AION 2 Early Access (Advance Access): Dates, Packs & How to Get In
AION 2 early access — officially named Advance Access — ran from September 30 to October 4, 2026, the five-day paid head start ahead of the free-to-play launch on October 5, 2026. It was not a free beta and not a lottery: the only way in was buying a Founder's Pack. Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate were the listed pack tiers, and all three included the 5-day early access — the cheapest tier was enough to play from September 30. On the US Steam store they were priced at $24.99 (Standard) / $49.99 (Deluxe) / $99.99 (Ultimate); Steam shows your local currency on the same page if you are outside the US. The window has now closed — the game opened free to everyone on October 5.
AION 2 early access date and start time (and the clock time nobody has pinned down)
Three dates anchor the window. The clock times are reported, not announced: the store page shows October 5 without an hour, and the 13:00 UTC moment comes from Steam's listing record.
| What | Date | Clock time (as reported) |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-download opened | September 28 | 6:00 AM PDT / 13:00 UTC / 9:00 AM EDT / 15:00 CEST / 21:00 Beijing / 22:00 KST |
| Advance Access begins | September 30 | 6:00 AM PDT / 13:00 UTC / 9:00 AM EDT / 15:00 CEST / 21:00 Beijing / 22:00 KST |
| Full launch (free to play) | October 5 | Reported — 13:00 UTC / 6:00 AM PDT / 9:00 AM EDT / 15:00 CEST / 21:00 Beijing / 22:00 KST |
Said plainly: NC has not published a clock time on its own channels. The Steam store page shows"Coming 5 Oct, 2026" and a countdown, with no hour attached. The 13:00 UTC figure is community-reported, from SteamDB's release record — and Steam's own countdown now lands within half an hour of it (at the time of writing, all three pack blocks read "Starts in approximately 1 day and 20 hours", pointing at roughly 12:30 UTC on September 30). The September 28 and 30 times follow the same reported cadence. We update this table the moment NC posts an official time, and every launch-week moment converted zone by zone lives on our AION 2 countdown.
How to get in
- Buy a Founder's Pack — the official entry is the AION 2 Steam page, where the three Pre-Purchase blocks sit, or PURPLE. All three tiers include early access — the price table below is the short version.
- Pre-download the client — the window opened September 28 at 13:00 UTC (6:00 AM PDT / 9:00 AM EDT / 15:00 CEST / 21:00 Beijing), two days before access. Start it now: the client is the slowest part.
- Log in on September 30 with the same account you bought the pack on.
No Founder's Pack means no access. There is no invite code, no friend key, no free path in.
One trap worth naming: buyers on Steam see “Pre-Purchase this edition and play the game starting 5 days ahead of full release” — the edition is what grants access, so the $24.99 tier is enough to be in on day one. Nothing in the two higher tiers changes whether you get in.
| Pack | US price | Early access |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Founder's Pack | $24.99 | ✔ Starts Sept 30 |
| Deluxe Founder's Pack | $49.99 | ✔ Starts Sept 30 |
| Ultimate Founder's Pack | $99.99 | ✔ Starts Sept 30 |
Price verified on the official Steam store listing, September 28, 2026. Steam prices regionally — your store page shows your own currency.
All three tiers grant the five-day head start; the Standard pack is enough if the early access window is all you want. Buying questions — what each tier contains, which one to pick, and Steam's refund rules — are on our AION 2 Founder's Pack guide.
Why does Steam list AION 2 as free?
Because the base game is free to play from October 5 — the Founder's Pack is a separate DLC on top of it. That is why the AION 2 store page says “Free to Play” while the Pack page shows a price. Full explanation on our Founder's Pack guide.
One spelling note: Steam's marketing label says Advance Access, while Steam's metadata and store copy say Advanced Access — same window, two spellings.
Are these servers separate from launch servers?
Yes — and this is the most-searched confusion around the whole period. Community reporting (r/Aion2) has it that early access servers are kept separate from launch servers, precisely because a five-day head start is otherwise unfair to players who start on October 5. Where your character actually lives:
| Period | What it means for your character |
|---|---|
| Advance Access (Sept 30 – Oct 4) | Separate early-access server set — Founder's Pack buyers only |
| Full launch (Oct 5 onward) | Launch servers open to everyone, free to play |
| Your character | Created on the early-access set, stays there through launch — no migration is announced |
Does progress carry over to launch?
Progress made during Advance Access is intended to persist through launch. That is the entire point of a paid head start, and it is why getting in early is a real advantage rather than a preview.
NC has not published a page-by-page caveat list — if a wipe is ever announced, we will update this page the same day.
Pre-download
The download window opened September 28 at 13:00 UTC — two days before access. It's a full client, so start it now rather than the night before. Step-by-step download instructions for both Steam and PURPLE, the 100 GB storage requirement, and fixes for a greyed-out download button are on our AION 2 download guide.
What to do first
“Worth $24.99 or not” was really a question about what five days bought. Here is the checklist the window rewarded, kept as the record of what the head start actually consisted of:
- Day 1 (September 30): character creation, land grab for a name, run the opening chain to unlock the systems you will grind for the rest of the week.
- Day 2–3: pick your class with the AION 2 tier list, not with vibes — the AION 2 classes hub breaks down all eight launch classes by role and weapon.
- Day 4–5: bank the daily/weekly reset windows that only exist in this period; anyone starting October 5 is permanently five days of progression behind.
- Before you log off each night: check whether the day's updates changed any date on this page.
Is Advance Access worth it?
The honest split. Worth it if you intend to play the game at all and care about the first-week ladder: five days of progression, reset windows and a reserved name are things latecomers cannot buy back. Not worth it if you are still deciding on the game — $24.99 buys five days of progression, not a demo, and it does not refund itself in in-game value.
AION 2 early access FAQ
What is the AION 2 early access date?
September 30, 2026. The date is official — NC's announcement set the Advance Access window at September 30 to October 4, five days before the free-to-play launch on October 5. The clock time is not: no hour has been published on NC's own channels, and the reported 13:00 UTC start comes from Steam's listing record.
Is AION 2 early access free?
No. Advance Access required a Founder's Pack purchase on Steam or PURPLE. There was no free path into the September 30 window — and it is over now: free-to-play began on October 5, 2026.
Can I start playing AION 2 before October 5 without paying?
There was no free path into the five-day head start — every route into it ran through a paid Founder's Pack tier, the cheapest being $24.99. From October 5, 2026 no payment is needed: the game is free to play for everyone.
Is AION 2 early access the same as the beta?
No. The beta was a time-boxed test on a capped build. Advance Access is live progression on live servers, and what you earn during those five days is intended to persist through launch.
What time does AION 2 early access start in my country?
No official hour has been announced — the store page shows "Coming 5 Oct, 2026" without a time. SteamDB release record sets the release at 13:00 UTC (15:00 CEST, 21:00 Beijing, 22:00 KST, 6:00 AM PT), and the September 30 window follows the same reported cadence.
Sorting out the rest of launch week? The AION 2 Twitch Drops guide covers the live campaign’s reward list and claiming, the AION 2 classes overview covers the eight-class roster, and the AION 2 tier list explains how rankings will be built once the servers open.