Story

In ArcheAge Chronicles you arrive in Auroria as an explorer of an established trading company, about 50 years after the original ArcheAge, and investigate a catastrophic airship crash and the intrigue around it, against a conflict between Auroria's settlers and the nations that want to keep it a colony. No story character has been officially named in English, as of Oct 20, 2026.

2:06 The story of ArcheAge Chronicles begins with a conflict over Auroria, about 50 years after the original ArcheAge: settlers on the frontier who want self-rule or independence stand against an alliance of nations from the new continent that wants to keep Auroria a colony. XL Games set this out in its developer diary video of Oct 10, 2024 (Korean speech with English subtitles), calling the many conflicts between the two sides the theme of the story. You enter it as a newcomer: XL Games' Steam page says you take your first steps into Auroria "as a member of an established trading company", explore ancient ruins, "investigate a catastrophic airship crash", and become "embroiled in the web of intrigue surrounding the mysterious and tragic event".

Warm candlelight in a timber workshop. Behind a table of books, scrolls and a lantern, a gray-haired, bearded man in a dark waistcoat holds out his hands as he talks. Facing him with their backs to the viewer are a woman with a blond ponytail in a leather vest and a man in a dark coat with an ornate shoulder plate and a huge sword on his back. Drawings of airships hang on the walls, a pair of fabric glider wings and mechanical parts sit at left, and glass flasks stand at right. No game interface is shown. — A gray-haired man in a waistcoat speaks across a table to a blond woman and an armored man with a large sword on his back, in a candlelit workshop hung with airship drawings and glider wings in an official Steam store image of ArcheAge Chronicles. XL Games

Quick facts

Setting	Auroria, the continent of the ArcheAge setting
When	About 50 years after the original ArcheAge, "the Age of Pioneers"
You play	An experienced explorer, a member of an established trading company
Central event	A catastrophic airship crash and the intrigue around it
Conflict	Frontier settlers against the new continent's nations that want Auroria as a colony (2024 diary)
Relation to ArcheAge	Same world, new stories; not a direct sequel, XL Games says
Named story characters	None official in English (as of Oct 20, 2026)
In the demo	Diamond Shores' opening story, about two to three hours of quests

The premise

The Steam description is XL Games' fullest account of the plot. It is "the Age of Pioneers": Auroria, "a legend long forgotten, has been rediscovered", and "many hopeful pioneers are headed to this distant land to make a name for themselves." Your character is "an experienced explorer" who arrives with a trading company, explores ancient ruins, and is drawn into the mystery of an airship crash. "Along the way you will meet many characters shrouded in mystery, each with their own secrets and goals. Who will help you and who will stand against you as you experience the unfolding story of Auroria in ArcheAge Chronicles?"

The game's own trades fit that start. You belong to a trading company, and trade runs with wagons return from the original game in Early Access (see Trade Runs). XL Games' store image of a workshop hung with airship drawings and glider wings shows the same world of explorers and flying machines.

When it is set

ArcheAge Chronicles is set "roughly 50 years after the events of the original", "during the discovery of Auroria", according to XL Games' written developer diary of Oct 10, 2024. The original's story, Executive Producer Yongjin Ham wrote there, "centered on the player's efforts to prevent a large-scale catastrophe"; Chronicles turns to "untold tales, placing the hopes and struggles of Auroria's settlers at the forefront". The name "Chronicles" was chosen "to tell untapped stories from different perspectives in the same era". Ham's letter of Jul 31, 2025 adds: "Auroria, once wild and dangerous, is starting to come alive again. People are returning. Settlements are rising from ruins. And you? You're part of that first wave of brave souls heading back in."

0:54 The idea is older than the name. Jake Song, XL Games' founder, said in Kakao Games' interview of Nov 18, 2022, when the game was still called ArcheAge 2 (Korean speech), that it shares the world of ArcheAge but does not continue the same story: where the original told a large epic, the new game focuses on personal adventures and personal stories. He described Auroria as an ancient civilization's land, abandoned for thousands of years, whose secrets the settlers uncover. Jake Song left XL Games in early 2025 and does not lead Chronicles.

