server rival while somebody is already trying to remove you from the Abyss with a very large sword.

Why Are Elyos and Asmodian Servers Paired?

AION 2 separates Elyos and Asmodians at the server level, but that does not mean the factions live in completely isolated versions of the game.

The two sides meet through competitive systems including the Abyss and Spacetime Rifts. Server matchmaking determines which populations are placed against one another when those faction-war systems become active.

That makes the pairing system one of the foundations of AION 2's PvP structure. Our earlier look at the Abyss, Rifts and Arena showed how heavily NC is leaning into faction warfare without forcing every piece of the game into open PvP.

Your dungeon experience is much less dependent on the individual world. PvE party matchmaking works across Advanced Access servers within the same geographical region.

Your first major faction rivalry, however, is now considerably more personal.

The Matchups Are Not Necessarily Permanent

This is the part players should remember before spending the next ten years developing an irrational hatred of one particular server name.

The opening matchups are exactly that: opening matchups.

NC has previously explained that after the full October 5 launch, PvP matchmaking can take server progression and relative strength into account. The goal is to avoid placing a newly opened or significantly weaker population against a world that has already raced far ahead.

That means your first opponent does not necessarily remain your opponent forever.

The Korean service already uses server rematching as part of its live PvP structure, adjusting groups as populations and combat strength develop. Global may follow the same broad philosophy even if its exact schedules and criteria differ.

Advanced Access Servers Fight Other Advanced Access Servers First

The September 30 opening period is deliberately contained.

As explained in our complete Advanced Access server guide, the first wave of worlds opens for Founder’s Pack owners. During this five-day period, Abyss matchmaking remains inside that Advanced Access population.

When AION 2 becomes free-to-play on October 5, a second wave of Launch Servers joins the service.

NC does not intend to immediately throw brand-new October 5 worlds against servers whose players have already enjoyed five days of permanent leveling and gearing. Later matchmaking can instead take progression into account.

That is a sensible distinction when our PvE gear progression guide already demonstrates just how much character development can happen once Expeditions, Enhancement, Soul Binding and other systems begin stacking together.

Server Choice Still Matters Even With Cross-Server Systems

It is tempting to look at cross-server dungeons and dynamic PvP matchmaking and conclude that the home server barely matters.

That would be going too far.

Your world still influences your Legion community, local population and Server Market. With direct player-to-player trading disabled for Global launch, that local Market becomes even more important.

Groups should therefore still coordinate their region, faction and world before character creation.

If everybody owns a Founder’s Pack, the answer is straightforward: pick together tomorrow.

If some friends are waiting for October 5, remember that they can attempt to join your Advanced Access server later as long as that world remains open to new characters.

One Less Mystery Before September 30

AION 2's final pre-launch week has felt slightly like assembling furniture while somebody delivers the instruction manual one page at a time.

We now have the preload. We have the permanent opening time. We have the Advanced Access server information. And we finally know how those faction worlds begin matching against one another.

For players interested primarily in PvE, this is useful background information.

For anyone planning to spend serious time in the Abyss, it is considerably more interesting.

Your first AION 2 enemy server has now been chosen.

Tomorrow, we get to find out whether everybody remains polite about it.

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AION 2 Steam Is Still Unavailable in 18 Countries Two Days Before Advanced Access

AION 2 Advanced Access begins on September 30, but not every potential Global player can currently access the game through Steam. With only two days remaining, the AION 2 Steam package is still restricted in 18 countries and territories, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Serbia and Slovakia.

The situation is particularly interesting in Belgium and the Netherlands because NC addressed those countries months ago. The company said it was reviewing local regulatory requirements to make sure AION 2 would be compliant ahead of launch.

September 30 is now almost here, and the Steam restrictions remain.

Which Countries Are Restricted on Steam?

Steam package data currently lists the following 18 countries and territories as places where the AION 2 package cannot be activated:

• Aruba
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
• China
• Cuba
• Curaçao
• Hong Kong
• Macau
• Netherlands
• Russia
• Serbia
• Sint Maarten
• Slovakia
• South Korea
• Syria
• Taiwan
• Vietnam

Several names on that list are unsurprising. South Korea and Taiwan already operate their own AION 2 services, for example, so their presence does not mean those players have no version of AION 2 available.

