A two-day open test on September 17–18 — no key needed
The AION 2 Launch Scale Test (LST) is a two-day, open-access load test before the October 5 global launch. Pre-download opens September 16, each session allows 6 hours of play on Steam and PURPLE, no key or invite is required, the level cap is 37, and all progression is wiped at the end of Day 2. Nothing transfers to Advance Access or launch.
What the Launch Scale Test Is
The Launch Scale Test is a scheduled pre-release event NC is running to prepare for the October 5 global launch. The official announcement, posted on the AION 2 Steam news hub on August 26, 2026, describes it as a test window running from September 17 through September 18, 2026 — two separate play sessions, not a continuous early access period.
The test runs on Steam and PURPLE, the same two platforms confirmed for the global PC release. It is separate from the Founder’s Pack Advance Access period that begins September 30, and separate from the public launch on October 5. A player who joins the test has not started the live game early; the test client is its own installation with its own rules.
Because the LST is a scale test, its purpose is to stress servers and launch infrastructure before real launch day. The official announcement does not publish a detailed list of the content included, so this page records exactly what the announcement states — schedule, access rules, playtime limits, the level cap, disabled systems, and the wipe — and leaves the rest as TBD rather than guessing.
How to Join: No Keys, No Invites, No Registration
Participation is open to everyone. The official announcement states the test requires no keys, no invites, and no registration list. There is no application form, cap on participants, or eligibility requirement to track — if you can install the client on Steam or PURPLE, you can join.
On Steam, the announcement’s call-to-action links directly to the AION 2 Playtest App store page. Installing that free app is how Steam players access the test. On PURPLE, NC’s own platform, the test is delivered through the PURPLE client; the announcement names PURPLE as a test platform but does not publish a screen-by-screen PURPLE setup flow, so those exact steps remain TBD.
No purchase is involved in joining. The test is free, and Founder’s Pack ownership neither grants earlier access to the LST nor changes any test rule. Every Founder’s Pack benefit is actually suspended during the test, as the disabled-features section below records.
Playtime Limits and the Progression Wipe
Each of the two sessions allows 6 hours of play, for 12 hours total across the event. The official daily windows are listed in the schedule table above; play outside those windows is not part of the test.
Progression carries from Day 1 to Day 2, so the character and progress built on the first day remain available for the second session. At the end of Day 2, all progression is wiped. The announcement is explicit that nothing transfers to Advance Access or launch — every test character, item, and level disappears when the test ends.
That wipe is worth internalizing before investing effort into a test character. The LST exists to gather server data, not to give players a head start. Treat the two sessions as a chance to learn the client, classes, and early systems — knowledge carries to launch even though the save does not.
Level Cap 37 and What It Limits
The official level cap for the test is 37. The announcement states this cap will limit content that requires a higher level, so players should expect the upper end of the leveling curve and its surrounding systems to be out of reach during the two sessions.
Beyond the cap itself, the announcement does not itemize which zones, dungeons, or systems are included in the test build. This page deliberately does not reconstruct a content list from trailers or regional materials, because test builds routinely differ from marketing footage. The confirmed facts are the cap, the disabled systems listed below, and the session windows.
If NC publishes a detailed LST content list before September 17, it belongs in an update to this page. Until then, the honest answer to “what can I do in the test” is: create a character, level toward 37 during the six-hour windows, and use only the systems that remain enabled.
What Is Turned Off During the Test
No purchases of any kind will be available. The official announcement lists the shop, Quna, passes, memberships, and all payment portals as turned off for the event. A payment prompt during the LST would therefore not be an official flow.
The marketplace, Quna exchange, and player-to-player trading are all disabled. The test economy is closed, which also means nothing obtained during the test can be sold, exchanged, or transferred to another player.
Founder’s Pack items will not be available during the LST, and the Closet is disabled with default outfits only. Cosmetic loadouts from purchased packs cannot be equipped, so every test character appears in default gear regardless of what that account owns.
After the Test: Steam and PURPLE Next Steps
The cleanup steps differ by platform, and the announcement states both. Steam players must uninstall the Playtest App and download AION 2 separately for Advance Access on September 30. The test installation does not convert into the live client, and keeping it installed does not grant early access to anything.
PURPLE players have no further steps needed after the test, according to the same announcement. The PURPLE path from test client to launch client is handled on NC’s side without an uninstall requirement.
Advance Access itself requires a Founder’s Pack, and the public launch follows on October 5. If you plan to continue into Advance Access, compare the pack options and check the system requirements before September 30 rather than reusing assumptions from the test build — test tuning can change before the live client ships.
Official LST Schedule
All windows below come directly from NC’s Launch Scale Test announcement. Day 2 ends with the full progression wipe.
| Pre-download | Sept 16, 6:00 AM – Sept 17, 6:00 AM | Sept 16, 15:00 – Sept 17, 15:00 |
| Day 1 | Sept 17, 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Sept 17, 15:00 – 21:00 |
| Day 2 | Sept 18, 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Sept 18, 21:00 – Sept 19, 3:00 AM |
Official AION 2 Global Video
This official Gamescom 2026 trailer is a verified AION 2 channel upload included as launch-season media. It does not show the Launch Scale Test client, and no test rule or content item is inferred from the footage. Every schedule and rule on this page follows the linked official announcement.
Launch Scale Test Details Still Awaiting Confirmation
The schedule, access rules, and disabled systems above come directly from the official announcement, but several practical details were not published with it. Each field below stays pending until NC or the live client supplies the answer — none is inferred from trailers, regional pages, or community posts.