What the trailers say

0:01 The State of Play trailer of Sep 24, 2024 is the only English story dialogue XL Games has released. It opens with a question, "So, how did it feel to learn the truth about the night sky tragedy?", and a voice that does not trust humans tells the hero: "Long ago, you humans slaughtered each other until the whole world lay in ruins. And yet, you have been granted another chance in Auroria. It must be the will of your beloved mother goddess." It ends: "Prove yourself ... Perhaps you might become one of us." XL Games has not explained the "night sky tragedy" or who is speaking, as of Oct 20, 2026.

0:03 The official demo trailer of Oct 19, 2026 shows part of the early story. XL Games' Steam post says it gives "a glimpse of the opening story, set in Auroria 50 years after the events of the original ArcheAge", with "hints of a betrayal that awaits". On screen, a house burns at night, an older man is struck down, a dark-haired man with a knife leans over the fallen (subtitles: "Save the righteous stare." and "Begging would've been wiser."), a blond man with a scarred face smiles, and someone falls into deep water. ZDNet Korea reported on Oct 20, 2026 that the trailer shows story that is not in the playable Demo.

Heroes of the old lore

The four classes tie the player to heroes of the original setting, according to XL Games' class reveals as reported by MMORPG.com and GameVu between Jul and Sep 2026: the Warrior to Kyrios, "the God of Destruction"; the Ranger to Tahyang Kahlzit, a Firran hero; the Berserker to Shyagon, founder of the divine kingdom of Gon; and the Mage to Aranzeb, "the last king of the elves". These are the lore behind each class's style, not characters you are known to meet. Each class is on Classes.

The story in the demo

The free Steam Next Fest demo (Oct 19 to 26, 2026) plays the opening story around Diamond Shores, about two to three hours of quests, XL Games says. Since the Network Test, voice-over and facial animation are "fully implemented" (Ham, Oct 18, 2026). MeinMMO praised the staged dialogue on Oct 20, 2026. Progress does not carry over to Early Access.

What is not known

XL Games has not named any story character in English, as of Oct 20, 2026, and has not said who the main character is beyond "an experienced explorer" you create or choose (see Character Creation and Gender Lock). Names for characters and factions that circulate from walkthroughs and guide sites are not official and are left out here. Kyunghyang Games wrote on Oct 20, 2026 that the hero gathers fragments to recover lost memories; XL Games has not said so. The 2024 diary's "Crimson Rift" has not been mentioned since. How the story continues past Diamond Shores into Gylden Ruins and Astron Plains, the other two Early Access regions, has not been shown. Early Access is planned for later in 2026 on Steam; see Release Date and Early Access.

Frequently asked questions

What is the story of ArcheAge Chronicles? In ArcheAge Chronicles you arrive in Auroria as an explorer of an established trading company and investigate a catastrophic airship crash and the intrigue around it, while Auroria's frontier settlers and the nations that want to keep it a colony are in conflict.

Is ArcheAge Chronicles a sequel to ArcheAge's story? Not directly. ArcheAge Chronicles is set in the same world about 50 years after the original ArcheAge, but XL Games says it is neither a direct sequel nor a reboot, and it tells new stories of Auroria's settlers.

When is ArcheAge Chronicles set? ArcheAge Chronicles is set roughly 50 years after the events of the original ArcheAge, during the rediscovery and settlement of Auroria that the game calls "the Age of Pioneers".

Do I need to know ArcheAge to play ArcheAge Chronicles? No. XL Games designed ArcheAge Chronicles for newcomers and veterans alike, and the story starts with you arriving in Auroria as a newcomer yourself.

Who is the main character in ArcheAge Chronicles? You are: ArcheAge Chronicles' hero is the character you create or pick, "an experienced explorer" with a trading company. XL Games has not named any story character in English, as of Oct 20, 2026.

Is there a story in the ArcheAge Chronicles demo? Yes. The ArcheAge Chronicles demo (Oct 19 to 26, 2026) plays the opening story around Diamond Shores, about two to three hours of quests, with full voice-over and facial animation.