Aion 2 release dates at a glance
Aion 2 is NC's sequel to the original Aion, and its global release is dated 5 October 2026 on Steam and NC's PURPLE launcher. It reached South Korea and Taiwan much earlier, in November 2025.
People searching for it often also wonder what happened to the first game. The original Aion is still played, officially and through community-run builds, and you can browse those on our Aion private servers page. This guide covers both sides: the launch dates and platforms first, then how the sequel differs from the original game and where community-run servers fit alongside it.
- Korea and Taiwan launch
- 19 Nov 2025
- Global early access
- 30 Sep 2026
- Global full release
- 5 Oct 2026
PC and mobile
Founder's Pack buyers
Steam and PURPLE
The launch timeline in detail
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 19 Nov 2025 | Launch in South Korea and Taiwan (PC and mobile) |
| 17 to 18 Sep 2026 | Free stress test; progress did not carry over to launch |
| 28 Sep 2026 | Preload opens |
| 30 Sep 2026 | Early access for Founder's Pack buyers |
| 5 Oct 2026 | Global release on Steam and PURPLE |
| By 13 Oct 2026 | Server transfers available, initially free |
Server layout is faction-based. mein-mmo lists the European servers as "Elyos - EU Server" and "Asmodian - EU Server", with world names such as Siel, Israphel and Ariel. Early access players can only move between early access servers, not to launch servers, while instance content such as dungeons is available across servers.
Because Israphel also appears as a world name here, do not confuse it with HiveGamez Aion's Israphel realm, which is a separate private server running a 3.9 build of the original game.
How Aion 2 relates to the original Aion
Wikipedia describes Aion 2 as a sequel set 200 years after the original, with the same Elyos versus Asmodian conflict. It reuses several mechanics from the first game, and NC says the world is about 36 times larger.
Original Aion versus Aion 2
Aion (2008)
- South Korea release 25 Nov 2008; North America 22 Sep 2009; Europe 25 Sep 2009
- Classes that choose a specialisation at level 10 (six primary classes in the current game, per Wikipedia)
- Level cap rose over time: 55, 60, 65, 75, then 80
- Still updated officially (8.6 in 2026 per Wikipedia)
Aion 2
- Global release 5 Oct 2026, PC only
- Eight classes at launch, including Gladiator and Chanter
- Level cap rose from 45 to 50 with Chapter 1
- Built on Unreal Engine 5, categorised as free-to-play
Wikipedia notes praise for visuals, flight and open-world design, and criticism of early combat difficulty, class differentiation, UI and monetisation. The article also reports over 400,000 peak concurrent users on global launch day, as stated by NC.
What Aion 2 offers at launch
Wikipedia lists the same eight classes that the original game started with: Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Spiritmaster, Cleric and Chanter. A ninth class, the Brawler, was added to the Korean and Taiwanese versions in July 2026 but was not in the global release.
| Area | What is listed |
|---|---|
| PvE | Expedition, Transcendence, Eradication, Sanctuary, Nightmare Dungeon, Seal Dungeon, Garrison and Awakening Battle; NC announced more than 200 dungeons |
| PvP | Abyss, Arena, Battlefield and Rift; a faction-based Chaotic Abyss variant arrived in March 2026 |
| Level cap | Raised from 45 to 50 with Chapter 1 |
| Business model | Free-to-play, with criticism of paid memberships and in-game currency |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
If you are choosing between the two, the useful question is not which is newer but which era of Aion you want to play. Older private server patches such as 4.8 keep the original game's combat and faction structure, while Aion 2 is a new game that reuses the setting.
Where Aion private servers fit
Private servers do not run Aion 2. They recreate builds of the original game, mostly the 4.6 and 4.8 patches, plus a few classic 2.x and 3.x projects. Players choose them for eras they cannot get officially, for regional hosting, or for a different shop model. Hosting matters: Aion America targets North America, Awake Aion is hosted in Sao Paulo, and Next Aion runs in South East Asia.
| Update | Date | Level cap or note |
|---|---|---|
| Assault on Balaurea | 7 Sep 2010 | Cap raised from 50 to 55 |
| 3.0 Ascension | 19 Oct 2011 | Cap 60; 3.9 is used by HiveGamez Aion |
| 4.0 Dark Betrayal | 26 Jun 2013 | Cap 65; 4.6 and 4.8 are the common private server builds |
| 4.8 Upheaval | 17 Jun 2015 | The most common private server target |
| 5.0 Echoes of Eternity | 13 Jul 2016 | Cap 75 |
| 6.0 Refly | 17 Jan 2018 | Cap 80 |
Servers you can compare
These are real examples from our research, grouped by what they offer. Details come from each project's own pages and Discord, so confirm rates and shop rules before you download a client.
| Server | Build | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beyond Aion | 4.8 with custom features | EU | Operating since 2015; no VIP, no gold pack |
| Origin Aion | 4.6, original eight classes | EU | Earned shop currency; seasonal Eternity Pass |
| NotEvenAion | 4.8 PvP | Global | Starts at level 65; Aion Classic 2.7 server in development |
| Aion GGWP | 4.8, EXP x1, Kinah x2 | Global | About 37 GB full client or 93 MB launcher |
| Aion America | 4.8 Fall of Beritra | NA | Selected 5.8 systems; confirm rules in Discord |
| Next Aion | Aion Classic 2.x | SEA | PvP-first, live in South East Asia |
Which route should you take
- 1
Want the newest Aion
Play Aion 2 on its official servers. Private servers will not offer it.
- 2
Want the original combat and classes
Look at the Aion 4.8 servers, which are the most common build.
- 3
Want a different monetisation model
Compare shops carefully; our guide to choosing a server explains what to look for.
- 4
Not sure how to start
The join guide covers accounts and clients, and the glossary explains Abyss, Kinah and legion.
