Aion open beta to run in August

By Oli Welsh Published 17 June, 2009

NCsoft MMO looking good for autumn.

Dates have surfaced for the closed and open beta tests of Aion: The Tower of Eternity, NCsoft's next MMO, indicating that the game could well be ready for an early autumn release.

Having already tested the game extensively before its Korean launch last year, NCsoft is contenting itself with a series of short weekend tests in the West. The first phase of closed beta took place at the end of E3 week, which explains why we missed it. Sorry.

According to Beckett Massive Online Gamer magazine (spotted by Massively), open beta testing takes place between August 14th and 23rd, indicating that an early autumn release is very much on the cards for the sumptuous, East-meets-West MMO.

Here's the full list of upcoming dates, with the parts of the game being tested each time:

  • 19th to 21st June: Closed beta, Asmodian faction, levels 1-10
  • 3rd to 5th July: Closed beta, Asmodian faction, level cap increase
  • 17th to 19th July: Closed beta, The Abyss (high-level player-versus-player zone)
  • 14th to 16th August: Open beta, phase one
  • 19th to 23rd August: Open beta, phase two

These dates are "accurate as of press time", according to Beckett, and the closed beta dates certainly tally with what Eurogamer has heard from NCsoft privately.

You can find out more and get involved with beta testing at the Aion website, or explore some previews and luscious media at our own Aion gamepage.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (11) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • TruSmiles #1 3 years ago

    I've been following this game ever since it was first announced. If I don't get in on a Beta at some point, I may start to foam at the mouth :D

    Seriously, the game is shaping up to be really something. I can't wait.

  • ZuluHero #2 3 years ago

    Yeah same here. As i have it on preorder im hoping to get into the closed beta this weekend.

    There's supposed to be some news today about it.

  • TruSmiles #3 3 years ago

    You can get in on a Beta by pre-ordering? :o

  • illusion #4 3 years ago

    I played the "Some asian country" open beta earlier this year.

    It's another WoWalike. Kill 20 of these. Find 30 of these etc etc.
    Wings were cool for about 10 minutes other than that it wasn't anything special or anything I'd not seen before. I was really looking forward to it when I read about it, but the beta was just too familiar.

  • ZuluHero #5 3 years ago

    oh i'll guess i'll just cancel then...

    /sarcasm off

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #6 3 years ago

    @illusion - you can't really expect anything dramatically different with each MMO, it's like expecting Halo to be completly different from CoD - Dispite the different settings your still killing waves of mobs to get to a set goal, protecting stuff or just driving around shooting big tanks... and noone says anything about 'OMG it's ANOTHER Halolike game'.

    All MMOs can do is refine the core ideas - if you don't like any form of kill/collect/escort questing at all (even if it's 1:1 drops ala WAR) then just stay away from MMOs - the irrony is WoW only refined all the old ideas in MMOs as well, yet the seems to be the brenchmark. Very little has changed in MMOs since EQ/UO it's unlike the core design will change any time soon

  • MaxiSleep #7 3 years ago

    Noone ever seams to remember Meridian 69....

  • Deepo #8 3 years ago

    I might be interested in this if they make it possible to play with the mouse inverted. Same goes for Free Realms.

  • Hypercube #9 3 years ago

    Yeah same here. As i have it on preorder im hoping to get into the closed beta this weekend.

    You can pre-order already? Where from? I want this!!

    Edit: s'ok, seen it on the internets.
    Edited by 1 at 17/06/09 @ 15:32

  • Burton2000 #10 3 years ago

    Well i have my beta key for this weekend should be good to see how its turned out.

  • drap777 #11 3 years ago

    Key pliz