Belgium and the Netherlands are much more relevant to the European Global launch.

NC Previously Addressed Belgium and the Netherlands

Back in April, European players noticed that the AION 2 Steam store page was unavailable in some countries. An official NC community representative responded directly and said the company was reviewing local regulatory requirements in Belgium and the Netherlands to ensure the game was fully compliant ahead of launch.

NC did not say which specific mechanic or regulation was responsible, and we should not fill that gap with guesses.

Both countries have well-known regulatory frameworks around paid randomized game mechanics, but NC's statement only refers generally to local regulatory requirements. Until the company provides a more detailed explanation, that is as far as the factual answer goes.

The Netherlands and Belgium Are Still Restricted on Steam

The interesting part is the timing.

AION 2's Advanced Access preload is beginning today, permanent characters arrive September 30 and the full free-to-play launch follows on October 5.

Yet the Steam package still lists both Belgium and the Netherlands among its restricted territories.

There has been no public NC announcement confirming that those restrictions will disappear before Advanced Access.

That does not mean they cannot change quickly. Steam regional availability can be updated without weeks of warning. But with September 30 this close, Belgian and Dutch players should not assume Steam access is guaranteed until the store itself becomes available.

What About PURPLE?

This is where the distinction becomes important.

The 18-country list comes from Steam package data. It does not automatically prove that every one of those territories is blocked from AION 2 through NC's PURPLE launcher.

NC is launching AION 2 Global through both Steam and PURPLE, and our Steam vs PURPLE guide already explains that the two platforms share the Global game service while handling purchases and account entitlements differently.

Players should therefore check availability through their intended platform rather than interpreting the Steam restriction list as a universal list of countries where AION 2 cannot exist.

We would also strongly avoid VPN workarounds or registering accounts under a false country. Regional restrictions can involve payment, account and legal requirements, and circumventing them is a wonderful way to turn launch excitement into a support ticket.

Not Every Restricted Country Has the Same Explanation

Another trap is assuming all 18 countries are blocked for the same reason.

They almost certainly are not.

South Korea and Taiwan have separate regional services. Belgium and the Netherlands have received an explicit regulatory explanation from NC. Other countries may involve publishing, legal, sanctions, commercial or platform-specific considerations.

Without an official explanation for each territory, assigning a reason would simply be speculation.

The useful information is much simpler: the Steam package currently cannot be activated in those locations.

AION 2 Global Is Very Close, but Regional Questions Remain

Regional availability is one of several small pieces of launch information that remain unsettled surprisingly close to Advanced Access. We have already been waiting for the final permanent server list, while players are simultaneously preparing clients, choosing factions and coordinating September 30 groups through our Before You Play checklist.

For most Global regions, none of this changes the launch plan.

But if you are in Belgium or the Netherlands and intend to play through Steam, this is something worth checking before spending the evening staring at a preload button that never appears.

NC said it was working through the regulatory situation. Two days before Advanced Access, Steam is still waiting for the answer.

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AION 2 Advanced Access Preload Starts Today: Steam Players Need a New Client

AION 2 is officially entering the stage of an MMO launch where checking your hard drive becomes more important than studying another tier list. Advanced Access pre-download begins today, September 28, at 6:00 AM PDT / 13:00 UTC / 15:00 CEST, giving Founder's Pack owners two days to get the retail client installed before permanent progression begins on September 30.

There is one particularly important warning for anyone who participated in the recent Launch Scale Test: Steam players cannot simply keep using the Playtest installation. NC has specifically instructed Steam users to uninstall the AION 2 Playtest app and download the normal AION 2 client separately. PURPLE players do not need to perform the same cleanup.

In other words, that 100 GB sitting on your SSD from the test may look like AION 2, smell like AION 2 and contain an alarming quantity of AION 2, but Steam still considers it a different application.

