AION 2 Launch Scale Test Opens September 17 Ahead of Founder's Pack Early Access

AION 2 will put its servers through a public Launch Scale Test on September 17 and September 18, giving PC players on Steam and PURPLE a limited opportunity to try the MMO before Founder's Pack Early Access begins on September 30. The test is intended to stress the game's infrastructure ahead of launch, while also offering an early look at its combat, progression, and larger online world.

The Launch Scale Test, or LST, does not require a key, invitation, or advance registration. Anyone using either supported PC platform can participate while the test windows are active. It is an important distinction from a closed beta or Founder's Pack period: this is designed as an open technical test, not a permanent head start, and every character's progress will be removed once the event concludes.

Players who want to be ready when the servers open can pre-download the test client beginning at 6 a.m. PT on Wednesday, September 16. The pre-download period remains available until 6 a.m. PT on Thursday, September 17, when the first test session begins.

AION 2 Launch Scale Test Schedule

The event is split across two separate sessions. The first is a shorter daytime window, while the second gives players another six hours to continue exploring the test build and helps the development team evaluate performance across more than one period of activity.

For useful background on this topic, read Endix Virtual Gaming Expo Sets November 6-8, 2026 Return.

• Pre-download: 6 a.m. PT Wednesday, September 16 to 6 a.m. PT Thursday, September 17
• LST Day 1: 6 a.m. PT to 12 p.m. PT on Thursday, September 17
• LST Day 2: 12 p.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT on Friday, September 18
• Founder's Pack Early Access: September 30

Although the play periods are separated, progression made during the first day will carry into the second day. That means players who create a character and advance during Thursday's session will be able to pick up from that point when Friday's servers go live. However, that carryover applies only within the Launch Scale Test itself.

At the end of Day 2, the test's characters and progression will be wiped. Nothing earned, unlocked, or achieved in the LST will transfer into Advanced Access or the full launch environment. Players should therefore treat the event as a chance to learn systems, test builds, explore available content, and help put the servers under real-world load rather than as an opportunity to establish a lasting character.

No Purchases or Player Economy During the Test

NC is keeping the test focused on server capacity and core gameplay by turning off the game's commercial and economy-facing systems. Purchases will not be available during the Launch Scale Test. That includes the in-game shop, Quna, passes, memberships, and payment portals.

For another perspective on this story, read AION 2 Launch Scale Test Opens September 17 on Steam and PURPLE, With Progress Wiped Before Early Access.

The game's trading ecosystem will also remain unavailable. The marketplace, Quna exchange, and direct player-to-player trading are all disabled for the duration of the event. Founder's Pack items likewise will not be usable in the test build.

Those restrictions mean the LST will not represent every aspect of AION 2's eventual live-service setup. Instead, players will be assessing the playable game experience without access to cosmetic purchases, premium currencies, exchange functions, or community commerce. For a large-scale online RPG, separating those systems from a stress-oriented test should make it easier to concentrate on login flow, world activity, combat responsiveness, dungeon performance, and general server stability.

Level Cap and Cosmetic Restrictions

The playable version of AION 2 being used for the event will also have content limits. Characters can reach a maximum level of 37, preventing access to activities that demand a higher level. This gives participants a meaningful slice of the progression experience, but it is not the full level range or a complete preview of the endgame.

Character appearance options are also being constrained in one specific area. The closet feature will be disabled, leaving players in default outfits throughout the test. AION 2's wider customization ambitions remain part of the game's stated feature set, but fashion and wardrobe experimentation will not be represented in this particular build.

For prospective players, the limits clarify what to expect from the two days. The LST is not positioned as unrestricted access to all systems and content. It is a deliberately contained environment that still lets a broad audience experience character creation, early progression, combat, the game's world, and eligible activities before the September 30 Founder's Pack Early Access period.

Steam Players Have One Extra Step Before Early Access

Players participating through Steam should take note of a transition requirement after the test. The Launch Scale Test uses a Steam Playtest App, and that application must be uninstalled before downloading AION 2 separately for Advanced Access on September 30.

In practical terms, Steam users should not expect the LST client to automatically convert into the Advanced Access version. Once the scale test is over, they will need to remove the playtest application and install the distinct AION 2 client when it becomes available for the next phase.

PURPLE players do not have an additional action listed for the move from the test into Advanced Access. Even so, all players should remember that the absence of a platform migration step does not change the planned wipe: LST progress will still not carry forward.

A Larger New Take on AION

AION 2 is being built in Unreal Engine 5 and is described as an evolution of the original AION. Its setting is said to be more than 36 times larger than the first game's world, a considerable increase that signals a major expansion in scale for exploration and online activity.

Flight remains a defining part of the series identity, and it is central to AION 2's combat design. Rather than treating aerial movement as a minor traversal feature, the game emphasizes three-dimensional battles in which altitude, positioning, timing, and control can shape the outcome. That framework has the potential to distinguish encounters from more conventional ground-focused MMO combat, especially when groups of players are moving and fighting across vertical space.

The game is also planned to include an extensive PvE offering. More than 200 dungeons have been cited, alongside large raids and the Abyss PvP conflict. The sheer number of dungeons suggests that repeatable group content will be a major component of the experience, while raids point toward more demanding coordinated encounters for larger groups.

The Abyss, meanwhile, returns as a PvP focal point. For players familiar with the original game, that name carries particular importance because it evokes faction conflict shaped by the series' airborne combat and contested spaces. The Launch Scale Test's level cap and limited timeframe mean it may not provide a complete view of how that broader competitive structure will function over the long term, but the upcoming test should still offer an initial impression of the game's movement and combat foundations.

What Players Can Learn From the Open Test

Because the LST is available to everyone on Steam and PURPLE, it will be one of the first occasions for a wide PC audience to enter AION 2 at the same time. For the team, the value is straightforward: a high number of concurrent players can expose queue issues, server strain, instancing problems, connection instability, and other concerns that are difficult to fully reproduce in smaller tests.

For players, the short windows make preparation worthwhile. Pre-downloading before the first session should avoid spending part of the six-hour Day 1 period on installation. It is also worth keeping expectations aligned with the format. A level 37 cap, disabled economy functions, default outfits, and the eventual wipe are all intentional parts of the testing plan, not indicators of permanent progression rules or missing launch features.

The event may be especially useful for players deciding whether Founder's Pack Early Access on September 30 is right for them. Since no purchases are active in the test and Founder's Pack items cannot be used there, the LST offers a relatively direct opportunity to assess the gameplay itself: how the character feels in motion, how aerial combat handles, how the early game is structured, and how the technical experience performs on an individual setup.

With no access requirements beyond using Steam or PURPLE, AION 2's September 17-18 Launch Scale Test is set to be a broad pre-release checkpoint. Participants will have two brief days to explore the limited build, carry a test character from the first session to the second, and provide real activity for the game's servers. Once Friday's session ends, the slate will be wiped clean as attention turns toward Founder's Pack Early Access on September 30.