【G★2025】AION 2

[idle pecan]

For those staying up late, here’s something fresh to read this was released just 30 minutes ago:

【G★2025】AION 2 – Interview With the Development Director and Business Director: Preserving the Essence of the Original and Aiming to Build the “Complete” AION https://gnn.gamer.com.tw/detail.php?sn=295599

At G-Star 2025, held from November 13 in Korea, NCSOFT showcased several new titles including AION 2, the official MMORPG sequel to AION: The Tower of Eternity. Bahamut GNN visited the venue to try the game and interviewed AION 2’s Development Director Kim Nam-Joon and Business Director Seo In-Seop.

Q: From AION to AION 2 What classic elements have been preserved, and what has evolved?
A: AION 2 preserves the very core of the original the conflict between Elyos and Asmodians, and all eight original classes.
But since it has been 17 years since the original launched, some of the old elements no longer fit current trends or technology. Many of the limitations back then were due to hardware and engine constraints, so we upgraded and optimized everything extensively. We are confident that AION 2 isn’t just a continuation, but an evolution the “complete version” of AION.

Reusing the exact original world would create lore inconsistencies, so we set the story 200 years later and rebuilt the world. We did, however, preserve core gameplay pillars like combat, progression, and lifestyle systems. Still, once you look deeper, you’ll notice that many details have been greatly adjusted.

Q: AION 2 was first announced for PC, and only later for mobile. How was the decision made to support mobile devices?
A: Supporting mobile wasn’t about grinding 24/7 or monetization concerns. The real reason is that we want more people to be able to play AION 2. Not everyone has a powerful PC, so we created a mobile version so more players can join easily. Ultimately, AION 2 will be a true cross-platform game for both PC and mobile.

You can play all the same content on mobile, but deeper gameplay naturally feels better on PC due to physical limitations. We expect players to do core activities like dungeons and battlegrounds on PC, and use mobile more for casual systems like mini-games or crafting.

Q: Because the UI and controls differ a lot between PC and mobile, were there any development challenges?
A: Honestly, everything was difficult. PC and mobile are fundamentally different platforms. The difference between mouse control and touchscreen input alone creates unavoidable gaps, so we constantly experimented to optimize both for a comfortable experience.

Another huge challenge was deciding how much of the original we should preserve and how much we should reinvent. Out of everything, the combat system required the most thought. Simply copying the original combat wouldn’t meet modern expectations. We wanted younger players to enjoy it too, so we worked extremely hard to create a modern combat system that still feels like AION.

Q: Many Taiwanese players care about monetization. Besides membership and battle passes, what other paid elements will AION 2 have?
A: We are planning membership options and battle passes that improve convenience. We’ll also offer paid cosmetic items so players can customize their appearance but cosmetics will never affect stats.

Our philosophy is that all purchases should be optional, not mandatory. We do not want payment to affect the gameplay experience.
Even if you never spend money, you can reach the endgame alone. But at that point the game will feel like a single-player title. Trading and certain social interactions are part of paid features, so players who want a full MMO social experience can choose to subscribe.
In internal tests, many team members reached the endgame repeatedly without spending anything.

Q: Bots and farming studios are a major issue in MMORPGs. What measures does AION 2 take against them?
A: We can’t eliminate them 100%, but we’re doing everything possible. First, without paying, players can’t influence the in-game economy. Even if bots use automation, their economic impact is blocked.

We’ve also analyzed likely botting patterns and pre-blocked many of the methods we expect studios to use. And we will continue updating our detection as new methods appear. As I’ve said in livestreams: this is a war between spear and shield. Our job is to become an unbreakable shield.

We also have additional measures ready such as currency binding or currency caps but we’ll only implement them if needed and after checking how they affect regular players.

Q: AION 2 emphasizes the fun of manual combat, but modern players often play in short sessions. How will you address fatigue?
A: “Grind-type” content repeating tasks for materials or tickets has been greatly simplified. Various support systems let players easily gather needed resources within their available playtime. You will not experience the exhaustion seen in many other games.

We designed the game so that players can finish their daily routine and be done. You do not need to be online all day. Most players can finish in 1–2 hours. And even if you don’t log in every day, weekly progress accumulates so you can play when you want.

Q: How does the team maintain class balance and avoid overpowered new classes or underpowered ones?
A: We kept all eight original classes, but made their combat identities much more distinct. This allows players to clearly perform their roles in a group and enables meaningful team compositions. We’ve also adjusted class balance to prevent any class from becoming too dominant or forgotten.

Of course, roles like DPS and tanking cannot have identical damage or durability balance issues appear most in PvP. To address this, we will continuously test and likely apply small weekly adjustments. Balancing is an ongoing effort.

Q: Can players enjoy the full game solo, or is group content mandatory?
A: Solo players can enjoy everything, but it takes more time. Group dungeons can be soloed, but your stats must be far higher than usual. To reach those stats, you’ll need to spend extra time on other content first.

Q: After FGT testing and now the G-Star demo, what feedback have you received?
A: We’ve implemented almost all FGT feedback. Issues that could be fixed quickly are already resolved; those requiring more time will continue to be addressed even after launch. The G-Star build mainly focused on PC stability.

Q: Will AION 2 use global servers or regional ones?
A: The official service regions are Korea and Taiwan. They are operated separately, each with their own Elyos/Asmodian server split. Players simply choose the faction server in their region and enjoy the game.

Q: A previous livestream mentioned Korean and Taiwanese players possibly meeting in certain instances. Is this planned?
A: Technically it’s fully possible for example, Korean Elyos vs. Taiwanese Asmodians.
However, because the game relies on action combat and latency matters, we are launching with separate servers first. We already have the system ready to enable cross-region content later if conditions allow.

Q: What will the update schedule look like after launch?
A: The first season lasts two months. Mid-sized updates will release every 2–3 months, and major updates every six months. Balance patches will be more frequent. We currently have about 3–4 months of content prepared, and we will keep developing additional content during service.

Q: Will future updates be revealed through developer livestreams?
A: Absolutely. Since we promised frequent communication, we will continue sharing details even for small changes. PD Kim Nam-Joon also visited Taiwan during the FGT period, and after launch we plan to visit Taiwanese players again as soon as we can.