AION 2 Taiwan and Korea vs the global version
The Taiwan and Korea version of AION 2 is a separate service that NC launched on 19 November 2025, almost a year before the global one. It differs in ways that matter: a mobile client, a ninth class, a higher level cap and a different membership. And it works both ways: players in Taiwan and Korea cannot use the global version at all.
What is different
| Topic | Korea and Taiwan | Global |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | 19 November 2025, at midnight Korean time | Early Access 30 September, free launch 5 October |
| Devices | PC and phones; pre-registration ran through Google Play and the App Store as well as the website | PC only, through Steam or PURPLE |
| Classes | Launched with eight; a ninth, 권성 (a fist-weapon fighter), arrived with the Chapter 1 update | Eight at launch |
| Level cap | 50, raised from 45 in Chapter 1 | Not announced; the Launch Scale Test stopped at 37 |
| Party size | Raised from 4 to 5 in Chapter 1 | 5-player and 10-player group content |
| Membership | Three memberships merged into one, sold in 28-day blocks; includes 50% more Odyle Energy recharge and double Abyss time | Special Quai Membership, $15 for 30 days; no Abyss-time benefit listed |
| Player-to-player trades | In Korea, personal trading is one of the membership benefits | Direct trades disabled; the Market is the only way to trade |
| Account | PLAYNC account (Korea) | NC account, or Steam; not the same as a PLAYNC account |
Both services started from the same game with the same eight classes, so an explanation of how a system works in Korea still helps. The Korean numbers are another matter: they come from later updates to the Korean service, and the global version may not have had them. The eight global classes are on the classes page, and what the global membership really unlocks is on membership cost.
No phones and no direct trades
Two differences stand out. The global game is PC only, and face-to-face trading between players is switched off, which NC presents as a measure against bots:
“As an anti-bot measure, direct player-to-player trades are disabled. The Market remains our central hub for trading between players.”
(From Steam announcement: Launch Scale Test Comes to a Close: What's Next?)
One reaction to the change:
“No mobile client and no face to face trades, that’s a massive win over the taiwan server for sure.”
(A player on r/Aion2 thread: direct player-to-player trades are disabled)
If you were hoping to play on a phone, the mobile page covers what NC has said about the global version.
Taiwan and Korea are shut out of the global version
NC’s support FAQ lists the countries where the global version can be neither played nor paid for, and both “Republic of Korea” and “Taiwan” are on it, alongside Hong Kong and Macau. The full list of 18 is on the servers page. The separation carries through to extras as well: the global Twitch Drops exclude anyone on the Korea and Taiwan servers, as the Drops page shows.
The accounts are separate too. The Korean service signs in with a PLAYNC account, the global one with an NC account or Steam, and NC’s own support treats them as different things:
“The NC account and PLAYNC account are two different accounts that exist seperately.”
(From NC support FAQ: Account Conflict Solutions (NC account and PLAYNC account))
NC has announced nothing that links the two services: no character move from one to the other and no shared purchases. For a player outside Korea and Taiwan the choice is simple, because the global version is the one meant for you, and it starts on the days listed on the release date page.