NCSoft Launching Solo-Friendly Lineage II Aden Server In August

It’s time for a new approach to Lineage II – and that’s something you don’t hear us say too often about a 17 year old MMORPG. NCSoft has announced that Lineage II Aden, a game-friendly standalone experience, is coming next month.

Aden will offer “the same core gameplay as Lineage II, but with classes tailored to focus primarily on solo gameplay.” There will still be all the team and PvP content you can handle, but “waiting for a team to level up or sharpen is a thing of the past.” The game’s 36 classes are “tuned for hunting” and will feature six single dungeons and a simplified leveling system, making it easier to reach the max level.

Two of those 36 classes – Sylph Storm Blasters and the fearsome Death Knight – will be new and exclusive to Aden. The first fires elemental attacks from the gun while gliding around the battlefield on the “elemental hover pad”, while the second is a melee spellcaster based on the Death raid boss Knight from the original Lineage can transform into a boneless monster.

Lineage II Aden players will also have battle pets that you can equip with your own gear, and can obtain Wyvern flying mounts by participating in a special launch event, titled cleverly “Why Burn?” L2A will be free to play, powered with L2 Coin, which can buy items that can be traded between players, and N2 Coin, purchased with real money.

All in all, it’s a fun way for NCSoft to try and attract new customers to a game that was once hugely popular, but now has been around for a long time. Lineage II was made in a different time in MMO world, when team content was needed at nearly all stages of development, but that’s not what most players today are looking for. I’m not sure it’s going to lead to a huge influx of new players to the Lineage II franchise, especially given the plethora of other, newer, MMO options available to players, but you just can’t try.

Lineage II Aden will be out on August 11th. You can learn more about it on its dedicated website.