ArcheAge Chronicles

ArcheAge Chronicles Release Date & Early Access

Early Access on Steam has been live since November 3, 2026, 3:00 PM PST (23:00 UTC). The game costs $29.99 with no subscription. The Steam Next Fest demo ran from October 19 to 26, 2026.

Release status

Release date: Steam Early Access since November 3, 2026, 3:00 PM PST (23:00 UTC)
Countdown: In your local time:
Buy on Steam ↗
Target: Early Access on Steam since November 3, 2026, 3:00 PM PST (23:00 UTC)
Price: Buy-to-play, no subscription: Early Access $29.99 (€29.99); no in-game store at Early Access launch
Developer: XLGAMES (self-publishing, formerly Kakao Games)
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Genre: Open-world action MMORPG

Demo

Steam Next Fest demo

Oct 19, 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET – Oct 26, 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET

In your local time: –

The demo was free for everyone on Steam for one week, PC only, and has ended. Progress does not carry over to Early Access.

Included

Select content centered around Diamond Shores, one of the early-game regions
All four classes, each with two of their weapons
Content from the network test plus a new dungeon
First public PvP: PvP channels open from the start, switch at a Nui Statue, kill log and PvP achievements (no rewards)

Not included

Some life content, including housing and trade
Carrying progress over to Early Access

Go to Steam page →

ArcheAge Chronicles on RaidDex

Main story – every main story quest with checkboxes
Collectibles – tick off Coilstones, towers, Nui’s Tears and Record Stones
World map – locations in every region, tick off with a click
Leveling – places by enemy level, with dungeons and field bosses
Guides – locations step by step with maps

Timeline

Sep 24, 2024
Revealed at Sony’s State of Play (formerly “ArcheAge 2”). Planned for 2025, publisher at the time Kakao Games.
Nov 2024
Delayed to 2026 (Kakao’s quarterly results).
Feb 2026
After a move to Q3, the target is now Q4 2026.
June 2026
Focus group test with 165 testers: the most popular class was the Mage, ahead of Ranger, Warrior and Berserker.

Official focus group test results: 165 testers, 2,006 hours, highest level 16
July–Sept 2026
The four classes are revealed: Warrior (Jul 10), Ranger (Jul 30), Mage (Sep 17), Berserker (Sep 28).
Sep 8, 2026
XLGAMES sells the remaining ArcheAge IP to Align Studio – ArcheAge Chronicles is not part of the sale.
Sep 12, 2026
Six-hour network test on Steam for the US and Canada.
Sep 15, 2026
XLGAMES self-publishes the game; Early Access “later this year”.
Oct 7, 2026
Developer video: buy-to-play with no in-game store at Early Access launch, pay-to-win ruled out.
Oct 19–26, 2026
Free demo during Steam Next Fest.
Oct 21, 2026
Developer interview: Early Access at $29.99 with no subscription, three launch regions, a third weapon per class later.
Oct 27, 2026
Release date and trailer: Steam pre-orders at $29.99, Dawn Pioneer Set bonus for one class.
Oct 29, 2026
Producer letter: new servers in Brazil and Singapore, regions picked automatically. The first update in December brings the female Warrior and the Gladius as the Warrior’s third weapon.
Oct 30, 2026
Server locations: Americas (Virginia, Oregon, São Paulo), EU West (Frankfurt) and Asia (Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore).
Nov 2, 2026
Launch times for every region. There are no server transfers and no cross-server play in Early Access.
Nov 3, 2026
Early Access launched on Steam at 3:00 PM PST (23:00 UTC), at the same moment worldwide.

Platforms

PC (Steam)PC (Epic Games Store)PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X|S

Early Access has been live on Steam since November 3, 2026, 3:00 PM PST (23:00 UTC); whether and when consoles follow is open. There is no official statement on cross-play – only the Xbox Store data lists cross-platform play between Xbox and PC. On PS5, online play requires PS Plus.

