AION 2 Download: Steam, PURPLE, Install Size & Requirements
AION 2 is a PC game — Steam's own description says so in as many words — and there are exactly two places to get it: Steam and NC's PURPLE launcher. Pre-download ran from September 28 at 6:00 AM PDT (13:00 UTC) for Founder's Pack owners — and since October 5 at 13:00 UTC the servers are open: the game is free to play for everyone, and the download below is all that stands between you and logging in.
| Where | Steam or PURPLE — PC only, no console or mobile version |
|---|---|
| Download size | 81.62 GB pre-load download on Steam (client reading, October 5, 2026) — the installed game reserves up to 100 GB |
| Reserve on disk | 100 GB available space; SSD recommended |
| Who can download | Everyone — the game opened free to play on October 5, 2026 at 13:00 UTC (the Sept 28 – Oct 4 pre-download window was for Founder's Pack owners) |
| Cost to download | The client is free; the Sept 30 – Oct 4 Advance Access window was what cost $24.99 |
Where to download AION 2
Option 1 — Steam (PC client)
- Open the AION 2 Steam page. The base game is free to play; the Founder's Pack is listed separately as DLC.
- If you're paying for Advance Access, buy the pack on the same account you'll play on — access follows the purchasing account, not the PC.
- The client installs through Steam like any other game: add it to your library, then start the install. It's a full game download, not a launcher stub.
Option 2 — PURPLE (NC's launcher)
- Download PURPLE from NC's download page and install it.
- Sign in with your NC account.
- AION 2 installs through PURPLE once the launcher is running — there's no separate installer to fetch.
Both routes deliver the same client. Whichever you pick, buy and install in the same place rather than splitting the purchase and the install across two platforms.
AION 2 preload: how the September 28 window worked
Before launch, pre-download ran from September 28 at 13:00 UTC (6:00 AM PDT / 9:00 PM Beijing) — Founder's Pack owners only — until the servers opened. The window is over: with the game free to play, there is nothing to pre-purchase into, just download and install. Two mistakes from that window are still worth knowing, because they are the ones that cost people launch night:
- Waiting for the 29th. A full client, an antivirus scan and a day-one patch are not a twenty-minute job. Whoever started on the 28th had it easy.
- Assuming it's a small launcher. It isn't — this is the whole game.
If you tried Steam before 13:00 UTC on the 28th and nothing downloaded — that was the window being closed, not a problem on your end. The window itself is done: the full client downloads freely now.
How the encrypted pre-download worked
This applied to the pre-launch window — the live client downloads and decrypts normally now. NC's own pre-download announcement reduced the whole process to four steps: buy the Founder's Pack → download the game → allow decryption on September 30 → play. The middle part is where people lose a night, so here is what NC's announcement actually says:
- The downloaded files were encrypted. What was on your disk then is the full client, locked.
- The game decrypted them before you could play. A finished download was not a playable install — that is why the Play button could do nothing on a 100%-downloaded client.
- It was not a reinstallation. NC stated it outright. You did not download the client a second time on the 30th — so do not delete the install to “start clean”. That would turn a short unpack into a full 100 GB download.
- Decryption time varied with your PC, not your connection. CPU and drive speed were what mattered, which is the same reason an SSD sat on the requirement line.
- Starting the download on the 30th instead depended on your connection. NC's own note: downloading at the start of advanced access varied based on your download speeds — and you would have been queuing the full download and the decryption pass while everyone else was already in.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sept 28, 13:00 UTC | Pre-download opened — files arrived encrypted (done) |
| Sept 30 | Decryption unlocked and the game became playable |
| Oct 5 | Free-to-play launch, no pack needed |
NC's third step reads “Allow decryption on September 30!” — treat it as the task for that day: start the game when the servers open and let the unpack run to completion instead of cancelling it. Leave the install where your launcher put it; moving or deleting it mid-way is the one thing that does cost you a re-download.
