Content:
Key Takeaways
AION 2 throws a lot of systems at you in the first hours, so here is the short version before we go through everything step by step. Keep these five points in mind and the rest of the guide will make much more sense.
- Pick a class by feel: there are eight classes covering tank, healer, support, melee, ranged and magic damage, so choose the role and playstyle you will enjoy for hundreds of hours.
- Follow the Main Story: it gives most of your XP, and the Global launch build is expected to cap characters at Level 45 (Korea and Taiwan sit at Level 50 after Chapter 1).
- Progression continues after the cap: Daevanion, Stigmas, Feathers, Monoliths, pets, gear enhancement and Arcana take over once you hit max level.
- Flying is everywhere: you can fly freely in every region, not just in special zones, and it is how you explore, reach collectibles and move around a very vertical world.
- Monsters become pets and mounts: defeating creatures counts toward unlocking them, and pets give real character power, not just looks.
What Is AION 2?
AION 2 is the sequel to the original AION and takes place 200 years after the first game. You return to Atreia as either an Elyos or an Asmodian. The two factions start in separate regions and only meet later through large-scale RvR content, which is the faction-versus-faction side of the game.
The series is best known for one thing: almost unlimited flight and a pair of big, impressive wings. The first game also looked great for its time, since it ran on CryEngine, the same engine that was built for the Crysis games. That identity is the reason many veterans are coming back.
The flying and most of the other defining features of the original return in AION 2, and the sequel looks better than most games in the same genre. The world is colorful and beautiful, but it can feel a bit empty. It does not have the lived-in atmosphere of Black Desert, where NPCs wander around and some are caught in unique animations that make a town feel alive. Atreia feels cleaner and more sterile by comparison. That is a matter of taste, so judge it for yourself, and keep in mind this is a beginner’s guide and not a review.
What you actually need to know as a new player is how the game is built. You pick a class, level up through the story, gear up through several layered systems, and then spend the endgame working on character power through a long list of side systems. The sections below take those parts in the same order you will meet them. If you want to jump into the world with a head start, the AION 2 store has services that cover the early grind, but you do not need anything extra to follow this guide.
The AION 2 leveling guide walks you through the route to level 45.
Note: AION 2 reached its Global launch on Steam very recently. Many of the exact numbers in this guide come from the Korean and Taiwanese versions, which are further along in updates, so values on Global servers may shift with patches.
AION 2 Classes and Roles
AION 2 launches globally with eight playable classes. A ninth class already exists on the Korean and Taiwanese versions, so expect it to arrive on Global later. If you played the first game, most of these names will look familiar.
| Class | Role | Playstyle |
|---|---|---|
| Gladiator | Tank / Melee DPS | Swings a huge two-handed sword, in the spirit of Cloud from FF7. |
| Templar | Main Tank | Sword and shield, holds aggro, protects allies and can pull enemies together. |
| Assassin | Melee DPS | Burst in short windows, built on stealth, positioning and timing. |
| Ranger | Ranged DPS | Mobile, easy to understand and solid in almost every type of content. |
| Sorcerer | Ranged Magic DPS | Glass cannon that chains fire and frost for sustained and burst damage. |
| Elementalist | Ranged Magic DPS | Summoner that mixes its own attacks with elemental spirits. |
| Cleric | Main Healer | Direct heals, healing over time, cleanses, defensive tools and resurrection. |
| Chanter | Support / Healer | Mantras, shields, healing and party buffs with decent personal damage. |
Not sure which class to pick? Our Aion 2 class tier list ranks them for PvE and PvP.
Tanks and melee
The Templar is the traditional main tank. It has high HP, holds the attention of enemies, protects teammates and can gather a pack of monsters into one spot, which is exactly why the class is so valued in group content. The Gladiator sits between a tank and a melee damage dealer and is a big-sword fighter. It has been a fan favorite since the first game, and plenty of players pick it purely because of that giant sword, which shows how much of this choice comes down to taste.
