Aion 2’s Advanced Access servers open on September 30, 2026, giving Founder’s Pack owners a five-day head start before the free-to-play global launch on October 5. All regional realms open at the same instant, so your local start time depends only on your time zone.
Quick answer: Advanced Access goes live at 6:00 am PDT / 1:00 pm UTC on September 30, 2026. You need a Founder’s Pack to play, and pre-downloads are already open.
Release time: September 30, 2026 · 6:00 am PDT (1:00 pm UTC)
Aion 2 Advanced Access start time in your region
Every regional server realm unlocks at the same moment, 1:00 pm UTC. That lands in the morning across the Americas, the afternoon in Europe, and the evening in Asia. Europe holds the most servers, so it sees the busiest afternoon opening.
| Region | Local start time (September 30) |
|---|---|
| United States & South America | 6 am PDT / 7 am MDT / 8 am CDT / 9 am EDT / 10 am BRT |
| Europe | 1 pm GMT / 1 pm UTC / 2 pm BST / 3 pm CEST / 4 pm EEST |
| Africa | 3 pm SAST |
| Asia | 4 pm MSK / 5 pm GST / 6:30 pm IST / 9 pm PHT / 9 pm CST (Beijing) / 10 pm JST/KST |
| Oceania | 11 pm AEST (Sep 30) / 2 am NZDT (Oct 1) |
The head start runs until October 4, when a maintenance window closes it ahead of the October 5 launch at the same 6:00 am PDT hour. Although the game’s website lists an “end time” for these servers, the realms themselves stay online permanently after they open, until any far-future merges happen.
What you need to play early
Only Founder’s Pack buyers can log in during the five-day head start. Buying any of the three tiers unlocks Advanced Access on your Steam or linked Purple account and adds one month of subscription (the Kina to Quna conversion). The higher tiers add more cosmetics and larger in-game material bundles, but the entry-level pack already grants the full early window.
- Standard Founder’s Pack — $24.99
- Deluxe Founder’s Pack — $49.99
- Ultimate Founder’s Pack — $99.99
Access is locked to the storefront you buy on. A pack purchased on Steam plays through Steam; a pack bought through the Purple launcher plays through Purple. If you only want the early start, the $24.99 tier offers the same log-in time as the pricier ones.
If you buy after the head start has already begun, access unlocks immediately, so you can join the moment your purchase clears.
Preload before the servers open
Pre-downloads are live now on both Steam and the Purple launcher, so you can install the client before September 30 even if you have not decided on a pack yet. The files arrive encrypted and decrypt when Advanced Access begins. Decryption is not a full reinstall, but it takes longer on slower drives, so patch early rather than at the exact open time.
The 20 Advanced Access servers
The starting lineup has 20 servers split evenly, 10 for the Elyos and 10 for the Asmodians. A server holds a single faction, and each Elyos server is paired with a fixed Asmodian counterpart for all PvP matchmaking, including the Abyss. Because the global release targets Western players, Asia gets only one server per faction.
| Region | Elyos | Asmodian |
|---|---|---|
| NA West | Siel | Israphel |
| NA East | Siel, Nezekan | Israphel, Zikel |
| Latin America | Siel, Nezekan | Israphel, Zikel |
| Europe | Siel, Nezekan, Vaizel, Kaisinel | Israphel, Zikel, Triniel, Lumiel |
| Asia | Siel | Israphel |
When you start the game, you pick your region first, then your faction, then a server. Since the same names (like Siel) repeat across regions, a server name only means something next to its region. If you are playing with friends, agree on a region and faction before the servers open, because an Elyos and an Asmodian cannot share a realm.
The cross-server Auction House is switched off during the five-day head start, so each realm runs its own closed economy until launch.
How these servers connect to the October 5 launch
The Advanced Access realms are not walled off after the free launch. From October 5, non-Founders can create characters on these same servers as long as a realm has not reached its population limit. A second wave of Launch Servers also opens that day. Progress made during the head start carries forward, so characters and any early economy remain intact.
You will know Advanced Access has gone live when your region and its servers become selectable at character creation, and the client lets you enter the world. If servers are full, players in good standing enter a priority queue, which is described as a privilege rather than a guarantee.