Languages

Language	Interface	Full audio	Subtitles
English	✓	–	✓
Korean	✓	✓	✓
Simplified Chinese	✓	–	✓
Traditional Chinese	✓	–	✓
German	–	–	–

According to Steam there is no German version so far. Full audio is Korean only; English has interface and subtitles. The planned English voice-over is on hold for now. Most languages are to be fully translated by full release.

System requirements

	Minimum	Recommended
OS	Windows 10 64-bit	Windows 11 64-bit
Processor	Intel Core i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-12700 / AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
Memory	16 GB RAM	32 GB RAM
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER / AMD Radeon RX 6600 (8 GB VRAM)	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB / AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (12 GB VRAM)
DirectX	Version 12	Version 12
Storage	100 GB (SSD)	100 GB (SSD)
Target	30 FPS at 1080p, Low settings, Quality upscaling	60 FPS at 1080p, High settings, Quality upscaling

Official figures from XLGAMES (as of November 1, 2026, also on Steam). A 64-bit processor and operating system are required, and an SSD is mandatory. XLGAMES has not listed targets for 1440p or 4K yet.

FAQ

When did ArcheAge Chronicles come out?

Early Access on Steam launched on November 3, 2026, at 3:00 PM PST (6:00 PM EST, 23:00 UTC), at the same moment worldwide. When the full release and the console versions follow is open.

Can I play ArcheAge Chronicles already?

Yes, in Steam Early Access since November 3, 2026, 3:00 PM PST (23:00 UTC). It costs $29.99 with no subscription. The free Steam Next Fest demo ran from October 19 to 26, 2026.

How much does ArcheAge Chronicles cost?

Early Access costs $29.99 (€29.99) on Steam. It is buy-to-play with no subscription and no in-game store at launch. Pre-orders came with the Dawn Pioneer Set (outfit, gloves and boots) for one class of choice.

Which classes are there?

Four: Warrior, Ranger, Berserker and Mage. At Early Access launch each class has two weapons with their own skills. A third weapon per class follows over time, one class at a time: the Warrior gets the Gladius first, in the first update in December 2026. Our classes page compares all four.

How do I get Trait Points in ArcheAge Chronicles?

You need Trait Points for your weapons’ perk trees. The main source is Raeven’s Coilstones: Diamond Shores, the starting region, alone has 11 of them at 2 points each (22 in total), usually guarded by a strong enemy. More Trait Points come as quest rewards. Every Coilstone is on our world map and can be ticked off under Collectibles.

Does ArcheAge Chronicles have EU servers?

Yes. The EU West region is hosted in Frankfurt. The other regions are Americas (Virginia, Oregon, São Paulo) and Asia (Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore). The game picks your region automatically based on your location (as of October 30, 2026).

Can I change servers?

No. During Early Access every character stays on the server it was created on, and players on different servers cannot play together. XLGAMES may review transfers later but has made no promise (as of November 2, 2026). Agree on a server with your friends before you start.

Is ArcheAge Chronicles available in German?

Not so far. Steam lists English, Korean and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional); full audio is Korean only. According to Executive Producer Ham (October 31, 2026), provisional translations come first, and most languages are to be fully translated by full release. Whether German is among them is open.

Does demo progress carry over to Early Access?

No. Progress from the Steam Next Fest demo (October 19 to 26, 2026) does not carry over to Early Access, so everyone starts fresh.

Can I choose the gender of my class?

Not at Early Access launch: each class is locked to one gender. XLGAMES is lifting this one class at a time. The female Warrior is planned for the first update in December 2026, and all gender locks are to be removed by full release.

Which class is best for beginners?

XLGAMES does not name a beginner class. In the June 2026 focus group test with 165 testers, the Mage was the most popular class, ahead of Ranger, Warrior and Berserker. That shows popularity, not how easy a class is. Each class plays very differently depending on the weapon – our classes page compares roles and weapons.

Can I play with friends?