The Assassin is the pure burst melee option. Its damage comes in short windows, so you rely on mobility, stealth, good positioning and clean timing to deal your damage before the buffs run out. It rewards players who like planning each engagement.
Ranged and magic
The Ranger is the simple, dependable ranged damage dealer. It has excellent mobility, works in nearly all content and is relatively easy to learn, which makes it a safe first character. The Sorcerer is the classic glass cannon. It strings fire and frost abilities together for strong sustained and burst damage, but the price is low survivability. The Elementalist is a summoner that combines its own attacks with elemental spirits, and different spirits provide damage, healing, taunts and other effects. That makes it strong at steady damage and at controlling the battlefield.
Healing and support
The Cleric is the dedicated healer, with direct heals, healing over time, cleanses, defensive abilities and resurrection. When the group does not need healing, the Cleric can also add some damage. The Chanter is a support class built around powerful Mantras, healing, shielding and party buffs. It offers less raw healing than a Cleric, but it brings more utility and respectable personal damage.
How to choose
Picking a class is a tough decision, and serious players often choose based on the current meta. Even so, the honest advice here is to choose on feeling first. If a class does not connect with you visually or in its playstyle, it will be hard to enjoy it through hundreds or thousands of hours. Ask yourself which role you want in a group (tank, healer, support or damage), and then which of the available classes in that role looks and plays the way you like.
Tip: If you are new to the genre and want a forgiving start, look at the Ranger first. It is described as easy to understand and fits almost all content, so you can learn the game’s systems without fighting your own class.
AION 2 Leveling Basics
Leveling in AION 2 is built mainly around the Main Story, and more activities open up as your character grows. Main Story quests are marked in yellow and give most of the experience you need to reach the level cap. For the Global launch version, the maximum level is 45.
Main Story first, side content beside it
Along the way you will meet Regional Quests, Sealed Dungeons, Strongholds and other exploration content across the map. These give far less XP than the Main Story, but they reward gear, materials, Daevanion progression and other permanent upgrades. A lot of this content also scales with your level, so it stays useful the whole way to the cap.
Some players who have leveled several characters on Korean servers say the side quests can even matter more than the story itself. The practical takeaway is simple: do not skip them. They are not filler, they are part of how your character gets stronger.
When the story slows down
Every now and then the Main Story reaches a point where progress gets harder or slows down. That is where Regional Quests and other activities fit naturally into the leveling loop. Sealed Dungeons and Strongholds show up around the world as question-mark locations, and Feathers can be found during normal exploration. All of these feed your overall power instead of only filling the XP bar, so a short detour is rarely a waste of time.
If you simply want to skip ahead, the AION 2 powerleveling category exists for that, but if you enjoy the first hours of an MMORPG, the story and side content are well worth playing yourself.
What happens at Level 45
Reaching Level 45 marks the start of AION 2’s endgame, but the character level is only one part of the picture. Gear Score and Combat Power continue to decide which harder activities you can enter. Systems such as Daevanion, Stigmas, equipment and exploration become much more important after the leveling phase. In short, the cap is the beginning of the real progression, not the end of it.
For the exact thresholds, see the AION 2 Gear Score guide.
Korea and Taiwan currently run a Level 50 cap after Chapter 1, and the FAQ later in this guide mentions that the Global cap is expected to be extended as well. Do not plan around a specific date for that, since it depends on the live schedule.
Each of the progression systems and activities mentioned here is explained in the sections that follow, so you do not need to memorize anything yet.
AION 2 Gearing Basics
Picking up a new piece of equipment is only the first step of gearing in AION 2. Weapons, armor, accessories and other gear can be improved through several systems that raise stats or add new effects. Think of an item as something you collect, upgrade, tune and then carry forward, not just a number that gets replaced.
