According to Wccftech, NCSoft announced during its Q3 2025 quarterly report that Aion 2 will debut globally in the second half of 2026. The MMORPG sequel launches in exactly one week in South Korea and Taiwan for PC and mobile devices. Set 200 years after the original 2009 game, it features a massive 1,200 square kilometer world with distinct biomes and flight mechanics. Players get eight classes, over 200 dungeons, various PvP modes, and housing systems. NCSoft specifically promised less aggressive monetization compared to Throne and Liberty to secure a bigger userbase. The Unreal Engine 5 game will also support NVIDIA DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation.
The monetization pivot
Here’s the thing about NCSoft’s monetization promise – it’s basically an admission that Throne and Liberty’s approach didn’t work as planned. When a company publicly states their next game will be “less aggressive” on monetization, they’re telling you their previous title was too aggressive. And that’s a pretty big deal coming from NCSoft, which has historically been comfortable with heavy monetization in their games. The question is whether “less aggressive” actually means fair, or just slightly less predatory. Given how much backlash Throne and Liberty received, they probably need to get this right if they want to compete in today’s MMORPG market.
NCSoft’s crowded 2026
2026 is shaping up to be absolutely massive for NCSoft beyond just Aion 2. They’ve got Limit Zero Breakers coming – a free-to-play anime-style cooperative action RPG that looks like it’s trying to capture that Genshin Impact audience. Then there’s Time Takers, a third-person team-based shooter with time energy mechanics. And Cinder City, which we saw at Gamescom 2025, is an intriguing open-world third-person shooter with MMO elements. But honestly? The most exciting thing might be what they haven’t officially announced yet.
The Horizon MMO mystery
Rumors are swirling about NCSoft potentially announcing the Horizon MMO at G-Star 2025 tomorrow. We first heard about this project three years ago, then rumors suggested it was canceled earlier this year. Now it might be back on? That’s the thing with MMO development – projects can disappear and reappear constantly. A Horizon MMO makes perfect sense given the franchise’s massive open worlds and creature combat mechanics. But converting a single-player franchise into a successful MMO is incredibly difficult. Just look at how many have tried and failed over the years.
Technical ambition meets market reality
Aion 2 sounds technically impressive with its Unreal Engine 5 foundation and DLSS 4 support. A 1,200 square kilometer world is enormous – for comparison, that’s significantly larger than most modern open-world games. But technical specs don’t guarantee success. The original Aion was known for its beautiful visuals and innovative flight combat back in 2009, but it struggled with balancing and monetization over time. Now NCSoft is trying to recapture that magic while avoiding the pitfalls that hurt their more recent titles. It’s a tricky balancing act between creating a visually stunning world and building sustainable business models that don’t drive players away. We’ll see if they can pull it off when Korea gets the first look next week.
