AION 2 just reminded everyone why NCSoft still matters in the MMO space. Paid Founder’s Pack access on Steam alone peaked at 171,530 concurrent players on September 30 and briefly took the global Top Sellers #1 spot by revenue, outpacing bigger-named releases in the same window.

The 36x larger world and full aerial combat hook are clearly working — reviews sit at 75.9% positive from nearly 4,800 Steam reviews, climbing to 86% among players with 10+ hours. Steam numbers don’t include NC’s PURPLE launcher, so the real audience is bigger. Servers are already being added and transfers open October 14.

Full free-to-play launch hits October 5 in a crowded October schedule. Early Access proved the demand; now NC has to keep the servers and the cash shop from eating their own hype.