Enhancement
The most basic system is Enhancement. Equipment starts at a base level and is upgraded with Enhancement Stones and Kinah. On the current Korean and Taiwanese version, enhancements from +0 to +10 have a 100% success rate. After that, the odds fall, as shown below. The exact Enhancement Stone and Kinah costs depend on the slot and the rarity of the item.
| Step | Success chance |
|---|---|
| +0 to +10 | 100% |
| +10 to +11 | 66% |
| +11 to +12 | 50% |
| +12 to +13 | 35% |
| +14 to +15 | 20% |
The figures available to us skip the +13 to +14 step, so check that one in the game itself, and remember that the numbers may change on Global.
Warning: Veteran players say that spending resources on upgrading gear while you level is a bad idea. Keep your Enhancement Stones and Kinah until Level 45, when you understand what gear you actually need and what to do with it.
Extra customization
Once the basics are covered, gear can be customized through additional systems:
- Manastones: add extra stats to equipment.
- Godstones: are socketed into weapons and guards to provide additional combat effects.
- Soul Binding: lets you reroll an item’s additional stats and lock in the ones you want.
- Other systems: add further progression depending on the item type and the content it comes from.
Inheritance and extraction
Replacing a piece of gear does not always mean starting over. AION 2 has a gear transfer system called Inheritance, which lets much of the progression from an older item move to a new one. It works in a similar spirit to the system in Throne and Liberty. Even so, you will walk past a huge amount of gear while leveling, so it is still a bad idea to invest heavily in items you will replace within a few levels, transfer or not.
Enhanced equipment can also be extracted to recover the Enhancement Stones you spent on it. Be careful with what you get back, though: Kinah, Manastones and Theo Stones are not refunded.
The big picture
This means gearing is less about finding an item with a bigger number and more about a chain of steps: get the equipment, upgrade it, improve its stats, and eventually carry that progress into better gear. Since Kinah is spent in almost every step, it pays to plan ahead. If you ever feel short on currency, the AION 2 Kinah category is there as an option, but saving during the leveling phase is the better habit to build first.
A deeper breakdown of enhancement, stat rolls, sockets, transfer and gear progression deserves its own dedicated guide, so treat this section as the foundation only.
Core AION 2 Progression Systems
Level and gear are only part of how a character grows in AION 2. Skills, Stigmas, Daevanion, Monoliths and pets all add power through separate systems. Some of them show up while you level, and others matter much more around the endgame. Each one is covered below.
Skills and Stigmas
Every class has a set of active and passive skills that form its basic combat kit. On the Korean and Taiwanese version, most classes have around 11 basic active skills, and conditional skills share the same action keys. For example, a Sorcerer can use Firestorm as one of its main damage skills, while Blaze can restore HP based on the damage dealt.
Regular skill points raise these abilities up to Level 10. Further levels can come from systems such as Daevanion and from gear. Skills also gain additional effects at certain levels, and in the KR/TW version used as a reference here those thresholds are Levels 8, 12 and 16.
Stigmas are a separate pool of abilities that let you customize a class further. NC’s official updates give these examples:
- Gladiator: Fracturing Rush.
- Templar: Battlefield Banner.
- Assassin: Shadowstep.
- Ranger: Supporting Fire.
- Sorcerer: Hibernation.
- Elementalist: Command: Proxy.
- Cleric: Reincarnating Touch.
- Chanter: Barrier Spell.
The system has already grown a lot in Korea and Taiwan. The March 2026 update raised the number of equipped Stigmas to five, and Chapter 1 later raised it to six and lifted the maximum Stigma skill level to 25. Global launch limits may differ from the current KR/TW version, so treat these as a preview of where the system is headed.
Daevanion
Daevanion Boards give permanent character progression through connected stat and skill nodes. The basic boards are Nezekan, Zikel, Vaizel and Triniel, followed by later boards such as Ariel, Azphel, Marchutan and Yustiel. There are four basic node types:
| Node | Cost | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1 point | Character stats |
| Green | 2 points | Higher passive skill levels |
| Blue | 3 points | Higher active skill levels |
| Orange | 4 points | Unique board bonuses |
So Daevanion is not just another passive stat tree. A blue node can add a level directly to an ability your class already uses, while other nodes can provide Attack, Critical, HP, Defense, Combat Speed or Cooldown Reduction.
