AION 2 is free to download on Windows PC, from Steam or from NC's own launcher, PURPLE. Both install the same game, which needs 100 GB of free space (an SSD is recommended), and both connect to the same servers: NC says the content is identical. Pick the launcher you already use. Where you live can decide for you: Steam's store doesn't offer AION 2 in 18 countries and territories, including South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Steam or PURPLE: what is the same, what differs
|
Steam |
PURPLE |
| Price |
Free |
Free |
| Game content |
The same as on PURPLE |
The same as on Steam |
| Servers |
Shared with PURPLE players |
Shared with Steam players |
| Account |
Your Steam account; no NC account needed |
Your NC account |
| Where to get it |
AION 2's page on the Steam store |
purple.plaync.com/download |
| Space needed |
100 GB, SSD recommended |
The same game |
NC answers the usual worries in its launch FAQ: there are no differences in content between the two versions, Steam and PURPLE players share the same servers, and you can play on Steam without ever linking an NC account.
How to download AION 2 on Steam
- Open AION 2's page on the Steam store (app 3393110) and click Play Game: the game is free.
- Choose a drive with 100 GB free, an SSD if you have one, and let Steam install it.
- Launch the game from your Steam library. Your Steam account is enough to play.
How to download AION 2 with PURPLE
- Download PURPLE from purple.plaync.com/download and install it.
- Sign in with your NC account, or create one.
- Find AION 2 in PURPLE's game list, install it and launch it.
In Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, NC warns that AION 2 may not appear in PURPLE's game list: open PURPLE's region setting, change it to Global, and restart PURPLE if the game still doesn't show.
Where AION 2 is not on Steam
We asked Steam's store about every country code on October 8, between 02:45 and 02:52 UTC. It offers AION 2 everywhere except in these 18 countries and territories:
- East Asia: South Korea, Taiwan, mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Vietnam.
- Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovakia, Russia and Belarus.
- The Caribbean: Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands.
- Elsewhere: Cuba and Syria.
South Korea and Taiwan have their own versions of AION 2, apart from the global one: NC says progress from them does not carry over. NC has not said whether PURPLE serves the other countries on this list.
One character on Steam and PURPLE
Linking a Steam account to an NC account is optional. You only need it to play the same character, with the same progress, on both launchers, NC says. You can check which account is linked on NC's website, under My Page > Manage Login. Link carefully: for Twitch Drops, NC warns that linking an account separately on its website can cut you off from your character, as our article on AION 2 Twitch Drops explains.
Before and after the install
- Your PC: Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, with at least an NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti and 8 GB of RAM. Every spec, and what NC says about controllers and the Steam Deck, is in our article on AION 2 system requirements.
- Your server: pick it before creating a character. Our AION 2 server list shows every server by region and faction, with the one it meets in the Abyss.
- Your free items: the coupon TAKEFLIGHTAION2 works until October 14 at 06:00 UTC; our AION 2 coupon codes page lists it with any new one.
