After years of MMORPG drought, two major titles were presented at the Summer Game Fest 2026: Aion 2 and Guild Wars 3 – the community already has a clear favorite.
What is the current state of Aion 2? At home, the MMORPG is already a success; at the Summer Game Fest 2026, Aion 2 also announced a timeframe for the Western release: It should be happening as early as September 2026. However, it seems that the announcement did not do any favors.
Aion 2 is overshadowed by a concept trailer
Why does Aion 2 have a difficult start? The announcement of the release timeframe should actually be a big moment for Aion 2. But looking at the MMORPG subreddit, you first have to scroll through pages of posts about Guild Wars just to find something about the NCSoft title.
In the top comment under the biggest thread about Aion 2, it’s stated directly: “GW3 mogs this so hard,” which roughly translates to “GW3 makes this look so old.” Another user adds: He watched the trailer, turned to his brother, and said, “That literally made 0 impression after GW3.” Even the proof of concept of Guild Wars 3 has more weight than the gameplay of Aion 2.
skyshroud6 writes: “Man, they really picked a bad show to announce this.”
However, the mood is not all negative: Many want to play Aion 2; after all, you don’t say no to a shiny new MMORPG. But here’s the catch: Aion 2 already feels like the eternal second, a filler until something better comes along – in this case, Guild Wars 3.
- Capcha616 assesses soberly: “GW3 won’t be released until at least the second half of 2028. That still gives NCSoft 2 or more years to walk to the bank laughing with Aion 2.”
- GamerbearAmargosa is already cynical: “Aion 2 will look great, short-lived fun, but with the current aggressive monetization and P2W, it won’t survive long in Europe.”
- Woodinvillian is a bit more relaxed: “I will check it out. I played Aion in 2012 for 6 months for free and then left when Guild Wars 2 came out in August. Right now, I’m playing GW2, will try Aion 2 a bit but will likely play more Guild Wars 2 WvW.”
You can see: Hardly anyone gives Aion 2 long-term chances. Our MMORPG expert Karsten says: 4 things Aion 2 must change despite its success in Korea to rock the MMORPG in the West.
Will you check out Aion 2? Let us know in the comments!
The launch of Aion 2 in the West could also be complicated by the fact that September 2026 is already packed with exciting releases, which naturally has nothing to do with the fact that GTA 6 is supposed to be released in November. September could be one of the best months in gaming, and the blame is on GTA 6, even though that’s coming 2 months later.
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!