AION 2 Publishes Official Global Business Model & Monetization Plan

On July 8, 2026 at 16:00 UTC, the AION 2 team published a "Team Update" notice titled "Business Model — Our Approach" directly to the official notice board at aion2.plaync.com. NC frames it as a transparency move ahead of the September 2026 global launch: "it's important to us that you understand exactly how the game's economy and business model will work before you step foot in Atreia," while noting "some areas may change as our preparation for launch continues." The notice walks through nine numbered sections — Free to Play, Currency, The Market, the Kina↔Quna Exchange, Membership, the In-Game Shop, Battle Pass, Founder's Packs, and a closing "Looking Ahead" note.

AION 2 is confirmed free to play with no purchase required — "how you invest is entirely up to you." There are two currencies: Kina, the Market's currency, earned through gameplay; and Quna, the premium currency, which buys shop items, unlocks the Battle Pass, and can also be used to acquire Kina via the Exchange.

The Market is described as "the center of AION 2's player-driven economy" — players buy and sell items using Kina, with prices set by players themselves. The Kina↔Quna Exchange works the same way: one player lists Kina for sale, another spends Quna to buy it, entirely between players ("the game makes no listings or purchases"). NC states plainly, twice, that an active Membership is required to trade on both the Market and the Exchange.

The Membership is confirmed at $15/month. Per NC's own wording, it "unlocks the Market and the Kina↔Quna Exchange, plus additional gameplay benefits for members," and "also provides access to a special shop allowing for extra purchases with Kina." NC doesn't itemize the "additional gameplay benefits" beyond that in this notice.

The In-Game Shop splits into Cosmetics (outfits, wings, pets, weapon skins, accessories — "purely aesthetic," no gameplay or combat advantage) and Consumables (potions, resurrection stones, etc.) that NC says "do not affect gear progression or long-term power" and are "also earnable through regular gameplay."

Battle Passes — called Daeva Passes — are sold per character with a free Standard Track and a Quna-priced Premium Track. NC's own description of what a pass can contain is broader than most recaps: "a combination of cosmetics, items, upgrade materials, and other in-game currencies." That's a materially different claim than "cosmetics only," and it's worth reading literally rather than assuming the Premium Track is purely aesthetic — NC hasn't clarified whether "upgrade materials" affects gear progression the way the Consumables section explicitly disclaims.

The notice's Founder's Pack section was a placeholder (contents "still being finalized — we're excited to share more very soon"): a selection of cosmetics, consumables to aid an early journey in Atreia, and 5 days of Early Access before global launch, with a specific footnote that "Early access servers will have separate Markets, Exchanges, and PvP matching for a period" — i.e., early buyers are isolated not just economically but also in PvP matchmaking for a stretch. Update (July 17, 2026): NC published a dedicated follow-up notice spelling out exactly how that separation works — Early Access Servers vs Launch Servers, EA-only Abyss matchmaking during EA, and a Server Market vs Cross-Server Market split — covered in our Early Access servers explained post. Update (July 22, 2026): Founder's Pack pricing and contents are now official — Standard $24.99, Deluxe $49.99, Ultimate $99.99, on sale on Steam and PURPLE, with Early Access confirmed to begin September 30 — see our Founder's Pack prices and contents breakdown.