Aion 2 Head Start Details and September 2026 Global Launch Window Confirmed by NCsoft
NCsoft has clarified how the upcoming head start will work for Aion 2, and it’s also confirmed the game’s global launch window: September 2026. In parallel, several other MMOs are shifting through their testing cycles, including Guild Wars 3 and Legends of Aria as well as SpiritVale, which is working to smooth out issues from its earlier launch.
Quick facts: what’s changing in MMO testing
At a glance
- Aion 2 gets a clarified head start plan and is set for global launch in September 2026.
- Guild Wars 3 has detailed what players will be competing for when the game becomes available.
- Legends of Aria is running another revival test for prior owners.
- SpiritVale is working on addressing problems from its previously rocky launch.
Aion 2: head start details and September 2026 global launch
Aion 2 is moving toward its next public milestone, with NCsoft confirming that founder pack sales are underway and adding clarity on how the head start will be delivered. The company has also set the game’s global launch for September 2026.
The head start is framed as a “head start” mechanism tied to the founder pack program, meaning early access will be granted before the full global launch. Players should expect the schedule and conditions of that early period to follow NCsoft’s clarified plan.
Guild Wars 3: stakes for when the game goes live
Guild Wars 3 has also provided more information about what players will be “battling” for once it is actually playable. While the update focuses on the stakes rather than a release date, it’s a clear step toward explaining the game’s competitive goals ahead of launch.
Legends of Aria returns for prior owners
Legends of Aria is set to undergo another revival in testing, specifically targeting players who previously owned the game. This is another instance of an MMO test being re-opened to an established audience rather than a completely new public wave.
SpiritVale targets fixes after its rocky launch
SpiritVale is in the process of addressing issues tied to its earlier release, with the update indicating the developer is actively working to resolve problems that made the launch uneven. The focus is on stabilization and improvements rather than adding brand-new mechanics for this phase.
MMO testing roundup: where games stand right now
A broader testing list is also circulating, defining how games are categorized for players tracking upcoming betas and early access. The roundup treats an MMO as “open” when it offers free public signups and will wipe servers before launch, while “closed” testing typically involves private phases that aren’t accessible to the general public and may run under NDA.
It also includes early access and legitimate crowdfunding-backed tests, while excluding expansions and certain “open beta” soft launches that don’t show a real path to a western release. Here are the testing statuses currently listed:
| Game | Status |
|---|---|
| Abyss | Early access |
| The Adventurer’s Domain Online | Early access |
| Adrullan Online Adventures | Open alpha concluded |
| Aero Tales Online | Early access; launching May 1 |
| Aion 2 | Global launch in September 2026 |
| Aloft | Early access |
| Aniimo | Closed beta |
| Anvil Empires | Intermittent alpha |
| Apogea | Open testing |
| Arcane Waters | Early access |
| Arcany | Early alpha |
| Arcfall | Pre-alpha |
| ARK 2 | Paid early access |
| Arkheron | Closed beta |
| Ascendant | Open testing |
| Ashes of Creation | Early access; entire staff laid off (in limbo) |
| Ashfall | Closed beta |
| ASKA | Early access |
| Astrobotanica | Early access on February 16, 2026 |
| Battlebit | Early access |
| Bellatores | Closed testing; beta rolling out in South Korea |
| Bellwright | Early access |
| Bitcraft | Early access |
| Brighter Shores | Early access |
| Camelot Unchained | Early access |
| Chronicles of Elyria | Pre-alpha (again) |
| Chrono Odyssey | Closed beta; launch planned for 2027 after latest delays/revamps |
| Cinderstone Online | Closed beta |
| City of Titans | Alpha |
| Cloudheim | Early access |
| Coreborn: Nations of the Ultracore | Early access |
| Corepunk | Early access |
| Craftopia | Early access |
| The Crew Motorfest | Closed testing |
| Crosswind | Future testing events planned on Steam |
| The Cube, Save Us | Early access; free-to-play |
| Dark and Darker | Paid early access; legal troubles |
| Dark and Light | Early access (abandoned?) |
| Darkbind | Closed beta (probably abandoned?) |