AION 2 Preload Begins at 15:00 CEST Today

NC's latest launch promotion confirms that the Advanced Access pre-download begins September 28 at 6:00 AM PDT. That converts to 9:00 AM EDT, 13:00 UTC, 14:00 BST and 15:00 CEST.

This is only the pre-download window. It does not mean the servers open today.

Founder's Pack owners enter permanent Advanced Access on September 30, followed by the full free-to-play release on October 5. We have covered the complete timeline in our AION 2 Global release date and Advanced Access guide.

NC still has not published a final exact server-opening hour for September 30. Any specific login time circulating before an official announcement should therefore be treated separately from today's confirmed preload time.

Steam Test Players Need to Uninstall AION 2 Playtest

This is the step most likely to catch people out.

After the Launch Scale Test ended, NC explicitly told Steam players to uninstall the Playtest App and download AION 2 separately for Advanced Access. The temporary test client does not convert into the retail game.

If you still have AION 2 Playtest installed, removing it before starting today's preload is the sensible move. Your test progression was wiped anyway, so there is nothing inside that installation worth preserving.

PURPLE works differently. NC says players who participated through PURPLE have no further steps needed as part of the test-to-launch transition.

If you are still deciding which platform to use permanently, our Steam vs PURPLE comparison covers the differences. The important thing is to settle that question before spending money, because Founder's Pack purchases are tied to the platform where they were purchased.

Make Sure You Have at Least 100 GB Available

AION 2's official PC requirements list 100 GB of available storage, with an SSD recommended. We do not yet have a reliable final download-size figure for today's retail preload, which is not necessarily identical to the amount of storage required after installation.

The safest approach is simply to have comfortably more than 100 GB available before pressing Install.

Our full AION 2 PC requirements guide covers the rest of the hardware. The minimum specification starts surprisingly low with a GTX 1050 Ti and 8 GB of RAM, although NC only targets 1080p Very Low settings with that configuration. Recommended hardware moves to an RTX 2070 and 16 GB RAM.

NVIDIA users should also make sure their drivers are current, particularly if they intend to use the game's DLSS 4.5 features.

Who Can Preload Today?

Today's pre-download is being promoted specifically for Advanced Access, which is included with the AION 2 Founder's Packs.

All three Founder's Pack tiers provide access beginning September 30. Players who are waiting for the free-to-play launch enter on October 5.

NC has not yet clearly announced a separate pre-download schedule for players without a Founder's Pack, so free players should not assume today's window automatically applies to them.

That distinction is worth remembering because AION 2 has several overlapping launch dates at the moment. September 28 is preload day for Advanced Access. September 30 begins Advanced Access. October 5 is the full free-to-play Global launch.

Do Not Confuse Preload With Server Opening

Downloading AION 2 today gets the client onto your PC. It does not create a character, reserve a server or allow you to enter Atreia early.

There are still several launch details worth sorting out while the download runs. Decide whether your group is going Elyos or Asmodian, choose your first class and agree on your regional server plans. Our Before You Play checklist covers the things actually worth preparing before permanent characters go live.

Server choice remains particularly important for mixed groups because Advanced Access servers and October 5 Launch Servers work in two waves. Free-to-play friends may be able to join an earlier server later, but only while character creation remains available there.

Your AION 2 Preload Checklist

• September 28, 15:00 CEST: Advanced Access preload begins
• Steam test players: uninstall AION 2 Playtest first
• Steam: install the normal AION 2 retail client
• PURPLE test players: NC says no additional test-client step is required
• Storage: have at least 100 GB available, preferably with extra headroom
• Drivers: update your GPU driver before launch
• September 30: permanent Advanced Access begins
• October 5: full free-to-play Global launch

Delete the Test Client Before It Gets the Last Laugh

Most of today's preparation is wonderfully boring, which is exactly what launch preparation should be. Download the client. Check the storage space. Update the drivers. Make sure you are installing the right application.

The important part is the Steam distinction. The Launch Scale Test client was temporary, its characters are gone, and it will not transform into the permanent version simply because September 30 arrives.

