According to the Steam store, AION 2 came out globally on 5 October 2026, and it is free to play; according to NC's launch FAQ, there is an optional monthly membership. What the membership and the shop cost is in our guide to membership and shop. According to NC's pre-release FAQ, you can start without any prior knowledge of AION's world or story. The launch FAQ adds that you can play solo or with friends, and that progress from the Korean or Taiwanese version does not carry over. This guide covers what NC has published about the first decisions: region, faction and server, playing with friends, server transfers and the launch rewards. Hardware and languages are in our guide to the system requirements.

Region, faction, server

When you launch AION 2, you first choose your region, then your faction, and then a server from those available in that region. That is the order NC gives in its notice on servers and matchmaking of 4 October 2026.

Each server houses only one faction. Elyos and Asmodians live on separate servers. You choose your faction before your server.

The notice lists servers for Europe, North America East, North America West, Latin America and Asia, each split into launch servers and Advanced Access servers (NC's transfer notices call the latter "Early Access servers"). NC writes that it keeps the list in that notice up to date, so check it there rather than in a copy.

Meeting the other faction

Every Elyos server is paired with an Asmodian server. You meet the other faction in modes such as the Abyss and Spacetime Rifts, and the players of the other faction you meet there come from your paired server. NC's example: if the Asmodian server Israphel is paired with the Elyos server Siel, every Asmodian from Israphel who enters the Abyss runs into Elyos from Siel.

The pairing is not permanent. NC says it will update pairings periodically to keep the factions balanced.

Playing with friends

NC wrote on 30 September and again on 8 October that all instanced content, including dungeons, is available cross-server. To get back together with friends on one server, NC points to server transfers: "you'll have a chance to rejoin your friends at that time" (8 October).

On 30 September, the start of Early Access, NC asked players waiting in a queue or just joining to consider creating their character on a recommended server, and it opened further servers in the following days. On 8 October, for example, it opened the European pair Nathara (Elyos) and Tassin (Asmodian).

Server transfers

NC scheduled its first server transfer period from the maintenance on 14 October to the maintenance on 28 October 2026: in the first week only on Early Access servers, from the maintenance on 21 October only on launch servers. The main rules NC published for it (status: 9 October, updated 14 and 20 October):

  • A transfer is only possible to a server of the same faction and within the same region.
  • Characters on Early Access servers can only move to other Early Access servers.
  • One transfer per account for the whole period, from one server to one other server, with no limit on the number of characters.
  • Only characters of level 10 or higher qualify, and the character must be in a village.
  • The character must not be in a Legion or have a pending Legion application and must have no active Duty Missions, and the account must have no unclaimed items (Market, Shop Storage, mail).
  • The basic transfer and each character are free (0 Quna); each extra character slot on the destination server costs 1,000 Quna.
  • You can only buy the transfer in the in-game shop under Server Transfer, during daily time windows that differ by region, and it is not possible while the departure or destination server has reached its transfer limit. If a server receives too many transfer requests, NC may close transfers into and out of it permanently (notice of 14 October).
  • Kina and items stored in Server Storage stay behind; Kina in the inventory and in Character Storage moves with the character. A completed transfer cannot be cancelled or reverted.

NC writes that the transfer may be offered again in the same or a similar form, but gives no date. This period has ended. Check NC's notices for a new period and the rules that apply to it.

Launch rewards

NC extended all pre-registration and Steam wishlist rewards to every player who creates an account and logs in before the maintenance on 1 December 2026 (NC gives 23:30 PST and 2 December at 09:30 CET, but 23:30 PST is 08:30 CET, so log in before 2 December at 08:30 CET to be safe). The rewards arrive automatically by in-game mail. Mail you have not collected expires with the maintenance on 8 December (NC gives 23:30 PST and 9 December at 09:30 CET; collect your mail before 9 December at 08:30 CET to be safe).

According to NC, the rewards are:

  • Advance: Pet Chest: the pet Pagati, plus one pet of your choice from Papis, Silver Blade Rotan, Konutin Worker or Black Smoke Murute.
  • Advance: Wishlist Chest: 10 Resurrection Spiritstones, 100 Life Potions, 50 Healing Potions and 50 each of Return, Courage, Speed and Benediction Scrolls, all bound.

What the game offers, in NC's words

NC's official site describes the two factions as Elyos, "Guardians of Light, Wings of Grace", and Asmodians, "Forged in Shadows, Wings of Dominion". It names fast, fluid combat, free flight over any terrain, over 200 dungeons in several formats (solo challenges, 5-player party content and 10-player group dungeons), over 200 customization options, and pets that follow you, turn into mounts and provide benefits such as auto-looting.

What is not confirmed

In the sources checked on 20 October 2026, NC does not state:

  • whether the two factions differ in gameplay, or which faction has more players,
  • which specific server NC recommends today (it only asked players to prefer recommended and newly opened servers),
  • how the first levels and days play out, or which route NC recommends for levelling,
  • when there will be another server transfer period.

We update this guide when NC publishes new information.