FIELD RECORD · LAUNCH
AION 2 Release Date: Global Launch Times & Download
AION 2 launches globally as a free-to-play title on October 5, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC, following a five-day Advanced Access period for Founder's Pack owners starting September 30 at 13:00 UTC. Here are the exact times for your region, where to download the client, and how the two launch waves work.
October 2026 · Launch confirmed
Global launch times
| REGION | ADVANCED ACCESS | FULL LAUNCH |
|---|---|---|
| UTC | Sept 30, 1:00 PM | Oct 5, 1:00 PM |
| US Pacific | Sept 30, 6:00 AM | Oct 5, 6:00 AM |
| US Eastern | Sept 30, 9:00 AM | Oct 5, 9:00 AM |
| UK | Sept 30, 2:00 PM | Oct 5, 2:00 PM |
| Central Europe | Sept 30, 3:00 PM | Oct 5, 3:00 PM |
| Japan | Sept 30, 10:00 PM | Oct 5, 10:00 PM |
Times converted from the official 13:00 UTC schedule; double-check daylight-saving shifts if your clocks change in October.
Where to download
The PC client (Unreal Engine 5, roughly 100 GB) is available through two official channels:Steam (app ID 3393110) and NCSoft's own PURPLE launcher. Both serve the same servers and the same account system — pick whichever you prefer; your characters live on the server, not the launcher. Preload opens ahead of launch day; if you are reading this before October 5, download now rather than fighting launch-hour bandwidth.
Advanced Access and the two server waves
Any Founder's Pack ($24.99 and up, one per account) unlocks the Advanced Access period starting September 30 — five days of head start on twenty dedicated Advanced Access servers across NA West, NA East, LatAm, EU and Asia (Japan). On October 5 a second wave of "Launch Servers" opens for the free-to-play crowd. The economy and named-character race on Early Access servers will be five days old by then; Launch Servers start everyone equal. Choose based on whether you buy a pack, then see the full server list before committing.
Which regions are included
The global version serves North America, Latin America, Europe and Japan with client language support for English, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Japanese and Korean. Korea and Taiwan run as a separate, region-locked service on their own schedule (they are one chapter ahead, at level cap 50) — accounts do not transfer between services. There is no Chinese client language at launch. If you are playing from outside the served regions, read the high ping guide before you buy anything.
What to do before the servers open
Check the system requirements and free up 100 GB on an SSD. Decide your class — the tier list and class guide are the two pages worth reading. Redeem the launch code once you are in (codes page), and bookmark the beginner guide for your first session.