AION 2 Playtest & Beta History — Every Test Before Launch

Every AION 2 test so far: the September 17–18, 2026 Launch Scale Test (level cap 37), Korea head start since November 2025, and future test windows.

10/3/2026 Last updated: 10/3/2026 5 min read

FAQ

Will there be more AION 2 tests before launch?

None are announced. The Launch Scale Test on September 17–18, 2026 was the last public test before the October 5 global release, and the only pre-launch window after it is Founder’s Pack early access from September 30. Any further announcement would come through the official Steam page and the PURPLE launcher.

Was there an AION 2 open beta?

Not under that name. The closest thing to an open beta was the Launch Scale Test on September 17–18, 2026 — a global, two-day public test with a level cap of 37. NCSOFT has not announced a separate open beta for the global version.

Do AION 2 tests wipe progress?

Scale tests of this kind are typically wiped, and test characters are not expected to carry into the live game. For any future test, treat progress as temporary until NCSOFT explicitly says otherwise. Early access progress is different — that is the live game, and it carries into launch.

How do I join a future AION 2 test?

Watch the official AION 2 Steam page (news posts and announcements) and NCSOFT’s PURPLE launcher. Every test window so far has been revealed through official channels first; there is no standing sign-up page for unannounced tests.

What was the level cap in the AION 2 Launch Scale Test?

Level 37. The cap focused the two-day September 17–18, 2026 test on the leveling game and launch-day server load rather than endgame content.

Every MMO earns its launch in testing, and AION 2’s testing story is short but unusual: the global audience got exactly one two-day stress test, while Korea and Taiwan have been playing the full live game for nearly a year. This page is the complete record of every confirmed test window — what each one covered, who got in, and where to watch for the next one — as we count down to the October 5 global release.

The full AION 2 test timeline

Dates	Event	Who could play	What it was for
November 19, 2025	Korean & Taiwanese live release	KR/TW players	The full game at real scale — still running today
July 1, 2026	Chapter 1 update (adds the Brawler)	KR/TW players	Post-launch content cadence
September 17–18, 2026	Launch Scale Test (level cap 37)	Global players	Stress-testing servers before the worldwide release
September 30, 2026	Founder’s Pack early access	Global, pack buyers	The live game, five days early
October 5, 2026	Global release	Everyone, free to play	—

The first two rows happened on the Korean and Taiwanese servers; the last three belong to the global rollout. The final two are not tests at all — they are what the tests were preparing for.

The Launch Scale Test: September 17–18, 2026

Two days, one purpose. The Launch Scale Test ran September 17–18, 2026 as the final public test before the worldwide release, a little over two weeks ahead of launch day. The name states the mission: “scale” means NCSOFT was load-testing the global server infrastructure, the launcher pipelines and the login flow with a real worldwide population — not previewing content for its own sake.

What the test covered

Characters were capped at level 37, which points the load exactly where a launch-day flood hits: the leveling zones, the early group content, and the first taste of the game’s vertical, flight-driven combat rather than the endgame. The specifics of what was enabled during the window were communicated through official channels at the time — the short version for anyone who missed it is leveling, group play and server load, capped at 37.

Why it mattered

An MMO’s worst launch headline is a server queue, and the only way to avoid one is to break things before the crowd arrives. The scale test existed to find those breaking points while the stakes were low. How the infrastructure actually holds up on day one will be visible to everyone the moment the game goes live — the Steam charts page tracks exactly that.

Korea and Taiwan: the longest test of all

The most extensive “test” AION 2 has ever received is still running. The Korean and Taiwanese servers went live on November 19, 2025, and that live year has done everything a formal test program does — server load at real scale, balance passes, content drops — with a full population playing for keeps.

It also previewed the content cadence. The Chapter 1 update on July 1, 2026 added the game’s ninth class, the Brawler, on those servers only, with no confirmed global date for it yet (the full roster is in the class list).

For global players the practical takeaway is simple: the October 5 build is not the November 2025 build. A year of Korean balance patches is already folded into the Western release, and the Korean patch cadence is a reasonable preview of what the global game will receive down the line.

Early access is not a beta

Founder’s Pack buyers have been in the live game since September 30, 2026 — five days ahead of everyone else. That is not a test: no level cap announced for it, no wipe, progress carries into live service. If you see the September 30 window described as a “beta” anywhere, that is a mislabel — it is the commercial game with a paid head start.

How to get into a future AION 2 test

Nothing further is announced, and with the game launching October 5 the era of pre-launch tests is effectively over. The places any future test would be announced:

The official AION 2 Steam page (app ID 3393110) — news posts and event announcements.
NCSOFT’s PURPLE launcher — the company’s own distribution channel alongside Steam.

One plausible candidate for future test windows is the PS5 version, which NCSOFT has confirmed is in development without committing to a date — but treat that as expectation management, not a promise. Confirm everything on the official channels above.

The bottom line

Launch Scale Test: September 17–18, 2026 — global, two days, level cap 37, the last public test before launch
No further tests announced — the remaining ways in are Founder’s Pack early access (September 30) and the free launch on October 5
Korea and Taiwan: live since November 19, 2025 — the longest and largest-scale “test” the game has ever had
Future test news will come from the official Steam page and the PURPLE launcher — anywhere else is rumor

This page updates whenever NCSOFT announces a new test window. Until then, the next milestone is launch day itself.