Recently, a streaming event by NCSoft showcased new gameplay for Aion 2. This calmed a large part of the community and even hyped many, but the list of concerns is far from resolved.
What was shown in the livestream? In the livestream on August 8, new content for Aion 2 was presented, the MMORPG that is expected to be released in Germany in 2026.
There were reports from testers about gameplay elements like (boss) fights and flying, many options for character creation, and information about vendors, in-game shops, and in-game currency.
It is now confirmed that many players can put their worries aside. The developers of Aion 2 emphasize that the PC version of the game is a priority and the mobile version should be seen more as a supplement. It will allow players to engage in crafting actions, play mini-games, or collect daily rewards while on the go. Therefore, there will be no autoplay in the mobile version.
However, despite the livestream and the refutations of these concerns, a significant portion of players remains skeptical alongside the hype of many fans. The livestream could not help with that either.
Here you can see the latest trailer for Aion 2:
“After more than 17 years of experience, I’ve learned never to get too excited about an MMO”
How does the community react to what was shown? In various Reddit threads and YouTube comments, the community appears very divided. Many are excited about Aion 2, especially due to nostalgia:
- KingKreiss: “Looks good. I would just try it for nostalgia.”
- PositiveComplaint511: “I think it looks great. I’m looking forward to the release!”
- apokryphe: “It’s really nostalgic to see this. Because it looks and feels almost like the original, but at the same time very modern. I really like the visuals. I really hope it doesn’t end up like Throne and Liberty and similar Korean mobile MMO trash games.”
However, the overall sentiment is rather negative. Most of the community, even after the livestream, or in many cases even because of the livestream, cannot muster enthusiasm for what was shown. Quite the contrary:
- HmmKuchen: “As someone who used to enjoy playing Aion, the clip makes me curious to play it again. However, the realist in me tells me it won’t meet my expectations.”
- CalligrapherAlone133: “Dude, I feel like they release MMOs like they did with Pokémon. Like Red, Blue, Green, and damn Yellow, and all four games are identical; they just changed the colors.”
- ExplanationLow7223: “I’m a bit skeptical; it reminds me of Throne and Liberty, but with wings.”
- DoomRevenant: “Why does it feel like every presentation of a Korean MMO game consists of a few minutes of a puppet-like woman running around on a generic Unreal Engine map and spamming particle effects? Where’s the style?”
- Last_Improvement_121: “I can already taste the monetization in the game; it never stops and always fails until the game is dead. Side note: The particle effects of the skills are not noticeable enough as you can still barely see something on the screen.”
What are other reactions? Despite the clash of anticipation and disappointment, some players try to remain patient:
- Yevimaru: “Everyone needs to test the game for themselves,” to which Coalescence responds with “Wow, a logical comment.”
As the livestream and the showcased content of Aion 2 evoke completely different reactions, it remains to be seen how the game will look at its official release.
Aion 2 is not the only MMORPG facing the responses showcased. The entire genre is becoming the target of these opinions, but is that really unfounded? How other opinions from the player base, as well as MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz on the current state of MMORPGs look, you can learn here: Players look at the MMORPGs of the future, coming to a sad realization: “They all look the same”