As a concrete KR/TW example, the Gladiator’s Nezekan board includes nodes such as +2.5% Combat Speed, +2.5% Cooldown Reduction and +50 Attack, alongside skill upgrades for abilities like Overhead Slam and Rush Strike. Client-derived data currently places the first four board unlocks at Levels 12, 20, 30 and 40 respectively.
Daevanion progress comes from activities that you are introduced to while leveling, particularly Regional Quests, Sealed Dungeons and other regional content. That is one more reason not to rush past the side content.
The AION 2 dungeons guide covers every dungeon type and its rewards.
Feathers and Monoliths
Exploration also feeds your character directly. Feathers found around Atreia can be delivered to Monoliths, which reward stats and resources for further growth.
The KR/TW numbers show how big the system is. The original Verteron and Altgard Monoliths have 30 levels and need 560 Feathers to complete. Among the rewards are Wisdom Stones, and each Wisdom Stone gives 1 Skill Point. Later regions and the Abyss have additional Monoliths with their own progression tracks and rewards.
This is why Feathers should not be treated like ordinary map-completion collectibles. Pick them up as you fly through a zone, because every one of them counts toward permanent rewards. If you prefer to shortcut collection-style progression, the AION 2 collections category is worth a look.
Pets and Mounts
AION 2 links its pet and mount systems. Many creatures you meet in the world can eventually be collected as pets, and those pets can also serve as mounts. It is another source of character progression rather than a purely cosmetic feature. Current KR/TW client data contains around 300 pets and mounts, with creatures divided into several genera.
The main long-term system is Genus Insight. In the current KR/TW client it progresses to Level 10 and unlocks nine effect slots, which can provide additional combat stats. Higher Genus levels also improve the quality of the effects that can roll. At Level 10 the client data lists these roll chances:
| Quality | Roll chance |
|---|---|
| Common | 20% |
| Rare | 30% |
| Epic | 30% |
| Unique | 15% |
| Heroic | 5% |
NC has also made Genus Insight server-wide. Its progression is shared instead of being rebuilt separately on every character, which is good news if you plan to play more than one.
Arcana
Arcana is a later-game progression system tied mainly to Transcendence dungeons. You collect Arcana cards and crafting materials from that content, then equip or transmute the cards to raise skill levels, gain stats and activate extra set effects.
The Korean and Taiwanese version has already expanded Arcana several times. For example, the Scales Arcana part came with the Frenzy and Pure Blood sets. Frenzy gives +5% Boss Damage Amplification, while Pure Blood gives +5% Critical Damage Boost. Later sets such as Punishing Overture, Protected Soul and Indomitable Dedication added effects including +5% Boss Damage Tolerance, +5% Restoration and +5% Weapon Damage Tolerance. You will not touch this system early, but it explains why Transcendence content is worth aiming for at the cap.
Wings
Wings are not only for flying or changing your look. They are part of character progression and can provide additional stats. In May 2026, NC added a dedicated Wings Enhance System to the Korean and Taiwanese version, which lets players enhance Wings separately from normal weapons and armor for extra stats.
The same update raised the caps for the six main character stats to 250 and increased the maximum values of Attack Boost and Defense Boost to 130%. That shows how Wings fit into the wider endgame stat progression.
Substance Morphing
Substance Morphing works next to regular crafting, but the two have different purposes. Instead of leveling a profession and crafting from recipes, you use Substance Morphing to convert specific materials and items into other progression resources. Depending on the recipe, it can create or convert things like:
- Gear: Wings and equipment.
- Stigma Shards: used for Stigma progression.
- Enhancement materials: inputs for the gearing systems.
- Dungeon materials: dungeon-related progression items.
- Other resources: anything else used by character-growth systems.
It also connects to later gearing systems. For example, the materials for Potential Enhancement can be obtained by morphing equipment from the same dungeon difficulty, with separate materials for weapons, armor and accessories. This makes Substance Morphing less of a traditional profession and more of a resource-conversion hub that ties together dungeon drops, gear and several other progression systems.
