AION 2’s head start for Founder’s Pack buyers has already shoved the MMORPG to #1 on Steam’s global Top Sellers chart and a peak of 171,530 concurrent players on Valve’s platform alone, forcing NC to spin up extra servers across NA, EU, and other regions while the paid window runs.

The surge comes with the usual launch friction—delayed server openings, queues, and some negative early reviews complaining about server strain and character creation limits—but the numbers tell the real story: over 1.3 million Steam wishlists pre-launch and #1 sales rankings in a dozen countries including the US, France, Germany, Spain, and Brazil. Steam’s Top Sellers metric tracks actual revenue from those $24.99+ packs, not free downloads, and this is before the full free-to-play release drops October 5 on both Steam and NC’s PURPLE launcher.

Official accounts posted multiple times about new servers opening and urged players toward recommended realms until transfers unlock October 14. NC’s own stock popped more than 12% on the back of the performance. The real test starts in three days when the F2P floodgates open and the Korean/Taiwan versions’ existing player base and content roadmap come into play globally.