Aion 2 Steam test peaks at 73,000 concurrent players as monetization and art debates carry into global launch

Aion 2's global Steam PC stress test, which began on September 17, reached 73,000 concurrent players on SteamDB, with the full release set for October 5. The article recounts the backlash from its earlier Korea and Taiwan launch over stat-boosting items in loot boxes and core features locked behind paid memberships, and notes that NCsoft adjusted or removed some disputed items during the test. It also covers overseas discussion of differing male and female character outfits and NCsoft's broader push to move beyond traditional MMOs.