AION 2 Elyos or Asmodian: Which Faction Should You Choose?

AION 2 has finally launched worldwide, and the very first big decision happens before you even see your character: AION 2 Elyos or Asmodian? Unlike in many other MMORPGs, this isn’t just a cosmetic checkbox. Your faction decides which servers you can join, who you’ll level alongside, and who you’ll be fighting in the Abyss for as long as you play that character. This guide explains what actually differs between the two factions, how the faction and server system works in the global version, and how to pick the side that’s right for you.

AION 2 Elyos or Asmodian: The Quick Answer

There is no “stronger” faction. Both sides have the same classes and no faction stat bonuses, so your power comes from your gear and character progress, not from your wings. That leaves three things that really matter:

• Your friends and guild: each server holds only one faction, so if you want to level together in the open world, you all need to pick the same side.
• The look and feel: bright and celestial (Elyos) or dark and shadowed (Asmodians).
• Your server: since you can’t simply switch sides later, the server you land on and its matchmaking partner will shape your PvP experience.

If none of that pulls you in one direction, just pick the faction whose style you like more. You’ll be looking at it for hundreds of hours.

What Is the Difference Between Elyos and Asmodians?

Both factions are Daevas, winged, ascended beings fighting over the world of Atreia, and they share a history that NC’s official lore ties to the collapse of the AION Tower. The differences are about identity, not mechanics:

• Elyos: NC describes them as the “Guardians of Light, Wings of Grace”. Expect a bright, angelic aesthetic with white or golden feathered wings and sunlit landscapes. Their home region includes Verteron.
• Asmodians: officially “Forged in Shadows, Wings of Dominion”. They have a darker, harsher look, shadowed wings and a colder, grimmer homeland. Their home region includes Altgard.
• Story: each faction gets its own campaign and starting regions, telling the same conflict from its own perspective.

Gameplay wise, both sides are mirrors of each other. All eight classes available at the global launch, Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Spiritmaster, Cleric and Chanter, can be played on either side, and there are no faction exclusive bonuses. Faction specific gear and wings are visual variants rather than stronger items. A ninth class, the Brawler, is currently only available in the Korean and Taiwanese versions of the game.

Whether you pick Elyos or Asmodian in AION 2, flight and the full class roster are identical on both sides.

How Factions and Servers Work in AION 2

This is the part many players miss, and it’s the main reason the faction choice matters so much. According to NC’s official server notice, every server in AION 2 houses only one faction. When you start the game, you first choose your region, then your faction, and finally a server within that region. The global version offers the regions Europe, NA East, NA West, Latin America and Asia.

To keep the war going, every Elyos server is paired with an Asmodian server. Whenever you enter the Abyss or another cross-faction mode such as Spacetime Rifts, the enemies you meet come from your matched server. NC’s own example: if the Asmodian server Israphel is paired with the Elyos server Siel, Israphel’s Asmodians will run into Siel’s Elyos in the Abyss. These pairings aren’t permanent, though. NC says it will update them periodically to keep the factions balanced.

What this means for you in practice:

• In the open world, you will only ever see players of your own faction, because your server contains nobody else.
• In PvP, your opponents are the players on your paired server of the opposite faction.
• In instanced content, things open up. NC states that all instanced content, including dungeons, is available cross-server, and player reports indicate that PvE dungeon matchmaking can also put Elyos and Asmodians into the same group.

Can You Change Your Faction in AION 2?

Not right now. NC has not announced a faction change service for the global version, so treat your choice as permanent for that character. What is coming are server transfers: according to NC, they become available starting October 14, will initially be free, and only let you move between servers within the same faction. One restriction to keep in mind: characters on the Advanced Access (Early Access) servers can only transfer to other Advanced Access servers, not to the regular launch servers. Some of NC’s translated notices mention October 13 instead, so keep an eye on the official announcements for the exact date.

If you change your mind later, your only real option is to create a new character on a server of the other faction and start over.

Dungeons in AION 2 run cross-server, so your faction choice matters most in the open world and the Abyss.

How to Choose Your AION 2 Faction: 5 Tips

1. Coordinate with your friends first. Agree on a region, a faction and a server before anyone creates a character. Picking different factions means you can’t quest together in the open world.
2. Join your guild’s side. If you plan to play with a guild or community, ask which faction and server they are on. That decision outweighs every other factor.
3. Pick the style you love. Since the classes and stats are identical, the aesthetic is a perfectly valid reason. If you love bright, heroic fantasy, go Elyos. If you prefer a darker, edgier vibe, go Asmodian.
4. Use a recommended server to avoid queues. With NC reporting 400,000 active players on launch day, some servers have queues. NC itself has asked new players to consider creating their characters on recommended servers, and free same-faction transfers are planned for later.
5. Don’t overthink balance. There is no public faction population data for the global version yet, and NC has said it will rotate server pairings to keep the factions balanced. Picking the side that seems “less crowded” today is no guarantee for the future.

Our Verdict: Which AION 2 Faction Should You Pick?

The real answer to the AION 2 Elyos or Asmodian question is that both are equally strong, so the right faction is the one your friends are on, or the one whose look you’ll enjoy for hundreds of hours. Since there is currently no way to switch sides, take a minute to coordinate before you hit “Create”. Then pick your class, spread your wings and get ready for the Abyss. If you enjoy NC’s MMORPGs, check out our Throne and Liberty review as well. This guide reflects the global launch version of AION 2 as of October 2026, and server pairings and transfer rules may change with future updates.

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Picture Source: NC