One Month Before Launch, NCSoft’s ‘AION 2’ Generates Major Buzz

[Financial News] AION 2, NCSoft’s most anticipated title for the second half of 2025, is already showing signs of a blockbuster hit with just a month to go before its official launch. During a recent pre-launch event, a surge of users caused server overloads, reflecting the intense excitement ahead of release.
According to industry sources on the 22nd, NCSoft’s AION 2 saw explosive interest as its pre-registration character name event ended in just over two minutes. The event, held on the 16th, set a new record by closing almost immediately after it began. Some servers reached capacity within 1 minute and 44 seconds—a phenomenon dubbed the '2-minute cut.' As the initially prepared servers filled up in an instant, NCSoft urgently added 34 more, but even these were fully booked within 20 minutes, demonstrating overwhelming participation. This massive influx of users is seen as a strong indicator that AION 2 could become one of the biggest hits in history.
Expectations for success are rooted in the game’s high level of polish. Previous Focus Group Tests (FGT) and live broadcasts received praise for console-quality cooperative dungeons, detailed customization, and industry-leading graphics. Following these tests, NCSoft’s stock price surged by 11%, reflecting heightened market anticipation.
The official trailer for AION 2 is also drawing attention. Shortly after its release, the video surpassed 200,000 views on YouTube, and as of today, it has exceeded 320,000. Both on YouTube and in online communities, there is clear excitement about the game’s fidelity to the original and its high production values. Comments include, “If it’s released well,” “Just hearing the BGM is thrilling,” “Aion is the game of my life,” and “I’m really looking forward to this. I hope the wait was worth it.” AION 2, a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) based on Unreal Engine 5 (UE5), will launch simultaneously in ROK and Taiwan on November 19. As the first official sequel in 17 years since the original Aion debuted in 2008, there is keen interest in whether NCSoft can establish a new blockbuster franchise beyond its Lineage-centered lineup.
With the surge of anticipation around AION 2, expectations for a rebound in NCSoft’s performance are also rising. The securities industry has a positive outlook on the game’s commercial prospects, projecting annual sales between 400 and 500 billion KRW through 2026.
Changyoung Lee, a researcher at Yuanta Securities Korea, noted, “AION 2 received positive feedback from real users and influencers during three separate live broadcasts. With an open world 36 times larger than its predecessor and endless content, the game is expected to enjoy a long life cycle.” He added, “As a legacy IP that held the No. 1 spot in PC bang market share for 160 weeks after its November 2008 launch, the combined demand from returning and new users could easily surpass current market expectations for annual sales of 500 billion KRW in 2026.”
Dongwoo Kim of KYOBO SECURITIES also commented, “With robust cooperative (PvE) content true to the PC MMORPG genre and dynamic action, the game is poised to attract significant traffic.” Nam Hyoji of SK Securities remarked, “This is the most crucial month of the year for NCSoft,” and predicted, “Compared to other recently launched MMORPGs, AION 2 is likely to deliver superior mid- to long-term results.”
yjjoe@fnnews.com Jo Yoon-joo Reporter