AION 2 Download Guide: Steam or PURPLE, Five Prep Steps
Two official entry points: Steam (app 3393110) and NC's PURPLE launcher. Eight in-game languages and four server regions, plus five things to do before launch.
Two official entry points: Steam and NC’s own PURPLE launcher.
The Steam app ID is 3393110, flagged free to play. Eight in-game languages. Servers sit in North America, South America, Europe and Japan.
Five things to do before launch: wishlist or pre-register, request test access if needed, download early, confirm 100 GB on an SSD, and know which server you are joining.
Picking between them
| Entry | Link | What you need | Better for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | store.steampowered.com/app/3393110 | A Steam account; free download | People who live in Steam and value wishlist reminders and automatic updates |
| PURPLE | NC’s launcher (linked from the official teaser site) | An NC account | People buying a Founder’s Pack who might upgrade tiers later |
Two rules decide it.
One: packs are platform-locked. A Founder’s Pack bought on one platform only works there. No crossover.
Two: only PURPLE sells upgrades. PURPLE offers Standard-to-Deluxe for USD 25, Standard-to-Ultimate for 75 and Deluxe-to-Ultimate for 50 - exactly the tier difference - provided you already own the lower tier. Steam has no announced upgrade path.
So if you are unsure about going all in, PURPLE keeps the pay-the-difference option open. Steam requires deciding up front.
If you are not buying a pack at all, both entry points behave the same. Pick by client preference.
Confirmed languages and servers
In-game languages (eight): English, French, German, Spanish (Spain), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Japanese, Korean.
Server regions (four): North America, South America, Europe, Japan.
Developer interviews add one layer of detail: roughly one to two server groups per continent, and Japan sits inside “Asia World”, playing alongside other Asian regions. The finer split creators report - NA West, NA East, South America, Central Europe, Japan - is player observation. NC has not published it, so treat it as indicative only.
On languages, official sources do not quite agree. The interview says “ten languages initially, with more under consideration”, while the official FAQ and Steam store page settle on eight. Go with the eight on the store page and FAQ.
NC has not published server counts or names per region. Confirming your region matters because it decides who shares your economy and matchmaking, and faction and server are both hard to change later. The decision itself is covered in the beginner guide.
Five prep steps
- Wishlist or pre-register. The Steam store page takes a wishlist directly. The official global teaser site has taken pre-registrations with an email or NC account since June 6, 2026. NC’s FAQ says reward details come closer to launch.
- Request test access if needed. The Launch Scale Test ran September 17-18 and is over. During it, “request access” on the Steam page was all that was required - no key, no invite. NC has not said whether another test will run.
- Download early. NC opened pre-download a day before the test and recommends the same for launch. Scale reference: 100 GB required officially, roughly 82 GB for the test client.
- Check storage and drive type. Both spec tiers recommend an SSD. See system requirements.
- Confirm your server. Pick one of the four regions, then create your character.
That separate test client
NC’s notice is explicit: the playtest app and the retail game are two different installs.
Steam players had to uninstall the playtest app and download AION 2 separately to use early access. PURPLE players needed no extra step.
If you played the test, uninstall the test client and install the retail build normally. The playtest client does not upgrade.
Controllers: works, but “full support” is still being evaluated
If you plan to use a controller on PC, two official statements belong together. In a July 2026 interview the development PD said “controller support on Steam is also finished”. The September 2026 Steam pre-release FAQ still says full controller support is being evaluated for launch scope.
Both can be true: a controller works, while complete prompts and remapping remain under evaluation. PS5 progress is on the console page.
Still unpublished
- Pre-registration reward details. NC says they will be shared closer to launch
- Server counts and names per region
- Whether one account can play across regional servers
- Whether Steam will open an upgrade path for packs
Whether the five extra days justify a pack is on the Founder’s Pack comparison. Whether your machine can run it is on system requirements. Once installed, go to the beginner guide.
Sources
- Steam store page (AION 2, app 3393110) and the Founder’s Pack page (app 4972180)
- Steam announcements “Steam Pre-release FAQ”, “Launch Scale Test: Pre-download Now!”, “Launch Scale Test Coming Up”
- Pre-registration and Launch Scale Test sections of the official global teaser site
- NC America press release “AION 2 FOUNDER’S PACK AVAILABLE today”, July 22, 2026
- GameVu (Korea) exclusive interview, July 20, 2026 (one to two server groups per continent, Japan in Asia World, language count, Steam controller support finished)
- Creator reports: Married to Gaming “Aion 2 | Watch This BEFORE You Download Aion 2”