Aion 2 price and monetisation
Aion 2 is free to play. NCSOFT's published model adds an optional subscription of about $15/month, an optional battle pass, a cash shop and the one-off Founder's Packs. Two currencies: Kinah, earned in game, and Quna, bought with money.
What it costs
| Base game | Free to play |
|---|---|
| Optional subscription | About $15 per monthCommunity |
| Battle pass | OptionalCommunity |
| Cash shop | Yes — Quna is the premium currency |
| Founder's Packs | $24.99 / $49.99 / $99.99, one-off |
| Required to play | Nothing |
Is it pay to win?
Three weeks after launch the Western verdict is split. What is on record: the Korean and Taiwanese launch drew heavy pay-to-win criticism, NCSOFT apologised and pulled the worst items, and the global model is lighter — but not free of power purchasable with money. The loudest launch complaint has been a different one: the monthly membership is widely reported as bought per server rather than per account, and that is what has pulled the Steam rating to 'Mixed'.
What we will do instead of guessing
- Publish the actual cash shop contents once the global client ships, from the client rather than from press releases.
- Track changes between patches, so shifts in what money buys are visible rather than asserted.
- We take no money from gold sellers and do not link to them.
What is still unconfirmed
NCSOFT has not stated the following. We list them rather than guess — if you find a confident answer to one of these elsewhere, it is someone's inference.
- The full cash-shop contents for the global release. NCSOFT has published a monetisation model, not an item list.
- Whether the subscription grants power or only convenience — the reported ~$15/month tier's exact benefits are not itemised.
- Battle-pass pricing and whether a paid tier grants anything affecting combat.
- Whether the items pulled after the Korean backlash stay out permanently or return later.
- Exchange rates between Kinah and Quna, which determine how much power money can actually buy.
Frequently asked
- Is Aion 2 free to play?
- Yes. Aion 2 has been free to play since 5 October 2026 on Steam and PURPLE. The membership, battle pass and cash shop are all optional, and the Founder's Packs only bought five days of Advance Access plus items.
- Does Aion 2 have a subscription?
- An optional one, reported at around $15 per month. It is not required to play — the game is free to play.
- Is Aion 2 pay to win?
- The Korean and Taiwanese launch drew heavy pay-to-win criticism, after which NCSOFT apologised and removed the worst items. The monetisation model for the global release is lighter but still sells power. Since launch on 5 October 2026 the most common objection has been the per-server monthly membership rather than purchasable power.
- Will the global version be less pay-to-win than Korea?
- NCSOFT apologised for the Korean and Taiwanese launch monetisation and removed the worst items, and the model published for the West in July 2026 is lighter. Whether it is lighter enough is now a live argument: three weeks after launch the game sits at a 'Mixed' Steam rating, with the per-server membership the most common complaint.
- Are there founder packs for Aion 2?
- Yes — three tiers at $24.99, $49.99 and $99.99. They bought five days of Advance Access from 30 September plus bundled items; the head start has passed and the packs were never required.
- What is Quna in Aion 2?
- Quna is the premium currency, bought with real money and used in the cash shop and battle pass. Kinah is the currency earned through play. An in-game exchange lets players trade between them.
Related
Sources
Free-to-play status and Founder's Pack pricing from the Steam listing. Subscription and battle-pass details are as reported from NCSOFT's July 2026 monetisation announcement and are marked as community-sourced until confirmed in the client.