| Dawn of Defiance | Early access |
| Dragonwilds | Early access |
| Drakanatos | Testing weekend running until May 24 |
| Dungeonborne | Early access |
| ECO | Early access; full launch planned for 2024 |
| Echoes of Elysium | Early access |
| Eldramoor | Closed testing |
| Eleven | Closed alpha |
| Enshrouded | Early access; launch on October 15 |
| Eternal Tombs | Open test this weekend |
| Etherwind | Open test on April 10 |
| Ethyrial: Echoes of Yore | Early access; 1.0 release planned for 2027 |
| EVE Vanguard | Open alpha event; early access planned for summer 2026 |
| EverQuest Legends | Closed beta testing; launch on July 28 |
| Evercore Heroes: Ascension | Early access |
| EverRail | Early access on July 20 |
| Farever | Early access |
| Fellowship | Early access |
| Fractured: Conquest | Testing in 2026; full reboot of Fractured Online |
| Frontier Legends | Early access on May 29 |
| Frozen Flame | Early access |
| Gloria Victis | Relaunch on June 17 |
| Guild Wars 3 | Beta coming fall 2027 |
| Havenhold | Closed beta |
| Homestead | Open alpha |
| Horizon: Hunter’s Gathering | First test planned for the end of February |
| Hytale | Early access |
| IfSunSets | Early access |
| Ilysia | Early access |
| Inferna | Early access |
| Kalmia Online | First test event starts July 24 |
| Kurtzpel | Closed beta |
| Legend of Ares | Open testing ahead of relaunch |
| Legends of Aria Eternal | Testing open to prior owners |
| Legends of California | Alpha test starts March 26 |
| Legendarium Online | Paid alpha access |
| Life is Feudal Arden | Open beta |
| Loftia | Closed beta |
| March of Giants | Closed alpha |
| Magic to Master | Early access |
| Monsters & Memories | Early access delayed to October |
| Mortal Exodus | Closed testing |
| Nightingale | Early access |
| Nin Online | Early access |
| Odd Giants | Alpha |
| Osiris: New Dawn | Back from the dead; no longer on Steam |
| Outbound | Early access |
| Outlaws of the Old West | Early access |
| Palia | Paid “open” beta; planning for launch in Q2 |
| Pantheon | Early access |
| Past Fate | Early access |
| Path of Exile 2 | Early access |
| Perfect New World | Closed beta |
| Petit Planet | Closed beta starting April 21 |
| Pioner | Early access |
| Pow Vista | Open beta (mobile) |
| Project Crawl | Closed testing |
| Project Friendship | Beta signups open now |
| Project Genom | Closed alpha; servers offline (abandoned?) |
| Project Loki | Closed beta |
| Project ST | Closed testing; open event ended |
| Project Zeta | Open testing |
| Prosperous Universe | Early access |
| Reaper Actual | Early access |
| Return Alive | Closed beta |
| Rodent Rumble | Launching next year; playtest on October 11 |
| Sand: Raiders of Sophie | Early access |
| RF Online Next | Global launch in 2026 |
| Scars of Honor | Internal testing |
| Sea of Remnants | In testing; multiplayer not available |
| Seed | Early access on July 21 |
| Seekers of Skyveil | Early access |
| Ships at Sea | Early access |
| Sky: Children of Light | Open early access |
| Skygard Arena | Early access |
| Smite 2 | Open beta |
| Soulframe | Founders pack for sale |
| Spacecraft | Early access |
| The Spell Brigade | Early access |
| Spirit Crossing | Closed alpha; launch in 2026 |
| SpiritVale | Early access |
| Star Citizen | Backer alpha |
| Starbase | Early access open alpha |
| Star Wrath | Closed beta |
| Stars Reach | Pre-alpha started; early access this summer |
| Steel Aces | Closed beta |
| Steel Hunters | Early access |
| Stormforge | Public playtest in July |
| Subnautica 2 | Early access on May 14 |
| Synduality: Echo of Ada | Early access |
| Time Takers | Closed beta |
| Tombstone | Closed testing; release planned for this year |
| Torebia | Beta test starting May 29 for 10 days |
| Tower of Aghasba | Early access planned for November 19 |
| Tribes 3: Rivals | Early access; development slowing/stopping |
| Trimurti Online | Stress testing; open beta February 13 |
| Valheim | Early access; launch on September 9 |
| Valiance Online | Closed beta |
| Vaultbreakers | Week-long open test through February 16 (formerly Project F4E) |
| Vindictus: Defying Fate | Internal testing |
| WalkScape | Closed beta until June 15 |
| Waven | Early access |
| Windrose | Early access |
| Witchspire | Early access |
| ZeroSpace | Back in closed testing; early access on July 20 |
The list also notes that new information and corrections are welcome, including cases where a game skips phases or moves into a new testing stage without being widely reported.
