AION 2 Launches Today as a Free MMORPG on PC. Are You Playing?

The wait is over. AION 2 opens its doors to everyone today, October 5, 2026. NC’s new MMORPG is free to play on Windows PC through Steam and the PURPLE launcher, and you do not need to buy anything to get in.

NC’s published server schedule puts the global launch at 6:00 AM PDT, which is 1:00 PM UTC. Across Asia, that means:

• 8:00 PM in Bangkok and Jakarta (GMT+7)

• 9:00 PM in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Hong Kong and Taipei (GMT+8)

• 10:00 PM in Seoul and Tokyo (GMT+9)

One caution before you set an alarm: the servers come up after a maintenance window, and NC says maintenance times can change. If the login screen is not ready on the hour, check the game’s official channels first.

What you need to jump in

A Steam or PURPLE account and a lot of free disk space. The Steam listing asks for 100 GB of storage, with an SSD recommended. The minimum setup is a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 8 GB of RAM, and the recommended one is an RTX 2070 with 16 GB.

NC’s launch FAQ says Steam and PURPLE players share the same servers and get the same content. You can play on Steam without linking a PURPLE account, although linking is the only way to use one character on both. A controller works, but NC does not officially support it.

The game ships with English, Japanese and Korean voices, and text in English, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Japanese and Korean.

Pick your server with care

This is the choice that matters most on day one. In AION 2, each server holds only one faction. Every Elyos server is paired with an Asmodian one, and the two sides meet in shared PvP spaces such as the Abyss. You choose a region first, then a faction, then a server.

Founder’s Pack owners have been playing since September 30, so the first wave of servers already has five days of progress on it. Those characters carry over into launch. If your friends started early, ask which server they are on before you create anything.

Picked the wrong one? NC has said server transfers within the same faction will open on October 14. Dungeons and other instanced content already work across servers, so a different server does not stop you from running a dungeon together.

What is free and what is not

NC describes AION 2 as free to play with an optional monthly membership. The same FAQ lists paid cosmetics, a Battle Pass, and a membership that gives access to the player driven economy and currency exchange. In plain terms, you can level, fly and fight without paying, but trading on the market sits behind that membership. It is worth knowing before you plan how to make your in game money.

Launch week extras

Twitch Drops continue from October 5 to October 16, and NC’s Guides for Glory community event runs from October 5 to November 2. Interest is clearly there: SteamDB recorded a peak of about 171,000 players on Steam during the paid head start alone.

For everything else about the game, from classes to system requirements, see our AION 2 game page.

So, Elyos or Asmodian? Are you logging in tonight, or waiting for the queues to calm down? Tell us in the comments. And if you end up on the wrong server, remember that transfers open on October 14.