A new Korean game has attracted more than 400,000 players at the same time shortly after its global launch.
The game is Aion 2, a new MMORPG from South Korean game company NCSoft. It officially launched worldwide on October 5 through Steam and NCSoft’s PURPLE platform.
More Than 400,000 Players at Once
Aion 2 surpassed 400,000 peak concurrent players shortly after its global launch.
Steam tracking service SteamDB recorded a peak of 397,905 players on Steam alone. NCSoft said the total exceeded 400,000 when players using its PURPLE platform were included.
This was a major jump from the game’s early access period. Steam recorded a peak of 171,530 players during early access, meaning the launch-day peak was more than twice as high.
A Global Launch
Aion 2 launched in North America, South America, Europe and Japan, with support for eight languages, including English, Japanese, French, German and Spanish.
The game is free to play and is available on both Steam and PURPLE.
The original Aion was released in 2008 and became one of NCSoft’s best-known online games. Aion 2 brings the series to a new generation with a larger world, modern graphics and large-scale multiplayer content.
Popular Before Launch
Aion 2 was already attracting attention before its official release.
Early access began on September 30 for players who purchased a Founder’s Pack. During that period, the game ranked No. 1 on Steam’s global Top Sellers chart and reached No. 1 in 15 countries.
After the global launch, Aion 2 also reached the top of several Steam charts, including Popular New Releases and Trending Free.
A Big Test for a Korean Game
The strong launch is an important moment for NCSoft as the company looks to expand further into global markets.
Getting hundreds of thousands of players to try a new game is a strong start, but keeping those players interested over the long term will be the next challenge.
For now, Aion 2 has made a strong first impression outside South Korea, showing that Korean online games can attract a large international audience.
Source: NCSoft, October 7, 2026
Additional Sources: Seoul Economic Daily, Inven Global
Category: Business, Entertainment
Published: October 7, 2026