Aion 2 storms Steam charts – and that's before the free-to-play launch

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Aion 2 storms Steam charts – and that's before the free-to-play launch.

Aion 2 has just launched into Early Access – and the MMO is already rocketing up the Steam charts at breakneck speed. What's surprising: the global free-to-play release is only days away according to Eurogamer, yet the game is apparently already pushing major blockbusters off the top spots of the most-played titles.

That Aion 2 is no unknown quantity internationally is clear from the Asian market: in Korea and Taiwan, the MMO launched nearly a year ago according to Eurogamer. The global launch is now being delivered afterward – and seems to be striking a broad chord with audiences in the West.

For you, that means: anyone who wants to get a first impression before the official free-to-play launch can hardly get around Early Access. We summarize what's known so far.

Why is Aion 2 already storming the Steam charts?

Even before the actual free-to-play launch, Aion 2 is catapulting itself far up the Steam charts according to Eurogamer – in a phase when many other titles are still waiting for their release. The MMO is pushing past major blockbusters that normally dominate the top spots of the most-played games.

This is particularly remarkable because Aion 2 is no newcomer internationally. Those who already know the game from Korea or Taiwan bring certain expectations with them – and those now seem to be reflected in Western player numbers as well.

What's behind the Early Access launch?

Early Access serves, according to Eurogamer, as a bridge until the global free-to-play release, which is just days away. Players can thus try out the MMO before the official launch – and are apparently making plenty of use of that opportunity, if current chart positions are anything to go by.

How should the success be framed?

That an MMORPG with Asian roots is making such a direct chart debut in the West is remarkable. The Steam climb before the free-to-play release underscores how much lead Aion 2 brings from the Asian markets – and how great the interest in a Western launch clearly is.