You do not have to understand every system on day one. Follow the story, pick up Feathers and Regional Quests as you go, and learn each system when the game actually puts it in front of you.
AION 2 PvE, PvP & Other Activities
Once the Main Story opens up the rest of the game, AION 2 branches out into solo dungeons, 5-player group content, 10-player raid-style PvE, open-world activities, PvP and life skills. NC says the game contains more than 200 dungeons across its different formats, so you will not run out of things to do.
PvE activities
| Activity | Type | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed Dungeons | Solo | Small dungeons in faction territories that give gear, materials and Daevanion progress. |
| Strongholds | Solo | Short combat challenges found next to Sealed Dungeons. |
| Nightmare | Solo | Boss-focused challenges with several difficulty levels. |
| Ascension Trial | Solo | Separate solo challenge with rising difficulty and progression rewards. |
| Daily Dungeon | Solo / Repeatable | Quick daily runs for Kinah and materials. |
| Expedition | 5-player | Main party dungeon format with gear, Kinah and crafting materials. |
| Transcendence | 5-player | Later group content linked to Arcana cards and their materials. |
| Sanctuary | 10-player | Raid-style high-end PvE near the top of the ladder. |
| Shugo Festival | Casual / Mini-games | Races, survival games and other light activities with their own rewards. |
Sealed Dungeons and Strongholds both become part of long-term regional progression. NC originally presented the content as three groups (solo, party and casual), and the current Korean and Taiwanese version uses five players for Expedition and Transcendence and ten players for Sanctuary.
The open world adds field bosses, regional activities, collectibles and events, so progress does not happen only inside instances. Many of these feed the systems covered earlier, such as Daevanion, pets, Monoliths and gear. If you would rather skip a tough party run, the AION 2 dungeon runs category covers group content.
PvP and Rifting
The main PvP activities in AION 2 are the Abyss, Arena, Battlefield and Spacetime Rift. The Abyss is the main open-world faction PvP area, where Elyos and Asmodians compete over bosses, Artifacts, territory objectives and Abyss Points, which fuel PvP progression. Artifact Siege is part of the same broader conflict.
Arena and Battlefield provide instanced PvP. Spacetime Rifts connect the normally separate Elyos and Asmodian territories. Rifting is useful even if you do not care about PvP, because the opposite faction’s map has additional Sealed Dungeons, Strongholds and quests that you need for progression.
Unlike the original AION, entering enemy territory does not automatically mean fighting other players. The current system uses War Mode, which lets you choose whether PvP is enabled while you rift. On the KR/TW version, rifts appear on a three-hour cycle, and a visit to the enemy faction’s territory lasts about one hour. That is a short window, so know what you want to do before you step through.
Life Skills and Crafting
Life skills in AION 2 are currently split into Essence Extraction and Crafting. Essence Extraction is the gathering system. You collect ores, gems, plants, logs and Odyle as you explore, and gathering can be leveled and improved. Those materials then go into crafting and Substance Morphing.
Crafting has five professions:
- Blacksmithing: makes several weapon types and guards.
- Armorsmithing: produces armor pieces.
- Handicrafting: covers weapons such as bows and staves, plus accessories.
- Alchemy: makes potions, scrolls, Manastones, materials and certain magic weapons.
- Cooking: produces food and related consumables.
Crafting matters because it ties directly into equipment progression instead of being pure side content. The current live version includes high-end PvE equipment that you obtain through crafting, and consumables and materials can also be sold to other players.
Marketplace and Economy
The Marketplace and player Trade system connect all of this to the AION 2 economy. You can sell tradable gear, crafting materials, consumables and other items for Kinah. NC specifically designed player trading around in-game currency instead of a premium currency.
The result is a loop where most activities feed one another. Dungeons give gear and materials, gathering supplies crafting, crafting produces equipment and consumables, PvP has its own progression loop, and the Marketplace lets you turn valuable drops or crafted items into Kinah.
