NCsoft has dated Aion 2 for Monday, October 5, announcing the global launch during Gamescom's Opening Night Live alongside a new trailer for the MMO.
The game releases on PC through Steam and NCsoft's own PURPLE platform, and the launch covers North America, South America, Europe and Asia, according to the studio's announcement reported by MassivelyOP.
Two milestones before launch day
NCsoft laid out two steps between the announcement and the October 5 release. The first is a "Launch Scale Test" running Thursday and Friday, September 17-18, which players can apply for through the game's Steam page.
NC will conduct a 'Launch Scale Test' Thursday and Friday, September 17-18, building an environment similar to the actual service to check server and infrastructure stability, while also giving users the opportunity to experience the game before its official launch.
The second is a head start. Players who signed up for a Founder's Pack get five days of early access from September 30 through October 4, ahead of the official launch the following Monday.
That schedule threads a needle NCsoft had left itself. The company had previously indicated Aion 2 would launch in September, and MassivelyOP noted that the head start beginning September 30 means the game does technically reach players inside that window, even though the official release date falls in October.
Aion 2 was one of several titles NCsoft brought to Opening Night Live, where the publisher showed trailers for multiple games. MassivelyOP framed Aion 2 as the headline item of the company's segment for MMO players, and the one that came away with a date attached rather than a trailer alone.