Yes. Dungeons are instanced for up to four players and can also be played solo. Since the post-demo changes, parties stay together across Peace and Conflict Channels. Everyone has to be on the same server, though: there is no cross-server play in Early Access.

Does ArcheAge Chronicles have cross-play?

There is no official statement. Early Access is announced for PC on Steam; whether and when PS5 and Xbox Series X|S follow is open. Only the Xbox Store data lists cross-platform play between Xbox and PC. Cross-server play is not supported in Early Access.

Can I play with a controller?

Yes, the game has its own controller settings. Since the post-demo changes, for example, camera Y-axis inversion can be set separately for mouse and controller (producer letter, October 29, 2026).

How much content is in Early Access?

Three regions – Diamond Shores, Gylden Ruins and Astron Plains – with more than 60 areas, roughly twenty times the size of the demo. The main quests alone take over 30 hours according to XLGAMES. Executive Producer Ham needed more than 50 hours for the adventure content (October 31, 2026).

What was the level cap in the demo?

In the Steam Next Fest demo (October 19 to 26, 2026), progression ended at level 40; the regions beyond go higher. Every level-up grants 3 Stat Points for the six attributes. Our Leveling page shows which zones suit which level.

Is ArcheAge Chronicles free-to-play or pay-to-win?

Neither: it is buy-to-play, Early Access costs $29.99. There is no in-game store at Early Access launch. Pay-to-win was “never part of our vision” and will not be, says Executive Producer Yongjin Ham. Optional purchases for content, customization and convenience may come later – announced in advance.

Is ArcheAge Chronicles an MMORPG?

Yes, in its own form: everyone plays in one shared, persistent world split into channels of about 100 players; dungeons are instanced. XLGAMES calls it an “open-world action MMORPG” – earlier the studio described it as an online action RPG and explicitly not a traditional MMORPG.

Is ArcheAge Chronicles ArcheAge 2?

No. It was formerly called “ArcheAge 2”, but according to XLGAMES it is neither sequel nor reboot – it tells untold tales of Auroria’s settlers in the same world.

Is there PvP?

Yes, on separate PvP channels you switch to at a Nui Statue. PvP is off on normal channels. In the demo, monsters on PvP channels gave 10–15% bonus EXP.

What are the system requirements?

Minimum Windows 10 (64-bit), Core i5-10400 or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM and a GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER or Radeon RX 6600 for 30 FPS at 1080p; recommended Windows 11, Core i7-12700 or Ryzen 7 5700X, 32 GB RAM and an RTX 4060 Ti 16GB or RX 7700 XT for 60 FPS on High. Plus DirectX 12 and 100 GB on an SSD. Details are in our system requirements news.

Who is developing ArcheAge Chronicles?

XLGAMES from South Korea, the studio behind the original ArcheAge. Since September 2026 XLGAMES self-publishes the game; Kakao Games was the publisher before. It is built on Unreal Engine 5.

Sources: Steam · Steam announcements · Steam: release date and pre-orders (Oct 27, 2026) · Steam: Early Access Content, Future Plans & Pricing (Oct 21, 2026) · Steam: A Letter from Producer Ham – From the Demo to Early Access (Oct 29, 2026) · Official: server locations (Oct 30, 2026) · Official: interview with Executive Producer Ham (Oct 31, 2026) · Steam: Server Transfers and Cross-Server Play (Nov 2, 2026) · Official: global launch times (Nov 2, 2026) · Steam: How Progression Works (Oct 15, 2026) · Steam: letter from the Executive Producer (Sep 15, 2026) · Steam: Q&A (Sep 18, 2026) · XLGAMES press release (Oct 7, 2026) · Gematsu: 2024 reveal · Gematsu: demo · MMORPG.com: delay to 2026 · MMORPG.com: delay to Q4 2026 · Inven Global: ArcheAge IP sale · Official: focus group test results · PlayStation Store

Information as of November 2, 2026.

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