If you played through Steam, remove AION 2 Playtest and install AION 2 fresh when the preload opens today.

Discovering that now is considerably nicer than discovering it while everyone else is creating characters on Wednesday.

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AION 2 Still Has No Final Server List Three Days Before Advanced Access

AION 2 Advanced Access begins on September 30. That is now only three days away, Founder's Packs are on sale, players are organizing Legions and groups are trying to decide where they will spend the next several hundred hours.

There is just one rather important detail still missing.

NC has not published the final AION 2 Global server list.

As of September 27, we know the regions. We know how Early Access servers are supposed to work. We have even seen NC add extra worlds during the Launch Scale Test. What we still do not have is the actual list of permanent worlds players will be choosing from when Advanced Access begins.

The AION 2 Global Regions Are Confirmed

The broad structure is not a mystery. AION 2 Global will operate across North America, South America, Europe and Japan, while Korea and Taiwan remain separate services.

For most players, choosing the region is the easy part. Europeans will normally choose Europe, South American players finally have a dedicated regional option, and Japanese players have their own service region.

The difficult choice comes after that.

NC has not yet announced how many permanent worlds each region will receive or what those worlds will be called.

We Did See Several European Server Names During the Test

The September Launch Scale Test gave us some clues, but they should not be mistaken for a confirmed launch roster.

During the first test day, NC expanded European capacity twice and opened four additional worlds:

• Vaizel – Elyos
• Triniel – Asmodian
• Kaisinel – Elyos
• Lumiel – Asmodian

We covered those additions in our report on the European test-server expansion. The names will be instantly familiar to long-time AION players, so it would hardly be surprising to see NC reuse them.

But that is speculation.

Test worlds are test worlds. Until NC publishes the permanent roster, Vaizel, Triniel, Kaisinel and Lumiel should not be treated as confirmed destinations for September 30.

The Missing List Matters More for Early Access Players

The timing is particularly awkward because AION 2 uses separate server waves around launch.

Founder's Pack owners enter the permanent service during Advanced Access on September 30. Additional Launch Servers can then open for the free-to-play release on October 5. As explained in our Early Access server guide, free players may later join an existing Early Access world if character creation is still available there.

That creates a genuine planning problem for mixed groups.

If three friends start on September 30 and two others wait until October 5, the Founder's Pack players need to choose a world without knowing how heavily populated it will become or whether character creation could eventually be restricted.

Dungeon matchmaking being region-wide helps, but it does not make the home-server decision irrelevant. Legions, faction communities and the broader server economy still give individual worlds their own identity.

Do Not Trust a “Complete Server List” Yet

This is also a good moment for a small warning.

Several server lists are already circulating around search results and community discussions. Some reuse Korean or Taiwanese world names. Others mix test-server information with assumptions about Global.

At the moment, there is no verified complete Global launch roster.

The safest distinction is very simple:

• Confirmed: the Global service regions
• Observed: server names used during the Launch Scale Test
• Not yet confirmed: the permanent September 30 world list

That may change at any moment over the next three days.

For Now, Plan the Things We Actually Know

Anyone preparing for September 30 can still settle the decisions that matter most. Pick your region. Agree on Elyos or Asmodians. Decide which friends are entering Advanced Access and which are waiting until October 5. Our AION 2 Before You Play guide covers the rest of the useful pre-launch jobs.

What you probably should not do is announce that your Legion is definitely playing on a specific permanent server because somebody found the name in the test client.

We are three days from Advanced Access. At this point, the final server list is one of the last major pieces of practical launch information NC still needs to put on the table.

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AION 2 BEFORE YOU PLAY

 

The Essential Pre-Launch Checklist for Global Players

AION 2 Global asks you to make several important choices before the first permanent character is even created.

A practical launch guide covering free rewards, factions, classes, servers, Twitch Drops, tools and PC preparation.

