To play AION 2 in the US, Europe or Latin America, download it free from Steam or from NC's PURPLE launcher on a Windows PC, sign in with an NC Account or Steam, then pick a region, faction and server. Both launchers use the same servers, and a character can move between them once accounts are linked.
Everything below follows NC's help center and official notices for the global service, which launched on 5 October 2026.
Step by step: how to download AION 2
Option 1: Steam
- Open the AION 2 store page on Steam and click "Play Game". It is free to play.
- Install it on an SSD with at least 100 GB free.
- Launch the game and sign in with Steam. NC still stores the character on an NC Account tied to that Steam login, which matters later if you link or unlink accounts.
- Choose your region, then faction, then server.
Option 2: PURPLE
- Download PURPLE from purple.plaync.com.
- Sign in with an NC Account, or with Steam, Google or another supported login.
- Find AION 2 in the game list and install it.
- If AION 2 does not appear and you are in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore or Thailand, switch PURPLE's region setting to "Global" and restart PURPLE.
NC's launch FAQ confirms that in-game content is identical on both platforms and that Steam and PURPLE players share the same servers.
PC requirements
| Part | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10/11 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
| CPU | Ryzen 5 2600 / Core i5-10500 | Ryzen 7 3700X / Core i7-11700 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB) | RTX 2070 (8 GB) |
| DirectX | 12 | 12 |
| Storage | 100 GB, SSD recommended | 100 GB, SSD recommended |
The Steam listing adds that at 1080p the minimum spec should run the Very Low preset, and the recommended spec the Low preset. NC only supports Windows; Linux and Steam Deck may work but are not officially supported, and a controller is playable but not officially supported.
Once installed, you can start fresh or pick up one of our AION 2 accounts on your region.
How the NC Account, Steam and PURPLE fit together
This is the part that confuses most new players. NC's help center says your AION 2 character and game data are associated with the NC Account you used when you created the character. Steam, Google and others are login methods attached to that account.
- Steam character on PURPLE: open PURPLE, choose the Steam login, sign in with the same Steam account. No new character needed.
- PURPLE character on Steam: if you logged in to PURPLE with an NC Account, first link Steam on the NC website under account linking, then launch through Steam.
- Linking or unlinking Steam: go to purple.plaync.com/game/aion2global, sign in, open login management, and use Link or Disconnect next to Steam.
Unlinking Steam is the most common way players "lose" a character. If you unlink Steam and attach it to a fresh NC Account, the character stays on the old one. NC's fix requires adding a second login method to the original account first, because you cannot unlink Steam while it is the only way in.
Can I play AION 2 from my country?
The global service has servers in North America (East and West), South America, Europe and Asia, with the Asia servers hosted in Japan. NC's help center lists these as restricted, meaning NC cannot accept payments or allow play:
China, Vietnam, Cuba, Syria, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Macau, Russia, Belarus, Belgium, the Netherlands, Curacao, Bonaire, Saint Maarten, Aruba, Serbia and Slovakia.
Korea and Taiwan have their own AION 2 service. Using a VPN to get around the list is risky: NC's Trust Status System names VPN use and playing from an unsupported region among the reasons it can restrict Market and Exchange access.
Fixing "unable to connect to login server" and other errors
Work through these in order:
- Check for maintenance. NC posts scheduled and emergency maintenance on the official notice board and on Steam. On 8 October 2026 NC reported EU servers affected by a cloud service outage, so the problem is not always on your side.
- Check for an account conflict. NC says an NC Account and an older PLAYNC account using the same email can conflict and block login. The fix is to change the email on the NC Account through the link NC shows in the error popup.
- Steam error 1138:100134. NC's fix is to run Steam as administrator and launch again, then contact support if it repeats.
- Character missing after a Steam change. Your Steam account is probably linked to a different NC Account. Relink it to the original one as described above.
- Disconnects or repeated connection failures. NC asks you to send support your country, when the issue started and your internet provider.
For crashes, NC publishes a separate troubleshooting guide in its help center, including a fix for the "PresentInternal(SyncInterval) failed" crash.
Choosing a region and server
On first launch the client picks the region with the best connection. You then pick Elyos or Asmodian and a server; each server holds only one faction. NC recommends newer servers, and since server transfers only work inside the same region and faction, pick both with care. Our AION 2 guide hub has the full server list.
If you would rather not start from level 1, our AION 2 accounts are listed with region, server, faction and class.
Frequently asked questions
Is AION 2 on Steam?
Yes. AION 2 is free to play on Steam under app ID 3393110, released 5 October 2026. It is also on NC's PURPLE launcher with the same servers.
Do I need a PURPLE account to play on Steam?
No. NC says you can play on Steam without linking PURPLE. You only need to link if you want the same character on both platforms.
How big is the AION 2 download?
The Steam listing asks for 100 GB of available storage, and NC recommends an SSD.
Can I play AION 2 in the US?
Yes. The global service has NA East and NA West regions. Download it from Steam or PURPLE and the client will suggest the region with your best connection.
Why does AION 2 not show up in PURPLE?
If you are in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore or Thailand, set PURPLE's region to Global and restart. In restricted countries the game is not available.
Want to skip the early levels? METAMMO sells hand-checked AION 2 accounts for global servers, each with a lifetime warranty against recovery.
Sources
- Steam store page: AION 2 (requirements, release date)
- NC: Launch FAQ (30 Sep 2026)
- NC: PURPLE Region Settings for Login in Certain Countries (30 Sep 2026)
- NC Help: Character missing after relinking Steam (2 Oct 2026)
- NC Help: Link Steam to an existing NC account (29 Sep 2026)
- NC Help: Play your Steam character on PURPLE (30 Sep 2026)
- NC Help: Play your PURPLE character on Steam (30 Sep 2026)
- NC Help: Account Conflict Solutions (30 Sep 2026)
- NC Help: Steam error 1138:100134 (30 Sep 2026)
- NC Help: Disconnecting or cannot connect (30 Sep 2026)
- NC Help: Restricted countries in AION 2 (30 Sep 2026)
- NC Help: Selecting a server region (3 Sep 2026)
- NC: EU Servers Affected by Cloud Service Outage (8 Oct 2026)
- NC: AION 2 Trust Status System Notice (30 Sep 2026)
