AION 2 Scale Test Closes: Trade Rules, Priority Queues & What's Next
NC's official Scale Test wrap-up: direct player trades disabled as an anti-bot measure, a new priority queue policy, the client step for Advanced Access, and the September 30 / October 5 dates.
NC has published its official wrap-up of the Launch Scale Test — "Launch Scale Test Comes to a Close: What's Next?" (September 19) — and it contains two policy details that affect how everyone plays from Advanced Access onward, plus the confirmed path to launch. Here is the official content, itemized.
Stated by developer · 2026-09-22Quick answer
Quick answer: The Scale Test is officially over. Two new rules from the official post: direct player-to-player trades are disabled as an anti-bot measure (the Market is the central trading hub), and servers at capacity now use a priority queue for members in good standing — a privilege that can be revoked for violations. Next: Advanced Access September 30–October 4, official launch October 5.
The two policy changes
1. Direct player-to-player trades are disabled — the Market is the hub. The official post states it plainly: "As an anti-bot measure, direct player-to-player trades are disabled. The Market remains our central hub for trading between players." For players, this means every trade route runs through the in-game Market rather than direct hand-offs — a design decision aimed at bots, with a real impact on how you move goods between characters and friends.
Stated by developer · 2026-09-222. A priority queue for members in good standing. The queue policy is now explicit: "When a server is at capacity, members in good standing join the priority queue instead of the general queue, and both queues move as space opens." The post adds two important qualifiers — priority queue access is a privilege, not a guarantee, and players with disciplinary action or accounts suspected of ToS violations may have it revoked. Practical read: account health is now a launch-week queue-position asset.
Stated by developer · 2026-09-22The client step (unchanged, still required)
The post repeats the step from the test weekend: Steam players must uninstall the Playtest App and download AION 2 separately for Advanced Access on September 30; PURPLE players need no further action. Full walkthrough on the download guide; the Advanced Access prep article covers the rest of the pre-window checklist.
Stated by developer · 2026-09-22What's Next (official)
The post lays out the timeline with no ambiguity:
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Advanced Access | September 30 – October 4 |
| Official Launch | October 5 |
And the official "prepare for launch" list: wishlist on Steam, buy a Founder's Pack for Advanced Access, and join the community before launch. Pre-registration channels and Founder's Pack tiers are covered on the pre-register guide; the full timeline lives on the release date page.
Stated by developer · 2026-09-22Why this matters beyond the dates
Two of these items are the kind of operational detail that fansites usually miss because they only chase dates: trade routing (Market-only trades) changes economy behavior from day one, and the priority queue system gives account standing a concrete in-game payoff at launch. Both are now official and will be reflected in our launch-week coverage.
FAQ
Can I still trade items with friends in AION 2? Per the official post, direct player-to-player trades are disabled as an anti-bot measure — trading runs through the in-game Market. Whether any exceptions exist beyond the Market is (to be verified) at launch.
What is the priority queue? When a server is full, accounts in good standing join a priority queue ahead of the general queue; both advance as space opens. It can be revoked for disciplinary action or suspected ToS violations.
When does Advanced Access start, and who gets in? September 30 (through October 4) for Founder's Pack owners; global launch opens to everyone October 5. The exact unlock hour is still unpublished (to be verified).