AION 2‘s Founder’s Pack early access opened on September 30, 2026, at 6:30 AM PDT (9:30 AM EDT), 30 minutes later than planned, after NCSOFT pushed back the start that morning. By the afternoon, NC had opened extra EU servers to ease the queues and dated the first server transfers for October 14.
What Happened on Day One
- A 30-minute delay. NC said it would “delay the opening of Early Access by 30 minutes”. Client decryption started on schedule, but the servers stayed in maintenance until 13:30 UTC instead of 13:00 UTC.
- Four new EU servers. NC added two pairs: Yustiel (Elyos) and Marchutan (Asmodian), then Ariel (Elyos) and Azphel (Asmodian), less than an hour apart.
- Transfers dated. In a follow-up notice, NC told queued players to create characters on a recommended server, because transfers “will be available in the future starting on October 14th” for moves “between servers within the same faction.”
NC’s launch FAQ also settled a few questions: the game is free to play with an optional monthly membership, Steam and PURPLE players share servers, progress from the Korean and Taiwanese version does not carry over, and controllers work but are not officially supported.
What This Means for Players
If you are stuck in a queue, take NC’s advice and start on a newer server. Dungeons and other instanced content are cross-server, so you can still group with friends, and the October 14 transfers should let you join their server later. Transfers stay within your faction, so pick Elyos or Asmodian carefully. Our guide to changing class or server covers how transfers have worked in Korea, and our best class and every class explained guides will help with your first character.
If you haven’t bought in, the free launch is five days away. Our release time guide has the unlock hour in every region, and our Founder’s Pack guide covers whether early access is worth paying for.
When and Where
- Founder’s early access: live now, through October 4.
- Free-to-play launch: October 5.
- Server transfers: from October 14, same faction only. Price not announced.
- Platforms: PC, on Steam and PURPLE.
Source: NCSOFT, AION 2 Steam announcements, September 30, 2026.