AION 2 reached almost 400,000 concurrent players on Steam after global launch – available for free

NC has launched AION 2 globally. Early access is over, the technical problems from the first days are fixed, and the South Korean MMORPG is one of the loudest starts of the year. Peak concurrent players on Steam came close to 400,000.

The Steam figure doesn't tell the whole story, since part of the audience plays through Purple, NC's own launcher. The real number of players at any given moment is noticeably higher.

Much of that success comes down to the distribution model. The game is free-to-play and requires no purchase. The way the developer reshaped the genre for a modern audience also played a part.

Interest in AION 2 built up well before the free release. Tens of thousands of players paid for early access to get in ahead of everyone else. The title stayed relatively unknown in the West for a long time, but the Steam numbers from the global launch say otherwise.

Players and reviewers point to several key features behind the popularity:

• a recognizable gameplay loop that genre veterans will feel at home with

• detailed, lavish visuals

• a reworked combat system built around skill combos

• a huge open world with plenty to explore

• an advanced character creator with extensive appearance options

Visuals sit at the center of AION 2, but the game goes beyond good looks. NC packed it with a large amount of content, which matters a great deal for keeping an MMORPG audience around.

Raids, side activities, resource farming, combat progression, and world exploration are all available. According to NC, the base game alone offers hundreds of hours of content.

Steam reviews are currently mixed at 61%, though some players call AION 2 an unexpected "new home" for World of Warcraft fans. It's hardly a WoW replacement for those who truly called Blizzard's world home, though – the approach to everything is just too Korean.

One user described their impressions this way:

As an MMORPG enjoyer, I'm having a great time playing so far. It follows the same formula as the original AION, but with tweaks to modernize certain mechanics and systems. The combat is smooth and fluid, combos feel good to use and easy to understand. The world is absolutely gorgeous, will be taking plenty of screenshots.

Complaints are plentiful. Players criticize PC optimization, and some monetization elements draw fire for leaning toward pay-to-win, which can instantly turn off those who prefer paying for a subscription while staying on a relatively even footing with everyone else.

The next milestone for AION 2 is how well the online numbers hold after the launch peak. The player count a few weeks from now will show how well the content and monetization keep the audience engaged.