ArcheAge Chronicles opens on Steam Early Access on November 3 at 3:00 p.m. PT (6:00 p.m. ET), and the Early Access package costs $29.99 in North America. Pre-orders are already open, according to Gematsu and Noisy Pixel.
The open-world action MMORPG is made by XLGAMES, a Kakao Games company, which plans to publish it directly to Western players. It is a PC game on Steam for now, and the developer says a console launch is planned later.
When does Early Access start, and what does it cost?
The launch is set for November 3 at 3:00 p.m. PT, which is 6:00 p.m. ET. Gematsu lists the Early Access price as $29.99 for North America and notes that other regions have different pricing.
It is a one time purchase. According to mein-mmo, there is no subscription and no in-game shop during Early Access.
Pre-orders include the Dawn Pioneer Set, a costume set for one class of the buyer’s choice. Players claim it in the game once Early Access begins.
What is in the Early Access build?
The Early Access version is built around a smaller slice of the finished game. Here is what the sources list:
- Three regions to explore: Diamond Shores, Gylden Ruins and Astron Plains, each with roughly 10+ hours of play, according to mein-mmo
- Four classes: Warrior, Ranger, Mage and Berserker
- Two weapons per class, so eight in total
- Dungeons, raids, player versus player combat, housing, crafting, trading, and company and guild activities
Noisy Pixel describes the combat as action oriented, built around parrying, attack cancels and defensive timing. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5.
XLGAMES executive producer Yongjin Ham said the team plans to keep folding player feedback into “regular updates throughout Early Access.”
How long will Early Access last?
Gematsu reports that Early Access is expected to run about 9 to 12 months. The studio says the full release will add more regions, gender options, a third weapon per class, refined combat balance, character progression, quality of life features, expanded life skills and community content.
mein-mmo reports that the final release is planned for the second half of 2027, with no confirmed date. Treat that as a target rather than a promise.
The current class system is gender locked. According to mein-mmo, the developers plan to remove that lock eventually, and Inven Global reported that it stays in place for the Early Access launch.
What are the PC requirements?
mein-mmo lists these Steam requirements, and both levels need 100 GB of storage:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics | RTX 2060 SUPER or RX 6600 | RTX 4060 Ti 16GB or RX 7700 XT |
The 100 GB figure is worth checking against your free drive space before you buy.
Prices
The only price the sources give is $29.99 for North America. They do not say whether that is in US or Canadian dollars, and no separate Canadian price has been announced. Check the Steam store page for the price shown to your region before you pay, because Steam sets it per country.
Prices outside North America differ, according to Gematsu.
Who it suits
MMORPG fans who like action combat. The parry and dodge focus suits players who want to be timing hits, not waiting on cooldowns.
Players who tried the demo. The demo ranked fifth on Steam’s Most Played Demos list during Steam Next Fest, which ran October 19 to 26, according to Gematsu. If it held your attention, Early Access offers more of the same across three regions.
Group players. Dungeons, raids, guilds and housing are all in the build, so friends who want to play together have things to do from day one.
Who should wait. Anyone who wants a finished game, a third weapon for every class or the gender lock removed. Early Access runs for months, and content will change along the way.
What is still unknown?
The sources do not say how many players the servers can take at launch, whether Canadian players pay in Canadian dollars, or exactly when the console version arrives. Nothing official has been published on a final price for the full release either.
Where to check next
Open the ArcheAge Chronicles page on Steam for the price in your region, the current system requirements and the pre-order bonus before the November 3 launch.
