Predictions

2:30 We think Aion 2's global version will follow Korea's path at about twice its speed: a second season by the end of January 2027, server merges in the spring and the Brawler with Chapter 1's level 50 cap by summer, the kind of bigger content drop EPIC PLK reads into the word "Chapter" in this clip.

These are Vi.ki's own predictions and opinions, not reported facts. Each one says what we base it on and when it can be checked. We will mark each one right or wrong when it resolves.

Will Aion 2 get a second global season?

We think the global version's Season 2 begins by Jan 31, 2027, within a few weeks of the first Daeva Pass ending on Dec 15, 2026, and opens with the Expedition Dying Dramata's Nest and Middle Reshanta, as Korea's did.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Jan 2027.

Why we think so: Korea's Season 2 began on Jan 21, 2026, about two months after its launch of Nov 19, 2025, with Dying Dramata's Nest first and Middle Reshanta activated in the Abyss (NC). The global version started on its own Season 1 (Global Release), and its first pass is dated to end on Dec 15, which leaves a gap NC has every reason to fill before the holidays end. NC's producer's letter of Oct 10 already promised "our first seasonal celebrations" as new content (Updates and Seasons).

What would prove us wrong: no season or pass reset is announced for the global servers before February 2027, or a Season 2 that opens without Dying Dramata's Nest.

Will Aion 2 get a winter event?

We think the global version gets a winter holiday event in December 2026, with attendance rewards, an event coin shop and a holiday outfit set in the Cash Shop, running into January.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Dec 2026.

Why we think so: the global version's first seasonal event, Halloween, ran from Oct 13 to Nov 3 with attendance rewards, weekly missions, Pumpkin Coins and a skeleton armor skin, alongside a Halloween shop (Updates and Seasons; Cash Shop and Cosmetics). Korea marked the Chuseok holiday the same way. NC's producer's letter named "our first seasonal celebrations" as the start of new content, and in our view a game that sells outfits will not skip its biggest shopping month.

What would prove us wrong: no holiday event on the global servers in December 2026.

When will Aion 2's Cross-Server Market open worldwide?

Our prediction: the Cross-Server Market, which joins the Server Markets of a region, opens on the global servers by Mar 31, 2027.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Mar 2027.

Why we think so: NC's Early Access notice of Jul 17, 2026 set out two scopes, a Server Market on each server and a Cross-Server Market that is not available at launch (Servers). NC's notices through Oct 27, 2026 name no date (Market and Exchange). We think thin servers make a single regional market the cheapest fix NC has: it pools buyers and sellers without moving anyone, and it lets a merge wait.

What would prove us wrong: no Cross-Server Market on the global servers on Mar 31, 2027.

Which raids and dungeons come next to Aion 2's global version?

We think the global version gets the Transcendence dungeon Mirror of Scarlet Desire and the Sanctuary raid Muspel's Chalice, with the Brooch slot, before the Brawler, both by Apr 30, 2027.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Apr 2027.

Why we think so: in Korea, Season 2's dungeons came first, the Sanctuary Corroded Decontamination Facility on Mar 11, 2026, then Mirror of Scarlet Desire on May 13 and Muspel's Chalice on May 27, all before Chapter 1 on Jul 1 (Updates and Seasons). NC has said the global version releases Korea's backlog by player data rather than in a fixed order, and we think it keeps the order that worked in Korea, raids first and the new class last.

What would prove us wrong: either dungeon missing on Apr 30, 2027, or the Brawler arriving before them.

Will Aion 2's global version get a collaboration?

We think the global version runs its first brand collaboration, a crossover event with themed costumes and emotes like Korea's fromis_9 Collaboration, by Jun 30, 2027.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Jun 2027.

Why we think so: Korea's collaboration with the K-pop group fromis_9 ran from Jun 17 to Aug 12, 2026, with costumes that turn players into the members, emotes and an event quest. It was revealed at the SUMMER FESTA showcase seven months after Korea's launch (Updates and Seasons). We expect the global team to pick a partner with Western reach instead, since the Cash Shop is where the global version earns, but we would count a fromis_9 rerun too.

What would prove us wrong: no crossover or brand collaboration on the global servers by the end of June 2027.

When will the Brawler come to the global version of Aion 2?

Our prediction: the Brawler reaches the global version between April and July 2027, together with the level 50 cap and Eltnen and Morheim, not on its own.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Jul 2027.

Why we think so: Korea got the Brawler with Chapter 1: Lands of Sand and Snow on Jul 1, 2026, seven and a half months after its launch (NC). NC said in June that the global version "will be close to a year behind" Korea (Hardcore Gamer), and a year behind Jul 1, 2026 is Jul 2027. We expect NC to move a little faster than that because the Western player count is falling (below), and a new class is the strongest tool an MMO has to bring players back.