System requirements and how much space to reserve
Straight from NC's Steam announcement, minimum and recommended:
| Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OSWindows 10/11 (64-bit) | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) |
| CPURyzen 5 2600 / Core i5-10500 | Ryzen 7 3700X / Core i7-11700 |
| Memory8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| GraphicsNVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB) | NVIDIA RTX 2070 (8 GB) |
| DirectXVersion 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage100 GB available space | 100 GB available space |
| NoteSSD recommended; at FHD set the preset to Very Low | SSD recommended; at FHD set the preset to Low |
Reserve 100 GB, not “about 100 GB”. Both tiers list 100 GB, and it's available space — if your drive is within 20 GB of full, Windows will let you start and then stall halfway. And the two size numbers are not the same: the pre-load download measured 81.62 GB on the Steam client (October 5, 2026 reading; SteamDB’s depot size agrees at ~81.5 GiB), while the installed game reserves up to 100 GB — so plan disk space by the install figure, not the download figure.
Why we're more specific than most pages on this: the official requirement line is Storage: 100 GB available space and it applies to both tiers . Several guides currently say the size is unknown and tell readers to check back — you don't have to.
Phone, tablet, console: there is no other version
AION 2 is PC only. Steam's description says it outright (PC only, on Unreal Engine 5), and there is no global mobile or console client. This matters because search results are full of them:
- The Google Play entry in the results is the Korean release, and sites like Uptodown list AION 2 (KR) — installing those gets you a different game region, not the global servers.
- If you found an “AION 2 APK”, it is not this game's global client. There is nothing to sideload.
- No console version exists either. If you have a low-end laptop, PURPLE and Steam both install the same client and neither has a cloud-play path.
If you see a download link that isn't Steam or NC's own PURPLE, treat it as unofficial.
Download button greyed out or doing nothing — the five usual causes
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Download button missing entirely | You're looking at the AION 2 page, but the pack is on a separate DLC page | Open the Founder's Pack listing — the base game is free and installs with the pack |
| Downloaded, but the game won't launch | Leftover state from the September 28 pre-download window, whose files stayed encrypted until the 30th | The window is over — the live client downloads and decrypts normally now. If launch still fails, clear the old install and re-download |
| “Not available in your region” | Your Steam account region has no AION 2 store entry | Check the pack's regional availability on your own store page |
| Downloaded, but no AION 2 in your library | You're signed into a different Steam account than the purchase | Sign in with the purchasing account |
| Install loops or restarts from zero | Launch Scale Test client still installed | Uninstall the Playtest app, then download the live client — the test build does not update into it |
The last one catches returning testers every time. If you played the Launch Scale Test on Steam, the test app stays in your library and looks like a valid path in — it isn't. Remove it first.
Download FAQ
How do I preload AION 2?
That window closed — pre-download ran September 28 to October 4 for Founder's Pack owners only. It worked like any other Steam install (PURPLE the same), and what arrived was an encrypted client that stayed locked until the September 30 decryption. Since October 5 there is no pre-download step: just install the live client.
Is downloading AION 2 free?
Yes. The client costs nothing on either Steam or PURPLE, and since October 5, 2026 the game itself is free to play. What you paid for — if anything — was the Advance Access window: the Founder's Pack starting at $24.99.
Do I need the Founder's Pack to download?
Not anymore. The September 28 pre-download window was pack-owners-only, and that is what the pack bought — early install plus the September 30 – October 4 Advance Access. Since October 5 the client downloads free and everyone can log in.
Which download is smaller, Steam or PURPLE?
Neither. Both deliver the identical client and the same 100 GB requirement — pick the launcher you'd rather keep open.
Can I download on the 29th and still be in on the 30th?
That question belonged to the pre-download window. The lesson is worth keeping: a full client plus a day-one patch was never a twenty-minute job. Past tense throughout.
Do the Steam and PURPLE versions share an account?
You sign in with the account you bought the pack on. Beyond that, treat the two launchers as separate installs — don't buy on one and expect the other to grant access by itself.
Why can't I play the files I pre-downloaded?
If you still have the September 28 pre-download from the old window, that client stayed encrypted until the 30th and is not a playable install — the live client downloads and decrypts normally now. A finished download was not a playable install, and nothing is broken. NC also states that this is not a reinstallation, so don't delete or re-download the client — you already have everything you need.
How long does the decryption take on September 30?
NC never published a number — decryption time varied with your PC's specs, CPU and drive rather than internet speed, which is why an SSD sat on the requirement line. That applied to the September 30, 2026 pre-download window only; the live client installs and unpacks normally.
Downloaded and deciding what to run first? The AION 2 early access guide covers the five-day plan, and the Founder's Pack guide compares the three tiers before you buy.