AION 2
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AION 2 player count: 243,854 on Steam on Oct. 23, down from a 397,905 launch peak
AION 2 peaked at 243,854 concurrent players on Steam on Oct. 23, 2026, according to Valve's most played chart, which ranked NC's MMORPG No. 10, down from No. 8 a week earlier. At 3:34 a.m. ET on Oct. 24, 164,840 people were playing it on Steam. The game's record came on launch day, Oct. 5, at 397,905 players on Steam, after the Founder's Pack early access drew 171,530 on Steam when it opened on Sept. 30. NC counted 400,000 active players across Steam and its own PURPLE launcher on launch day. Steam numbers leave out PURPLE, where players share the same servers. AION 2's first major boss, Ludra, opens on Nov. 4.
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AION 2 has kept a top 10 spot on Steam nearly three weeks after launch. Here’s how many people play it, how far it has come from launch day and what’s next.
How many people play AION 2? AION 2 peaked at 243,854 concurrent players on Steam on Oct. 23, 2026, according to Valve’s most played chart, which ranked it No. 10. At 3:34 a.m. ET on Oct. 24, 164,840 people were playing it on Steam.
Those numbers cover Steam only. NC also runs AION 2 on its PURPLE launcher, where players share the same servers and characters carry over through a linked account.
AION 2’s player count since launch
| Date | Steam players | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 30, 2026 | 171,530 peak | Founder’s Pack early access opens |
| Oct. 5, 2026 | 397,905 peak | Free-to-play launch worldwide |
| Oct. 23, 2026 | 243,854 peak | No. 10 on Valve’s chart |
| Oct. 24, 2026, 3:34 a.m. ET | 164,840 playing | Overnight in the Americas |
NC counted 300,000 and then 400,000 active players on launch day, across Steam and PURPLE, and handed out in-game gifts at each mark. The Oct. 23 peak sits about 39% below the launch record. AION 2 first launched in South Korea and Taiwan in November 2025, and those versions run separately, with no progress carried over.
How AION 2 compares on Steam
| Game | Chart rank, Oct. 23 | Steam peak, Oct. 23 |
|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 1 | 1,274,983 |
| Dota 2 | 2 | 987,282 |
| PUBG: Battlegrounds | 3 | 809,926 |
| Apex Legends | 6 | 225,732 |
| Call of Duty | 7 | 198,308 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 8 | 124,145 |
| AION 2 | 10 | 243,854 |
Valve ranks the chart by its own measure of play, so AION 2 sits at No. 10 with a higher peak than Apex Legends or Call of Duty. Valve’s invite-only Deadlock ranked No. 5 with a 233,703 peak, as our Deadlock player count page shows. Cyberpunk 2077 climbed after update 2.5, as our Cyberpunk 2077 player count page shows, and Call of Duty rose with Modern Warfare 4, covered on our Modern Warfare 4 player count page. AION 2’s launch peak of 397,905 also beat the 336,300 that NC’s Throne and Liberty reached on Steam on Oct. 6, 2024.
Why AION 2 holds its numbers. AION 2 is free to play, with an optional monthly membership, a Battle Pass and paid cosmetics. It runs servers in North America, South America, Europe and Asia, with voice acting in English, Japanese and Korean and eight interface languages. NC patches it weekly: the Oct. 21 update added Expedition Hard mode to Krao Cave and Draupnir and a new Ariel Daevanion Board, and a Halloween event runs until the Nov. 3 maintenance.
The next big draw is Ludra, the first major boss challenge, which opens on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with normal mode at item level 2,800 and hard mode at 3,000, plus login rewards, Twitch Drops and first-clear titles. The times and rewards are on our AION 2 Ludra release date page.
This page is updated as soon as Valve’s chart posts AION 2’s Saturday and Sunday peaks or NC shares new player numbers.
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FAQ
How many people play AION 2?
AION 2 peaked at 243,854 concurrent players on Steam on Oct. 23, 2026, according to Valve’s most played chart, and 164,840 were playing at 3:34 a.m. ET on Oct. 24. PURPLE players come on top of that.
What is AION 2's all-time peak on Steam?
397,905 concurrent players on Oct. 5, 2026, the day of the worldwide free-to-play launch.
Is AION 2 losing players?
Its Steam peak on Oct. 23 sat about 39% below the launch record of Oct. 5, and AION 2 still ranks in Valve’s top 10, ahead of every other MMORPG on the chart.
Where does AION 2 rank on Steam?
AION 2 ranked No. 10 on Valve’s most played chart for Oct. 23, 2026, down from No. 8 a week earlier.
Does the Steam player count include PURPLE?
Steam only counts Steam players. NC’s PURPLE launcher shares the same servers, and NC counted 400,000 active players across both on launch day.
How many players did AION 2 have in early access?
The Founder’s Pack early access drew 171,530 players on Steam when it opened on Sept. 30, 2026.
Is AION 2 bigger than Throne and Liberty?
On Steam, yes. AION 2’s launch peak of 397,905 beat the 336,300 that Throne and Liberty, also made by NC, reached on Oct. 6, 2024.
Is AION 2 free to play?
Yes. AION 2 is free on Steam and PURPLE for Windows PC, with an optional monthly membership, a Battle Pass and paid cosmetics.
What's next for AION 2?
Ludra, the game’s first major boss challenge, opens on Nov. 4, 2026, with normal mode at item level 2,800 and hard mode at 3,000.
Pop quiz
1 questions from this story.
What was AION 2’s Steam peak on launch day?
AION 2 peaked at 397,905 players on Steam on Oct. 5, 2026, its worldwide launch day.
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