In a new livestream, the developers of Aion 2 revealed new details about the monetization of the MMORPG. A YouTuber explains how bad it really gets.
Who is it about? The well-known MMORPG YouTuber Kanon watched the Korean livestream of the developers of Aion 2 and expressed harsh criticism of the monetization. In his new video, he explains how bad it will get in Korea and urges the developers to make changes for the western market.
The YouTuber is known for his informational videos about Asian MMORPGs, where he repeatedly explains how systems and monetization of new titles are designed.
Here you can watch the trailer for Aion 2:
2 Subscriptions, Battle Pass, and Skin Shop
What does the monetization look like? From the current livestream of the developers, it is clear that one can play Aion 2 for free, but there will simultaneously be two subscriptions.
- The so-called comfort membership is described as an essential subscription because it is supposed to unlock many of the user-friendly features of the MMORPG. It costs 19,700 Won (about 12 €) in Korea.
- The content membership, on the other hand, targets players who want to invest a lot of time in the MMORPG and want to create content more frequently. Although it is unclear whether it can lift any possible restriction of X-dungeon runs per day, it is aimed at progress-oriented players and costs 29,700 Won (about 18 €).
If one wants to have both subscriptions at the same time, there is supposed to be a discounted combo offer. The duration for the subscriptions is 4 weeks, or 28 days. Without discount, the price for both memberships would be about 390 € per year. In comparison, WoW and Final Fantasy XIV cost about 130 euros per year.
In addition, there is supposed to be a Battle Pass that players can also purchase additionally. Those who want to make their character look nicer can also buy skins and other cosmetic items in the shop, but the developers do not want to release any Pay2Win skins.
In addition to subscription and shop, gold can also be bought with real money
What is the YouTuber’s criticism? The YouTuber sharply criticizes the developers of NCSoft in his video on YouTube. He sees the business model as extremely problematic. He finds it difficult to ask players to buy a membership while simultaneously offering a well-stocked shop, as well as a battle pass.
Strong criticism from YouTuber Kanon especially arises because the developers, according to him, mentioned in passing that players can buy gold with real money, which allows for a direct Pay2Win system. In his opinion, this would undermine the entire system of subscriptions, shop, and battle pass because gold will significantly influence the in-game economy and character strength.
This is also confirmed by MMORPG.com, which explains that one can exchange the real money currency Quna
with other players for the in-game currency Kinah
. So while you cannot shop with the press of a button, you create a real money market with supply and demand.
Here you can watch the complete video:
What does the YouTuber demand? YouTuber Kanon calls on the developers in the video to make adjustments and also lower the subscription prices. He could imagine a combined membership for about 15 US dollars (about 12.70 €).
He further explains that he is impressed by the game and that the developers seem to have created a good MMORPG, but the monetization itself is extremely problematic. He says, “I have a big problem with NCsoft and their new game Aion 2. This cannot work in the West.”
He also points out that you cannot simply adopt the prices from Korea for the western release. Games in Korea cost less because people there also earn less. In his opinion, at the current rate, both memberships together would be offered in the West for up to 50 US dollars (about 42.50 €) every 28 days, considering the price differences in video games.
Aion 2 has not yet launched, and all prices and monetization models may still change. Especially with Throne and Liberty, the developers have shown that they significantly adapt their MMORPGs for the western market and that many of the strategies from Korea do not come to the West.
The criticism from YouTuber Kanon is loud and strong and could also cause the developers to rethink if players see it the way he does. There is still plenty of time for adjustments and changes before Aion 2 arrives in the West in 2026. At least there should not be a gacha system: Aion 2 talks about release in the West and the payment model: “It sounds too good to be true”
