AION 2 is the sequel to the 2008 MMORPG developed and published by NC, formerly NCsoft. AION 2 will officially launch globally this year, following its November 2025 launch in Korea and Taiwan. During Summer Game Fest 2026, we got to see some of the new features and what to expect for the upcoming MMORPG. This mainly includes the character creator, solo dungeons, and a four-man dungeon.
Right from the start, AION 2 is a beautiful-looking game, from the landscapes to the dungeons, it shows that the AION 2 team is clearly utilizing Unreal Engine 5 to the max. The characters and NPCs look fantastic; however, for me, it’s the landscapes, even in dungeons, that are really a sight to see. In the dungeon, we got to watch just how much went into the background, whether it was the sky and clouds or large cliffsides.
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All of these backgrounds really add to the game’s immersion and sense of depth. That leads to another major feature we got to see: the character creator tool. Players will have a full range of tools to create their characters. They showed up dozens of different hairstyles to choose from, different body types, and customizable smaller parts, with over 200 customizations, whether in body type or outfits.
AION 2 is putting its beauty first.
I am not a big character creator person, but for people who are, there will definitely be plenty of options for players to choose from. Aerial combat and general flight are a big part of AION 2, and that, of course, means player wings. There are many wings for players to choose from and acquire through various avenues.
Some are completing quests, defeating bosses, and participating in various in-game related activities, and through the shop. Microtransactions and cash shop are a part of the game as the AION series is a free-to-play hybrid.
One of the things the team stressed during our time was that the cash shop wings, outfits, and pets would not add any in-game stat bonuses. They really wanted those types of items to be more aesthetic-based than stat-based, stressing they wouldn’t contribute to a pay-to-win system. We’ll see more when the game and more information about what items are in the cash shop are released, but at least, from what’s said here, buying fancy wings will not give you an advantage.
AION 2’s demo did not dive into the game’s systems, leaving a lot in the air.
We did get to briefly see some combat in two boss battles, one in a harder solo dungeon and another in a four-man dungeon. Combat can be quite flashy and fast-paced with some interesting mechanics. The visuals from the four-man boss battle really reminded me of FFXIV, with lights, spells, and animations going everywhere.
One of the mechanics was that a circle was placed on a party member, and the battle area now revolved around them, so if they moved too much, other party members would take extreme damage. We only really got to see that, so there wasn’t much else to go on.
Between the combat and mechanics, the game does have the “traditional” MMORPG feel that players have become accustomed to over the years. Still, we did not get to see much of the UI, class system, or the nuts and bolts of progression.
From what we got to see of AION 2, there is some promise and interesting mechanics and components to the game. However, I do question why a game that was released last year wasn’t available for hands-on play, and why the renown for aerial combat wasn’t shown. I think AION 2 is a beautiful game full of customization and cool possibilities, but right now, there is still much left to be seen and desired, especially in this genre.
