AION 2 on Steam or PURPLE: which to pick
Pick the launcher where you want your purchases to live, because the game itself is the same on both. Steam and NC’s PURPLE connect to the same servers and both are free from 5 October. The difference is that a Founder’s Pack works only on the launcher you bought it on, and during Early Access your character stays there too.
| If this is you | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You already bought a Founder's Pack | The launcher you bought it on | The pack, and the five days of Early Access it gives, work only there. |
| You want to start with Standard and move up a tier later | PURPLE | Tier upgrades (Standard to Deluxe or Ultimate, Deluxe to Ultimate) are sold only on PURPLE. |
| You want purchases in your Steam library, under Steam's refund rules | Steam | NC processes refunds under the policy of the platform you paid on. |
| You want to pay with Apple Pay | PURPLE | NC added Apple Pay to PURPLE in 56 countries, the US, UK, Germany and France among them. |
| Your friends are on the other launcher | Either | Both launchers connect to the same servers. |
| You played the Launch Scale Test on Steam | Either | On Steam you must remove the playtest app first; on PURPLE nothing more is needed. |
Same servers, separate shops
NC’s Founder’s Pack notice sets out both halves of the rule:
“All platforms share the same servers, so all players can play together regardless of their purchase platform.”
“Products purchased through Steam can be used only on Steam, and products purchased through PURPLE can be used only on PURPLE.”
Packs on the two launchers are sold separately, and a second pack on the other launcher adds no extra rewards. The tiers and what binds to one character are on Founder’s Packs compared.
Early Access keeps you on one launcher
For the five days of Early Access, 30 September to 4 October, NC does not support cross-platform access at all: bought on Steam, played on Steam. That matters if you plan to level a character in those days and later want it on the other launcher.
Moving a character between launchers
Outside Early Access, NC’s support FAQ describes both directions.
Steam character, played on PURPLE
- Download and open PURPLE.
- Choose the Steam login option and sign in with the Steam account that holds your character.
- Launch AION 2. The existing character is there; you do not make a new one.
PURPLE character, played on Steam
If you signed in to PURPLE with Steam in the first place, just launch the game from Steam with that account. If you used an NC account or another login, link Steam to it first: sign in at nc.com with the NC account behind your character, open My Page, choose Account Linking and follow the steps. After that, the character opens from Steam.
NC has not said whether items claimed from a pack follow a character across launchers; the notice’s rule that Steam purchases are for Steam is the only statement so far.
Before your first login
- Steam playtest players have to uninstall the AION 2 Playtest app and download AION 2 itself. PURPLE players who took part in the test need to do nothing more. Both installs are walked through on download and install.
- Two NC accounts on one email. If you have an NC account and a PLAYNC account registered to the same address, PURPLE sign-in can fail with an account conflict. NC’s fix is to change the email on the NC account.
- First card payment in NC’s shop. Payments there run through Xsolla, and a first payment with Visa, Mastercard, AMEX or JCB may send you to your bank’s 3D Secure check. You get three attempts, the small test charge is cancelled once you pass, and gift or prepaid cards are not accepted.
- Cash App Pay was announced for PURPLE in the US and then delayed; NC says it will post a notice when it arrives.
Whichever you choose, the membership that unlocks buying on the Market is bought inside the game; what it costs and does is on the membership page.