The ArcheAge Chronicles release date is November 3, but that’s Early Access on Steam, not the full launch. It goes live at 3pm PT, which is 6pm ET and 11pm in the UK. ArcheAge Chronicles costs $29.99, it’s got online co-op and online PvP, and it looks nice. It’s cheap as well. I would still personally wait.
Key takeaways
- ArcheAge Chronicles launches in Early Access on PC through Steam on November 3 at 3pm PT (23:00 UTC), for $29.99.
- It’s buy-to-play with no subscription on top, and XLGAMES says it will never sell items that buy you power.
- Early Access starts with three regions, four classes and eight weapons, and is expected to last nine to 12 months.
What time does ArcheAge Chronicles release?
ArcheAge Chronicles unlocks at 3pm PT on Tuesday, November 3. That’s 6pm ET, and 11pm in the UK now the clocks have gone back. It’s PC only at launch, through Steam, according to Gematsu’s launch report.
It was first shown at PlayStation’s State of Play in September 2024, but there’s still no PS5 date. If you pre-order on Steam, you get the Dawn Pioneer Set, a costume for one class of your choice that you claim in game once Early Access opens.
How much is ArcheAge Chronicles, and is it cheaper than Phantom Blade Zero?
ArcheAge Chronicles is $29.99 for the Early Access package, and that’s it. XLGAMES went buy-to-play, and executive producer Yongjin Ham told Inven Global they set the price so players can keep playing “without additional subscription fees after a single purchase”. The studio has also promised never to sell items that let you buy power.
That’s half the price of Phantom Blade Zero, which came out on October 28 at $59.99. To me, this seems like a cheaper version of some of the other stuff that’s coming out right now. You are paying for Early Access, though: classes are gender-locked at launch, and the full release is meant to add more regions, gender options, a third weapon for each class and bigger life skills.
What kind of game is ArcheAge Chronicles?
ArcheAge Chronicles is an action MMORPG from XLGAMES, the Korean studio behind the original ArcheAge, and it’s publishing this one itself. Steam lists online co-op and online PvP, which is very interesting. There are four classes, Battlerage, Archery, Sorcery and Defense, and the combat changes with the weapons you pair up: you watch the enemy, dodge, parry and strike, and you can switch weapons mid-fight.
Outside the fighting, it keeps the old ArcheAge side going: dungeons, raids, housing, farming, crafting, trading runs, companies and guilds. The demo finished fifth on Steam’s Most Played Demos list when Next Fest closed on October 26, and players praised the Unreal Engine 5 visuals and the parry-and-cancel combat.
It looks nice. If I had to put it next to Phantom Blade Zero, I’d say Phantom Blade Zero looks more like Sekiro, the FromSoftware game set in Japan, and maybe earlier Dark Souls. There’s something that looks more anime about ArcheAge Chronicles to me, even though the characters aren’t anime styled. It looks pretty cool.
Have I played the original ArcheAge?
Yes, I played the original ArcheAge, and I think there was something about it I didn’t like. I think it’s because it’s a Korean game. There’s something about Korean games that I just don’t get into. Again, it’s probably a skill issue as well.
You can’t go back and check the original on Steam, either. ArcheAge came out in Korea in January 2013 and in Europe and North America in September 2014, from Jake Song, a former Lineage developer, and his studio XL Games. Kakao Games shut the North American and European servers on June 27, 2024, saying falling player numbers meant the game was no longer what it was meant to be (TheSixthAxis). PC Gamer reported it peaked at about 6,500 players on Steam in 2014, and had sat a little over 100 since mid-2020.
Why are so many games coming out right now?
There’s a lot of these coming out at the moment. Phantom Blade Zero just came out, ArcheAge Chronicles is November 3, and WoW Forever is the day after. My guess is they’re releasing now because they’re a different kind of game, so they’re not really competing with Grand Theft Auto.
GTA 6 lands on November 19, and most big publishers have kept well clear of it. Back in June, PC Gamer described a lopsided 2026 calendar, with almost every game squeezed into September to get out of its way. A few smaller studios have leaned into it instead: Furyu put its roguelike Crymelight on November 5 and posted “Maybe we’re just not afraid enough”.
Is it brave to launch the day before WoW Forever?
WoW Forever launches on November 4, one day after ArcheAge Chronicles, according to the official World of Warcraft account. I think that’s brave. I guess they’re targeting a different market, although Korea is probably pretty big for WoW Forever too. Knowing it’s Early Access and not the full launch makes more sense of the timing, though. If WoW Forever is your pick instead, I’ve written about which class to play in WoW Forever.
Would I buy ArcheAge Chronicles day one?
I would personally wait. Solo or with friends, this looks like a solo game to me, even with the co-op and PvP on the Steam page. It’s cheap, and the online PvP is interesting. Early Access is expected to run for nine to 12 months before the full release.
FAQ
Is ArcheAge Chronicles fully released on November 3?
No. November 3 is the start of Early Access, not the full launch. Early Access is expected to run for nine to 12 months before the full release.
When does ArcheAge Chronicles come out?
November 3, 2026, at 3pm PT (6pm ET, 11pm UK), in Early Access on Steam.
Is ArcheAge Chronicles on PS5?
Not yet. Early Access is PC only. It was first shown at a PlayStation State of Play in September 2024, but there’s no console release date.
Does ArcheAge Chronicles have a subscription?
No. It’s buy-to-play at $29.99, with no subscription fee after you buy it.