1. Claim the free pre-registration companions	2. Decide Steam or PURPLE before spending money
3. Choose Elyos or Asmodians with your group	4. Pick a class for its playstyle, not a temporary tier list
5. Coordinate server plans before September 30	6. Link Twitch before Drops campaigns begin
7. Bookmark useful planning tools	8. Clear 100 GB and update your GPU driver

AION 2 Launch Prep Starts Before Character Creation

AION 2 is the sort of MMO where it is very easy to spend the first hour doing things you could have sorted out the night before. Choosing a faction, discovering your friends picked the other server, realizing the client needs 100 GB, or learning that your free launch rewards required an account step are all avoidable problems. The good news is that the global release gives us enough information to prepare properly without turning launch night into a spreadsheet exercise.

This guide focuses on the decisions and setup that are actually worth doing before you enter Atreia. Some are one-time account jobs, some affect who you can play with, and a few simply save you from standing in a launcher at the exact moment everybody else is already creating characters.

1. Claim the Free Pre-Registration Companions

The easiest preparation step is also the one most likely to be forgotten because it costs nothing. Global newsletter subscribers are eligible for two companion rewards: Pagati as the guaranteed companion, plus a choice of one additional pet from Konutin Worker, Papis, Black Smoke Murute or Silver Blade Rotan. These are launch rewards, so there is very little reason to leave them sitting on the table if you already know you are going to play.

The pre-launch reward selection includes several companion options alongside the guaranteed Pagati reward.

The exact long-term value of each companion is less important than getting the entitlement attached to the account. Pick the second pet because you like its look or because its eventual utility suits you, but do the account step before the launch rush. Wishlisting the game on Steam is useful for release notifications, but it is not the same thing as registering for the newsletter rewards.

Silver Blade Rotan is one of the selectable pre-registration companions shown before launch.

2. Decide Between Steam and PURPLE Before You Buy Anything

AION 2 launches on both Steam and PURPLE, and the actual game servers are shared across the global service. The important difference is purchases. Founder’s Pack entitlements are tied to the platform where you buy them, so read our Steam vs PURPLE guide before spending money rather than after it.

For most players the sensible choice is the launcher they already intend to keep using. Steam offers the familiar library, overlay and ecosystem. PURPLE keeps you inside NC's own platform and has had a few different purchase and upgrade options around the Founder’s Packs. What you should not do is buy a pack on one platform because the checkout was convenient and then assume the entitlement will casually follow you to the other one.

If you are not buying Advanced Access at all, the decision is much less stressful. The full free-to-play release is October 5, while our launch-time tracker follows the current Steam timestamp and any later official timing confirmation.

3. Choose Elyos or Asmodians With the People You Want to Play With

Faction choice is not a cosmetic decision you should make in isolation if you are arriving with friends or a Legion. Elyos and Asmodians are the two opposing sides of AION 2, and both have access to the same eight global launch classes. The difference is faction identity, territory, visual tone and the people you will be fighting when the game points you toward faction PvP.

Both factions can play the same launch classes. The real decision is identity, social group and which side of the faction war you want to inhabit.

If you are coming in as a group, settle this before character creation. The worst possible version of launch night is discovering that four people picked Elyos because the white wings looked nice while the person organizing the group quietly rolled Asmodian.

The Elyos presentation emphasizes the brighter side of Atreia and gives you a useful preview before character creation.

The Asmodian faction carries its own visual identity and lore presentation. Pick with your group, not five minutes after them.

4. Pick a Class for Its Job, Not This Week’s Damage Ranking

Global AION 2 launches with eight classes: Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Chanter, Cleric, Sorcerer and Spiritmaster. Our full AION 2 class guide explains their roles and playstyles, but the short version is simple: choose the kind of combat job you actually enjoy.

Gladiator is the obvious choice for players who want heavy melee pressure without committing to the dedicated Templar tank role.

Do not let a Korea or Taiwan tier list make the decision for you. Global is launching with a modified progression and balance model, and class tuning will continue after release. A class that feels right in your hands will survive a balance patch much better than a class you only chose because somebody placed it one line higher in a spreadsheet.

