Aion 2.5, the Empyrean Calling, is now live and brings with it improved graphics, a mentor system, two new instances, new skills and much more. In addition, NCsoft announced today that it will be kicking off a new Aion 10-day free trial program tomorrow, May 26! You'll be able to play up to level 20 without spending a dime, which will give you the opportunity to see what's changed with the game since it launched almost two years ago.

Staff Writer Paul "LockeColeMA" Cleveland recently got the chance to explore Aion 2.5 at an NCsoft event. Read the article for his impressions, and be sure to check out the list of Empyrean Calling features and watch the Aion 2.5 highlight video after the jump.

Last week, Staff Writer Paul "LockeColeMA" Cleveland had the chance to attend NCSoft's Aion 2.5 event in San Francisco. The team briefly discussed the history of Aion up to this point before diving into a hands-on experience with the new content that's coming in the Empyrean Calling update on May 25. Read on to find out more!

NCsoft's latest Eye on Community segment is absolutely massive, and it focuses mainly on Aion's 2.5 update that is launching on May 25. The post gives details on the new mentor system, which lets low-level and high-level characters group together; the Empyrean Crucible Insignia rewards, which include a variety of costumes (as seen above); and new Legion attire.

The Eye on Community post also recaps the Easter event, features interviews with the player and Legion of the month, and shows off some fan art. All Aion players should definitely check it out.

Aion update 2.5, the Empyrean Calling, will be available on the North American and European test servers today, May 12, at noon PDT in preparation for its launch on May 25. The patch will introduce two brand new skills for every class, which are highlighted in a new video from NCsoft. Check out the skills in action below!

NCsoft has announced that to celebrate Aion's Update 2.5 Empyrean Calling, Daeva-Palooza will be kicking off! This event is a series of celebrations over several weeks leading up to and going past the launch date for the new update. Here is the official schedule:

• May 11 - June 18: Increased XP Event
• May 11 - May 17: Behind Enemy Lines Rifting Event
• May 18 - May 25: Increased Drop Rates Event
• May 18 - June 1: For War and Glory AP Event
• May 25 - June 8: Gateway Getaway Event
• May 25 - May 31: Behind Enemy Lines Rifting Event
• June 1 - June 14: Atreian Artisan Expo

If some of these events look familiar, well, they are. Aion's bringing back your faves to celebrate! Check out the full explanation of each event over on the official Aion site. For more details on 2.5, watch the Empyrean Calling video.

NCsoft just announced that the Aion 2.5 update, also known as Empyrean Calling, is scheduled to go live on May 25. This update features improved graphics, pet interactions, a mentor system, two new instances and more. You can see it all in action in the new 2.5 highlight video below, which also features a sneak peek at 3.0.

If you'd like to test out update 2.5 before it goes live, it will hit the PTS on May 12. You can start downloading the PTS 2.5 client today, May 5, at noon PDT. More details on the update can be found in the patch notes.

Aion 2.5 Highlight Video

The official Aion site just received a complete makeover, both in design and functionality. The new sites features a strong focus on news and social networking, as well as refreshed forums and new screenshots and wallpapers. Also, the PowerWiki is now known as the Game Guide, and the prominent My Aion button replaces the Live Services section of the old site.

In addition to the revamped site, NCsoft launched paid character transfers in Aion today. You can transfer a character for the promotional price of $14.99 through May 24, which is when it reverts to the regular price of $24.99. More details can be found in the Character Transfer FAQ.

NCsoft just announced that Aion Update 2.5, also known as the "Empyrean Calling" update, will be hitting the public test server on May 12. Once the PTS opens, players will be able to take advantage of the "Crazy Insane Boosted XP" event to level quickly and a "Super-Duper Goody Bag" survey to purchase skills and gear more easily.

Update 2.5 features a graphics overhaul, an expanded Legion system, two new instances and more. For more details, check out our Empyrean Calling overview from PAX East.

Also, the team has decided to offer a promotional pricing plan for the paid character transfer service when it launches on April 27. Players can purchase a transfer for the discounted price of $15.99 until May 24. Once the promotion ends, the price will be bumped up to $24.99. More information can be found in the character transfer FAQ.

In celebration of Lineage II's seventh anniversary, the Aion store is currently offering armor skins inspired by Lineage II Dynasty armor. These decorative costumes change the look of your Daeva's armor but not the stats. They're only available until May 16, so pick them up soon if you'd like to add them to your collection.

The Dynasty armor skins are 30% off through April 25. During the sale, you can buy the heavy armor, light armor or robes for $6.99 each, or pick up the bundle pack for $17.49.

NCsoft just announced that paid character transfers will go live in Aion on April 27 for the price of $24.99. More details, including a FAQ, will be released closer to the launch date.

Community Coordinator Katherine "Trine" Field later clarified in the discussion thread that "this process will take into account your faction, your source and destination servers. Those servers where your move would add to unbalancing the server would not be offered as options when you are given selections."

Trine also commented that there may "possibly" be some sort of deal for transferring multiple characters for a single price "since most everyone has a main and a production/crafting alt and in reality it's really only one person playing them all." Of course, this is not confirmed and we'll need to wait for the FAQ for more details.