What would prove us wrong: the Brawler arrives alone before April 2027, or has no date by the end of July 2027.

Will Aion 2's servers be merged?

We think NC merges or links global servers before Jun 30, 2027, cutting the 52 pairs on its list to 35 or fewer.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Jun 2027.

Why we think so: NC opened 52 Elyos and Asmodian pairs by Oct 12, 2026, up from 43 at the launch (Servers), sized for a Steam peak of 397,905. By Vi.ki's own reading of Steam's counts on Nov 7, 2026, the daily peak has fallen to about 190,000 on weekdays, roughly half. Instanced content is already cross-server, but the open world, the Market and the Abyss are per server, so thin servers hurt the economy and PvP first.

What would prove us wrong: the server list still shows 45 or more pairs at the end of June 2027 with no merge announced.

How many people will play Aion 2 on Steam in 2027?

We think Aion 2's Steam daily peak drops below 130,000 by Jan 31, 2027, then holds above 80,000 through June 2027.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Jun 2027.

Why we think so: in Vi.ki's own reading of Steam's counts (Nov 7, 2026), the daily peak went from 397,905 on Oct 5 to between 188,000 and 208,000 from Nov 2 to Nov 6, and each week has lost about 10% on the one before, a loss that is slowing. Ten to twelve more weeks at a shrinking rate land between 110,000 and 140,000. A floor near 80,000 is our guess at the size of the committed audience, the players already paying for Membership and grinding Expedition Dungeons, and a second season or Ludra's new rewards would lift the line for a week or two each.

What would prove us wrong: a January daily peak above 160,000, or any day below 80,000 before July 2027.

Will Aion 2's Steam reviews improve?

We think Aion 2's all-time Steam rating stays Mixed, between 50% and 62% positive, through Mar 31, 2027.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Mar 2027.

Why we think so: the score went from 65% on Oct 7 to 58% on Oct 21 of 36,085 reviews (Reception and Revenue), and the complaints are about the shop and the Membership gate on trading, which NC has not changed. With that many reviews, even a run of good recent ones moves the all-time score slowly; Steam needs 70% for Mostly Positive.

What would prove us wrong: an all-time score of 63% or more, or under 50%, by the end of March 2027.

Will NC earn more from Aion 2 now that it is global?

We think NC reports more Aion 2 revenue for the fourth quarter of 2026 than for the second quarter's KRW 71.9 billion, and that the global version brings in at least a third of it.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Feb 2027.

Why we think so: second-quarter revenue was Korea and Taiwan alone and had fallen 47% from the first quarter (TheElec). The fourth quarter is the first full one with the West: a $14.99 Membership needed per server, outfit sets at $29.99 and new skins every few weeks (Cash Shop and Cosmetics). NC reports the fourth quarter in February.

What would prove us wrong: Aion 2 revenue for Q4 2026 at or below KRW 71.9 billion, or NC not breaking out the global share and the total staying flat.

Will Aion 2 come to PlayStation 5 or Xbox?

We think no console version of Aion 2 comes out in 2027, and that NC does not give one a date before Dec 31, 2027.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Dec 2027.

Why we think so: NC told Wccftech only that a console version is planned after the PC launch, probably without cross-play (Wccftech; Platforms). The global PC version still needs the Brawler, Chapter 1 and a fix for its reviews, and a console version without cross-play would need its own servers, which a shrinking audience argues against.

What would prove us wrong: a console release date announced, or a release, in 2027.

Will Aion 2's median item level pass 3,000?

We think the median of the same count passes 3,000 by the middle of December: the Hard dungeons of Nov 11 add a tier of rewards between the 2,800 gate and Hard Ludra's 3,000, and the middle of the sample has been climbing about 300 item levels a week.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Dec 15, 2026.

The count is Vi.ki's own, of the characters looked up on Vi.ki, and how it was made is on Average Item Level.

Will NC's Nov 17 maintenance start at 22:30 PST?

We think the maintenance of Nov 17 (PST) starts at 22:30 PST like the two before it and is announced at 4 hours 30 minutes or less. Five of the six so far were, and the one that ran longer came with the first Hard dungeons, a kind of patch NC has shipped twice since inside 4 hours 30 minutes.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Nov 18, 2026.

Every weekly maintenance so far, with its start and length, is on Maintenance Schedule.

Which Aion 2 class will be the most played in February?

We think the Cleric is still first when we count again in February, and that the Sorcerer has passed the Templar by then: the tier lists have had a month to reach new players, and the Sorcerer is only two characters behind.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Feb 2027.

The count this compares against, class by class and region by region, is on Most Popular Class.