Cleric remains the primary healer, but AION 2 gives the class enough offensive ability to make solo progression less miserable.

Ranger offers mobile physical damage from range and is an approachable option for players learning encounters from a safer distance.

5. Make a Server Plan Before Advanced Access

AION 2 uses an Early Access server wave from September 30 and additional Launch Servers from October 5. Free-to-play friends can potentially join an Early Access world later, but only if character creation remains open there. Our Early Access server guide explains the full setup, including cross-server dungeon matching and the planned transfer service.

If your group is split between Founder’s Pack players and people waiting for October 5, agree on a region, faction and preferred server before the first person logs in. Do not automatically pile onto the server social media declares to be the unofficial megaserver unless everybody understands that the most popular world is also the one most likely to become awkward for late arrivals.

Players outside the main launch regions should also read our global server-region breakdown before committing, particularly if latency is going to influence the choice.

6. Link Twitch and Know What Is Happening During Launch Week

The launch period is not just a server opening. War for Atreia begins alongside Advanced Access and puts 60 creators into six regional Legions under the Elyos and Asmodian banners. You do not need to care about creator competitions to play AION 2, but the event matters because NC is using it as part of the launch broadcast schedule and viewer-reward program.

War for Atreia begins during Advanced Access, with six Captains leading regional Elyos and Asmodian teams.

If you want the reward side rather than the tournament side, link your account before the first campaign. Our AION 2 Twitch Drops guide covers the Steam-specific linking step, claiming rewards and switching between eligible channels without losing progress.

We are also tracking the event itself through our War for Atreia team coverage if you want to know which creators ended up on which side.

7. Bookmark Useful Tools, but Check the Region Before Trusting the Numbers

AION 2 already has community databases, build planners, crafting calculators, event timers and stat tools. They can save an enormous amount of time once crafting and long-term progression begin, especially when you want to know how many materials a recipe chain really needs or when a timed activity opens in your timezone.

Launch countdowns and regional timing tools are useful, but always separate confirmed dates from provisional unlock hours.

Community calculators can help with crafting, stats and build planning once permanent progression begins.

There is one rule worth learning before you copy anything: check whether the tool is using Global data or Korea/Taiwan data. The global test already showed meaningful differences in gear, crafting, enhancement caps and progression. A calculator can be perfectly accurate for the wrong region, which is a very efficient way to plan the wrong build.

For the same reason, use our Global vs Korea test-build comparison as a reminder that old regional guides are reference material, not launch scripture.

8. Clear the Disk Space and Update the PC Before Launch Day

The least exciting preparation is also the one that can completely stop you playing. AION 2 requires 100 GB of free storage, and NC recommends an SSD. The complete minimum and recommended specifications are in our AION 2 PC requirements guide.

If you use an NVIDIA GPU, install the current Game Ready driver before launch rather than troubleshooting graphics updates while the queue moves. AION 2 also supports DLSS 4.5 features on compatible RTX hardware, so the driver is not merely housekeeping for players trying to squeeze more performance from higher settings.

We have the details in our NVIDIA Game Ready and DLSS 4.5 article.

Steam players who installed the separate Launch Scale Test client should also make sure they are using the retail AION 2 application for launch. The test client was a disposable build and is not the same application you carry into permanent progression.

The Best Pre-Launch Plan Is the One That Prevents Avoidable Problems

You do not need to theorycraft your first hundred hours before AION 2 opens. In fact, overplanning around Korea or Taiwan data is one of the easiest ways to create work for yourself. The useful preparation is much more ordinary: claim the free account rewards, pick your launcher, settle faction and server plans with friends, choose a class you actually want to play, link Twitch, clear the disk space and have a few reliable tools ready for when the systems begin opening up.

Everything else can wait until Atreia is live. A new MMO is at its best when there are still things to discover, provided the first discovery is not that everybody in your group made a character on a different server.

Useful AionStrategies Guides Before Launch

Global release date and Advanced Access

Steam vs PURPLE

All eight launch classes

Early Access servers and joining friends

Twitch Drops setup

PC requirements

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