ArcheAge Chronicles Release Date and Launch Times

Launch Time in Your Region

XLGAMES announced a single global unlock, so every region gets access at the same moment. The date only looks different because of time zones. Korean and Japanese coverage lists November 4 because the 3:00 PM Pacific start lands on Wednesday morning there. Gematsu, Inven Global and RPGamer all report the same date and time.

Pre-purchasing on Steam lets you download the game before launch. ArcheAge Chronicles needs 100 GB of free space on an SSD, so install it early rather than waiting for the unlock. Your server region is picked automatically from your location.

• Pacific Time: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 3:00 PM
• Central Time: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 5:00 PM
• Eastern Time: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 6:00 PM
• UTC: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 23:00
• Korea (KST): Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 8:00 AM

Price and Pre-Order Bonus

The Early Access package is $29.99 in the US and ₩36,000 in Korea, and regional prices vary. ArcheAge Chronicles is buy-to-play: you pay once and there is no subscription. Executive producer Yongjin Ham said the price was set to keep the initial purchase accessible. The Steam FAQ notes the price may change at full release, and any change will be announced in advance.

Pre-purchases include the Dawn Pioneer Set, an exclusive costume for one class of your choice. One character can claim it in game from November 3. The Steam page guide covers the rest of the store listing, including languages and system requirements.

How the Release Date Changed

ArcheAge Chronicles was revealed at PlayStation State of Play on September 24, 2024. It was formerly known as ArcheAge II and was presented as the next evolution of the series. The original window was 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series and PC, with Steam and the Epic Games Store named for PC.

That window later moved into 2026. In October 2026, XLGAMES confirmed the November 3 Steam Early Access date and opened pre-purchases. The game is now developed and self-published by XLGAMES on Steam.

Tests Before Launch

Two public tests came before Early Access. A network stress test on September 13, 2026 was open only to players in the USA and Canada. The free Steam Next Fest demo then ran from October 19 to 26 and was open to everyone.

The demo ranked fifth on Steam's Most Played Demos list. Its progress was wiped, so everyone starts fresh on November 3. Our demo page explains what the demo contained.

What You Can Play on Release Day

Early Access opens with three regions: Diamond Shores, Gylden Ruins and Astron Plains. Each one has its own story and side quests. XLGAMES says the main quests alone take more than 10 hours per region, or over 30 hours in total.

Four classes are playable, each with two weapons. You also get dungeons, raids, opt-in PvP, housing, crafting, trading, and company and guild activities. The Early Access guide lists everything included at launch, along with the current limits.

When Is the Full Release?

There is no full (1.0) release date yet. XLGAMES expects Early Access to last roughly 9 to 12 months, and the Steam page says this timeline may change. The full release is planned to add more regions, more gender options for classes and a third weapon per class. It will also bring more balance work and expanded life skills.

The next confirmed step is the first post-launch update in December 2026, with no exact date yet. It adds the female Warrior and the Gladius, a third weapon for the Warrior. XLGAMES also plans to share a development roadmap around the Early Access launch.

PS5 and Xbox Release Date

Consoles are still planned, but neither has a date. The November 3 launch is Steam only, and the demo was PC-only as well. Xbox has a store page with no price or date, and no PS5 pre-order has been announced.

If you play on console, check our PS5 and Xbox pages for what has actually been confirmed. Steam lists controller support, so you can already play the PC version with a gamepad.

Official Trailer

▶ Official media

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