Heading into my AION 2 preview at Summer Game Fest 2026, I was eager to see what would be on show. With only short trailers to drive the idea home, I was concerned that the game would fall under the “just another MMO” banner. However, NC is no stranger to MMORPGs, with the original AION, Guild Wars 2, the Blade & Soul franchise and the more recent Throne & Liberty under their belt. However, with that many titles in a single genre, the question arises: can they still feel fresh and new?
The answer is a resounding yes. With just me and one other creator in my hands-off appointment at SGF, AION 2 had us workshopping new words for beautiful, gorgeous, and stunning—seriously, it’s in my transcript. We were tired of repeating ourselves. But it is true: even beyond what we learned about how rich an MMORPG it was, the absolutely breathtaking character models and scenery stopped us in our tracks.
I am still stuck somewhere in World of Warcraft, where a game that might feature 40 people on a screen at once can’t be as beautiful as this without crashing, but alas, I am old. It was emphasized that the team was excited to see what modern technology, such as Unreal Engine 5 (with extensive customization by NC), could do for the AION franchise, and that excitement really paid off.
“AION 2 was built with verticality in mind, meaning you aren’t just fighting through the world or dungeon, you’re fighting up.”
For something that is 36 times larger than the original AION, the recommended specs for a game this beautiful aren’t even that bad (aside from the 100GB of storage, ouch!). The team mentioned the possibility of GeForce NOW support, as well as a ton of adjustable settings to tweak your graphics to your liking as well.
AION 2 Recommended PC Specs
- Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 7 3700X / Intel® Core™ i7-11700
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 2070 (8GB) / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8GB)
Aside from the true beauty of AION 2, there is plenty beneath the surface. This is an open-world, seamless MMORPG with no loading screens. Characters can traverse and fly with mounts or with a gorgeous set of wings (with plenty of cosmetic wings, both paid and earned in-game) right from early on in the game. No waiting until level 40 to unlock flying. Over time, you will gain more stamina to lengthen flights, but you can take off right out of the gate!
AION 2 will feature eight classes that range from your tank, DPS, and healer classes, including fighters using ranged magic and bow attacks, elemental attacks, in-combat rezzes, stealth and the classic run-and-smash warrior-type.
AION 2 Classes
- Gladiator – fierce melee warrior
- Templar – frontline tank, high defence
- Assassin – stealth and precision
- Ranger – longbow, ranged battlefield control
- Sorcerer – fire and ice magic
- Spirit Master – summons elemental spirits
- Cleric – healer with in‑combat resurrection
- Chanter – hybrid DPS/support
Across all of these classes though, one thing remains the same: AION 2 was built with verticality in mind, meaning you aren’t just fighting through the world or dungeon, you’re fighting up. This is something I am not sure I am coordinated enough for, and I will certainly need some hands-on time to see how it plays out, but those purdy wings aren’t just for show. You can take your battles to the skies.
It is a unique mechanic, and it is still unclear how often this will be needed. I am curious how it plays out in raids and dungeons, particularly in coordinating groups of people on the ground and in the sky. I am excited to find out. When asked about what makes AION 2 stand out against other MMOs, Chief Business Officer at NC, Seung-Uk Baek, had this to say:
“First of all, we have a very fast-paced, action-based battle system, and what is more important is the verticality with the flying system, where it’s not just flying around; you could have an aerial battle as well. It is a unique experience that other MMO’s don’t provide.” Director of Operations, Daniel LaFuente, added, “Flight feels great. Flight is ingrained in every part of the game.”
The dungeon system in AION 2 is something that seems pretty standard, but not in a bad way, maybe a more intimidating way. I am used to being forced to take on group content in MMOs, or face lacklustre solo content. The solo content here does not seem less-than; that’s for sure. There are a few options when it comes to dungeon-like content: Sanctuary, Expeditions and Nightmare.
Sanctuary is going to be the most like a raid in other MMOs, where you bring in eight people in total to clear the trash and bosses. Expeditions are going to be like a dungeon, where you bring in four people to do the same. Nightmare is going to be your solo dungeons, and it certainly implies that the content will not be an afterthought.
The NC team did say that group play is emphasized in AION 2, but also ensured that there will be a gameplay style for every kind of gamer. “We have play styles for everyone: solo, group play, crafters, collectors. We really want everybody to have something they can do in AION, so that it feels like a game that you can join a community and really contribute in a way that feels best to you,” said LaFuente.
“AION 2 is shaping up to be one hell of an MMORPG.”
For those who love their style, you will be happy to know that AION 2 features a really thorough character creator, allowing you to move and customize so much of your new toon. There are also an insane amount of cosmetics that are just for show and do not affect your in-game ability, including full outfits, wings and individual pieces. Some will be paid, but many are earned in-game. There are even over 200 pets/mounts already in the game, with more than 100 earned and not purchased.
I have spoken a lot about the original AION, but when asked, the team at NC said that you do not need to know the first game. There will of course be Easter eggs and nods to the original, but AION 2 is a completely stand-alone game. It has been 18 years since the original, so it makes sense to build something an entirely new generation can grow with, especially on shiny new software and hardware.
With a tentative release date in September 2026 for Steam and NC’s launcher, PURPLE, AION 2 is shaping up to be one hell of an MMORPG. NC seems to be thinking about a playstyle for everyone and offers no shortage of customization across the board; I just hope I can wrap my head around the verticality of combat when I dive in.