AION 2 Tips for Beginners
AION 2 is a complex game from the very start. It has many systems, and some of them may be unfamiliar if you are used to Western MMORPGs. These ten tips will help you prepare for the first days.
- Choose the same server as your friends. Your Marketplace and PvP pool are tied to the server, so agree on one before launch and nobody has to restart somewhere else.
- Think twice before buying a Founder’s Pack. The main value is early access, membership and cosmetics. If you already planned to get membership, the cheaper pack usually makes more sense. Otherwise there is nothing essential inside.
- Fix important settings immediately. Turn on auto-extraction only for gear you consider disposable, and lock every valuable item so it cannot be extracted by accident. Bind a key for targeting hostile players as well. For large battles, lower the mass-combat quality and enable identical player appearances.
- Avoid the Marketplace on Day 1. Early supply is tiny, so basic items can cost ridiculous amounts. Prices usually settle after a few days of farming. When you buy stacks later, always compare the price per item.
- Kill mobs while moving between objectives. Repeated kills give fragments used for pet progression, and many monsters can later become both pets and mounts. These systems give permanent progression, so early kills are never wasted.
- Do not overinvest in early gear. Leveling equipment gets replaced fast, so avoid sinking big amounts of Kinah and upgrade materials into temporary pieces. When better gear drops, progress can be moved over through Inheritance. Before using Substance Morphing on accessories, unequip the Belt and Amulet from every preset.
- Save your Kinah. It is one of the main bottlenecks in AION 2, because enhancement, crafting, stat rerolls and Marketplace purchases all consume it. Saving during leveling leaves you far more flexibility at Level 45.
- Complete Regional Quests while leveling. They are not simple filler. They give resources and permanent progression, including Daevanion-related rewards, and much of this content scales with your level.
- Level Essence Extraction early. Gathering matters for crafting and Substance Morphing, and raising it naturally while you quest saves grinding later. Rare materials can also need a higher gathering level before you can collect them.
- Skip Battle Passes at launch. Early rewards can lose value quickly, so it is better to wait until your main character is settled. Membership generally affects more important systems than an early character-specific pass.
Warning: Auto-extraction and valuable gear are a risky mix. Lock your important items first, before you turn on any auto-extraction option.
The common thread through the list is patience. Do not spend early, do not rush the Marketplace and do not ignore the quiet side systems, because they all pay off at the cap. For a head start on the basics, the AION 2 services on Onlyfarms are available whenever you need them.
Also check an AION 2 best settings guide to balance visual quality and performance. The game is beautiful, but you want it to run smoothly and without hiccups, especially in large battles.
Not sure what to do each day? Use the AION 2 daily and weekly checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AION 2 free to play?
Yes. AION 2 is free to play on PC from the Global launch on Steam. It also has a paid membership that adds bonuses, so you can play without paying, but membership is there if you want the extra perks.
Is AION 2 pay-to-win?
Not in the strict sense, but money can buy you a real advantage. The pre-order packs give an early progression head start. NC also designed player trading around in-game currency instead of a premium currency, which is a good sign for the economy. Judge how it feels once the Global servers have been running for a while.
How many classes are in AION 2?
There are 8 classes at Global launch: Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Elementalist, Cleric and Chanter. A ninth class, Brawler, will likely be added some time after launch, as it already exists on the Korean and Taiwanese versions.
What is the maximum level in AION 2?
The maximum level at Global launch is 45, and it is expected to be extended to 50 later, as it already is on the Korean and Taiwanese versions after Chapter 1. At the endgame, real character power comes from other sources such as Gear Score and Combat Power, not from the level number.
How do I get free mounts in AION 2?
You can get mounts for free by farming monsters for their souls, progressing through the Main Story and opening the Pet Boxes earned in various events. Since pets and mounts are connected, killing monsters while you travel between objectives is the easiest long-term habit.
Should I do side quests or only the Main Story?
Do both. The Main Story gives most of the XP, but Regional Quests, Sealed Dungeons and Strongholds give gear, materials and Daevanion progress. Players who have leveled several characters on Korean servers even say the side content can matter more than the story.