AION 2 opens to Founder’s Pack owners on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, five days before its free-to-play global launch on Monday, October 5. NC has not posted an unlock hour in any announcement, but Steam’s official store data carries a release time of 6 AM PDT (9 AM EDT, 3 PM CEST) for October 5, and NC’s own notices point to the same 6 AM PDT slot for September 30.
Below we cover the official dates, the likely unlock time in each region with the evidence behind it, how Founder’s early access works, and what to do before the servers open. This guide covers the global PC version on Steam and PURPLE; the Korean and Taiwanese version launched separately, on November 19, 2025, and does not share these servers.
The Official Dates
NC’s schedule, from its Launch Scale Test wrap-up on Steam:
| Phase | Dates | Who can play |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-download | Live now (since September 28) | Anyone, files stay locked |
| Advanced access | September 30 to October 4 | Founder’s Pack owners |
| Official launch | October 5 onward | Everyone, free |
Per NC’s Founder’s Pack terms, advanced access “begins on September 30 and runs for 5 days,” and the start and end are the same for every buyer no matter when they bought. NC also warns that maintenance and patches during those five days may cut actual playtime below the full five days.
What Time It Unlocks in Your Region
NC has not published an hour for either date as of September 28. Here is what the official sources do show:
- October 5: the AION 2 Steam store page lists the release as October 5, and its store data carries a release timestamp of 13:00 UTC, which is 6 AM PDT.
- September 30: NC’s Special Quai Membership notice puts the membership on sale from “September 30, 2026 6AM PDT,” the first morning of advanced access. NC’s Founder’s Pack sale, the Launch Scale Test pre-download and the test’s first day all started at 6 AM PDT, and this week’s pre-download notice went up at that same hour.
If the servers follow that pattern, this is when they open:
| Region | Time zone | Unlock time |
|---|---|---|
| US West | PDT | 6:00 AM |
| US Mountain | MDT | 7:00 AM |
| US Central | CDT | 8:00 AM |
| US East | EDT | 9:00 AM |
| Brazil (Brasília) | BRT | 10:00 AM |
| United Kingdom | BST | 2:00 PM |
| Central Europe | CEST | 3:00 PM |
| Moscow | MSK | 4:00 PM |
| Japan | JST | 10:00 PM |
The times are the same on September 30 and October 5, because no clock change falls between those dates in any of these regions. Treat the September 30 time as likely, not confirmed: if NC posts a different hour, the official notice wins.
How Founder’s Early Access Works
Advanced access comes with every Founder’s Pack tier, from the $24.99 Standard to the $99.99 Ultimate. What NC has said about it:
- One wave of servers opens first. NC’s Early Access notice calls them Early Access Servers, open only to Founder’s Pack owners at first. A second wave, Launch Servers, opens on October 5, and free players can also join Early Access Servers if they are still open and available then.
- Early servers are walled off. During the early period, Early Access servers have their own Markets and their own PvP matching, and the Abyss matches Early Access servers only.
- Your platform is locked in. Buy on Steam and you play through Steam; buy on PURPLE and you play through PURPLE. Both use the same servers.
- Late buyers get in immediately. NC says that if advanced access is already underway, you can join as soon as you buy.
- Queues favor good standing. When a server is full, NC says “members in good standing” join a priority queue, which it calls “a privilege, not a guarantee.”
Getting Ready Before It Unlocks
- Pre-download now. NC’s pre-download post says the files arrive encrypted and decrypt on September 30. Decryption is not a reinstall, but NC says it takes longer on slower PCs. Our pre-download news has the full rundown.
- Clear the space. Steam lists 100 GB of storage, Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) and an SSD recommended.
- Launch Scale Test players on Steam: NC says to uninstall the separate Playtest app and download AION 2 itself. PURPLE players need to do nothing.
- Pick your class early. Character creation is the first thing you will do, so read our AION 2 classes guide and best class guide before the clock runs down.
Servers are in North America, South America, Europe and Japan, and the global version is PC only; our platforms guide covers the console question. For everything else, see the AION 2 hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does AION 2 early access start? Advanced access for Founder’s Pack owners starts on September 30, 2026, and runs through October 4. NC has not announced the hour, but its official notices point to 6 AM PDT.
What time does AION 2 release globally? The official launch is October 5, 2026. The Steam listing’s release timestamp is 13:00 UTC, which is 6 AM PDT, 9 AM EDT, 2 PM BST and 3 PM CEST.
Is AION 2 free to play? Yes. The global version is free-to-play from October 5. The Founder’s Pack is only needed to play the five days early.
Does Launch Scale Test progress carry over? No. NC wiped all Launch Scale Test progress at the end of the test and said nothing transfers to advanced access or launch.
Which regions does AION 2 have servers in? NC has confirmed servers in North America, South America, Europe and Japan, with eight languages at launch.