{"rewrite":{"id":"r_72571ac11d277e04e1360639","clusterId":"c_36c84d328ac251a454211734","slug":"aion2-art-director-explains-building-the-world-and-characters-for-flight","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"AION2 Developers Detail Character Customization and Flight Design","summary":"NC's MMORPG AION2 launched globally on October 5, 2026, including Japan, as a free-to-play PC title on Steam and PURPLE. The game is a sequel to The Tower of AION, set in Atreia 200 years after the Tower of Aion's collapse. Players control the Daeva, choosing from 8 classes, and can fly freely with wings across a world NC says is 36 times larger than the previous game. Character customization adjusts over 200 items, including facial features and body shape. During the early access period for Founders Pack purchasers that began September 30, concurrent players on the Steam version exceeded 170,000, and during the September Launch Scale Test, concurrent players reached about 74,000 on Steam alone, with over 400,000 concurrent players reported after the global launch. NC provided email interviews with Art Director Cha Bong-seop, Business Division Head Seo In-seop, and Development PD Kim Nam-joon.","whyItMatters":"NC's emphasis on back-view modeling, no auto-battle, and no gacha signals a deliberate break from current MMORPG monetization norms, but the studio admits it cannot yet claim a paradigm shift.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eIn an email interview, Art Director Cha Bong-seop explained that because players see their character\u0026#39;s back for long periods during flight, the art team built character models so the back silhouette from the back down to the hips and legs reads well, not only the face. Costumes show different textures for metal, leather, and cloth, and wings are designed so their spread silhouette suits the character. The world is built to be viewed from various heights and angles. Floating islands visible from the ground are not background; they are regions players can fly to, land on, and explore. Underwater areas such as Lake Clione are also designed for slow observation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe global version differs from the Korean and Taiwanese versions in several details. Expedition and Transcendence party sizes increased from 4 to 5 players, and the Sanctuary raid increased from 8 to 10. The maximum pet level was lowered from 5 to 3. Elyos and Asmodians can form the same party in dungeons, though they oppose each other in the main story and PvP. NC plans no independent Japan server; Japanese players join the Asian region servers. A console version is in development, with the global PC launch as the current priority.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"AION2's 170,000-plus Steam concurrents during Founders Pack early access are a buying audience, not a trial one. Free-to-play launches rarely get this read before day one.","twitterPost":"AION2's 170,000-plus early access concurrents are Founders Pack buyers, not free players. Paid entry changes what the number means.","threadsPost":"AION2's early access peak of 170,000-plus on Steam came from Founders Pack purchasers, who paid before the free-to-play launch on October 5. That is a buying audience, not a trial one, which makes the 74,000 from the September Launch Scale Test the more useful baseline.","newsletterBlurb":"NC's AION2 launched globally on October 5, 2026, with over 200 character customization items and a world 36 times larger than the previous game. The developers explain why back-view modeling matters when players fly, and how the global version changes party sizes and pet levels. NC also says no Japan-only server is planned.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/440/G044032/20261006001/\",\"title\":\"[Interview] Now that \\\"AION2\\\" has officially launched, where does it aim to go? We asked NC's development team about monetization and future operational policy\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/interviewsjp/aion2-20261014-473244/\",\"title\":\"New MMORPG 'AION2' is built down to the 'back view.' Because the back, hips, and legs are all clearly visible. We asked the developers about over 200 character customization options and 'how to build a world where you can fly.'\"},{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/interview/2610159a\",\"title\":\"MMORPG \\\"AION2\\\" Can Be Enjoyed Without Paying or Doing PvP. We Asked the Development Team for Their Honest Thoughts as They Welcomed the \\\"Festival\\\" of the Global Version's Official Launch\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":12314,"outputTokens":1170,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1792060632,"createdAt":"2026-10-15T10:34:00.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-10-15T10:36:06.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-15T11:47:21.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_36c84d328ac251a454211734","canonicalTitle":"新作MMORPG『AION2』は“後ろ姿”まで作り込んだ。なぜなら背中も腰も脚もじっくり見えるから。200項目超のキャラメイクと「空を飛べる世界の作り方」を開発者に訊いた","representativeArticleId":"a_2cc68c5f3198839e37733440","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":2,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"AION2\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Cha Bong-seop\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-10-15T09:00:40.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-10-15T11:00:22.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-15T11:47:21.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/440/G044032/20261006001/","title":"［インタビュー］いよいよ正式サービスを迎えた「AION2」は，どこを目指すのか。NCの開発陣に，課金や今後の運営方針を聞いてみた"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/interview/2610159a","title":"MMORPG『AION2』は、課金をしなくてもPvPをしなくても楽しめる。グローバル版の正式サービスという“お祭り”を迎えた開発チームに本音を聞いた"},{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/interviewsjp/aion2-20261014-473244/","title":"新作MMORPG『AION2』は“後ろ姿”まで作り込んだ。なぜなら背中も腰も脚もじっくり見えるから。200項目超のキャラメイクと「空を飛べる世界の作り方」を開発者に訊いた"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["AION2"],"studios":[],"people":["Cha Bong-seop"],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["AION2 launched globally on October 5, 2026, as a free-to-play PC game on Steam and PURPLE.","AION2 is set in Atreia 200 years after the collapse of the Tower of Aion from the previous game.","During the September 2026 Launch Scale Test, AION2 reached about 74,000 concurrent players on Steam alone.","AION2 character customization allows adjustment of over 200 items, including facial features and body shape.","In the global version, Expedition and Transcendence party sizes increased from 4 to 5 players, and the Sanctuary raid from 8 to 10."]}