What creators predict

Anders: Hard mode Conquest a few weeks after launch

In his Sep 15, 2026 guide to every dungeon at the global launch, Anders said there was no Hard mode Conquest at launch and that it "should show up a few weeks in once the average player's combat power catches up" (1:45). He was right: the patch of Oct 27 (PDT) added Hard Urugugu Canyon and Vakron Sky Island, three weeks in, and NC opened the Tier 3 Hard dungeons the week after Nov 4 (Expedition Dungeons). We think he read the global pace well, and his call is one reason we expect Korea's dungeons to keep arriving in Korea's order.

Check by: Nov 2026.

Result (Oct 20, 2026): Right. The global version added Hard for Krao Cave and Draupnir on Oct 20, 2026 and for Urugugu Canyon and Vakron Sky Island on Oct 27, and NC said on Nov 4 that Tier 3 Hard opens the following week (Expedition Dungeons). His timing, once players' combat power caught up, matched the item level gates NC set (2,600, then 2,700).

Sen: Kromede's wings are the first pair players chase

Playing a Gladiator on the Taiwanese servers in his Jul 19, 2026 guide, Sen expected Kromede's wings, with their attack bonus and critical hit, to be the first pair global players chase (9:01). Guide sites now list Kromede Wings and Talisra Wings as the pairs damage players chase first (Wings Guide). We think he called it, and that the next pair to take their place comes with Muspel's Chalice and its Wings Enhance System.

Check by: Nov 2026.

aselon_eu: one subscription, and passes bought with Kina

In his Feb 19, 2026 state of the game video, before NC published its global plan, aselon_eu expected the global business model to stay close to Korea's, with changes that "could include merging the two subscriptions into a single one with adjusted pricing" and "making battle passes purchasable directly with kina" (13:07). He was half right: NC's global plan of Jul 8, 2026 has a single Membership at $14.99 (Membership), but the global passes of Sep 30 cost 1,500 and 1,000 Quna, not Kina (Daeva Pass). We think the Kina pass never comes, because the Quna price of the pass is one of the few things NC sells to every active player.

Check by: Oct 2026.

Result (Sep 30, 2026): Partly right. The global plan of Jul 8, 2026 has one Membership at $14.99 (Membership), as he expected, but the global passes of Sep 30 cost Quna, not Kina (Daeva Pass). We think he got the half that cost NC nothing and missed the half that would have cost it sales.

Our take

We think Aion 2 is worth playing for free for its first 45 levels: the flight, the Character Creation and the instanced dungeons are the best NC has made, and the eight Classes each play differently. We think it is not worth paying for unless you plan to trade, because the $14.99 Membership is the price of the Market on one server, not a convenience.

We think the most underrated part is how much of the hardest content is cross-server from day one: a player on a quiet server loses nothing in Expedition Dungeons or Transcendence Dungeons. We think the most overrated worry is pay-to-win in PvE: the gear that matters there comes from dungeons and crafting, and the shop's sharpest edge is in the Abyss.

In our view the global version's future depends on one decision: whether NC releases Korea's backlog fast enough to beat the decline. Korea's own numbers fell by half from the first to the second quarter and then held, and we think the West will settle the same way, smaller but stable, if Chapter 1 arrives before the summer.

Frequently asked questions

Will Aion 2 die in 2027?

We do not think so. Our prediction is a Steam daily peak that settles above 80,000 through mid 2027, which would still make it one of the larger MMOs on Steam, with fewer servers after merges.

When will Aion 2's level cap go above 45 worldwide?

We think it rises to 50 between April and July 2027, with the Brawler, Eltnen and Morheim, because Korea added them together in Chapter 1 and NC plans to run about a year behind.

Is Aion 2 pay-to-win?

In our view it is pay-to-trade more than pay-to-win: the Market and the Kina and Quna exchange need a Membership, while PvE gear comes from play. We think PvP in the Abyss is where spending shows most.

Should I start Aion 2 now or wait?

We think now is a good time to start, while servers are busy and before any merge, but we would wait to buy a Membership until you know which server you will stay on.

Sources

• Season 2 update, NC, Jan 7, 2026
• Chapter 1 update, NC, Jul 6, 2026
• Aion 2 SGF interview, Hardcore Gamer, Jun 16, 2026
• NC second-quarter results, TheElec, Aug 28, 2026
• Aion 2 Q&A: DLSS 5, console, cross-play, Wccftech, Sep 7, 2026
• Aion 2 charts, SteamDB, the source of the counts Vi.ki read on Nov 7, 2026
• Aion 2 First Big Update Before Global, EPIC PLK, Jul 1, 2026 (video)
• Aion 2 Global PVE - Every Dungeon, Raid, and Daily at Launch, Anders, Sep 15, 2026 (video)
• Aion 2 Gladiator FULL Guide - Everything You Need Before Global Launch, Sen, Jul 19, 2026 (video)
• Aion 2: Better or Worse? State of the Game (3 Months Later), aselon_eu, Feb 19, 2026 (video)