AION 2 retains the IP's defining faction split. The shattered world of Atreia is divided between the Elyos, who inhabit the upper hemisphere of Elysea, and the Asmodian, who inhabit the lower hemisphere of Asmodae. The two factions are at perpetual war, fighting across the void of Reshanta (the Abyss) that opened between them when the world fractured.
In AION 2, the Balaur are a third hostile faction of dragonkin antagonists who pressure both Daeva factions across the contested map. The narrative frames the Balaur as newly empowered, with their renewed advance reshaping the territorial map of Atreia and forcing Elyos and Asmodian players into shared PvE objectives even while their factions remain at war.
Faction Comparison
Aspect | Elyos | Asmodian |
|---|---|---|
Hemisphere | Elysea (upper) | Asmodae (lower) |
Aesthetic | Light, bright tones, classical motifs | Darker palettes, harsher silhouettes, gothic motifs |
Society | Order-leaning, devotional, structured | Survival-leaning, harder culture shaped by a colder world |
Daeva Form | Wings appear as feathered or radiant | Wings appear as bat-like, leathery, or shadowed |
Choosing a Faction
Faction choice is made at character creation and is permanent on a given character. Both factions draw from the same class roster and have parity in core systems; the practical differences are aesthetic, story flavor, starting regions, and which side of the open-world PvP map you spawn into.
How many classes that roster holds depends on which build you are playing. The Korean and Taiwanese live build runs nine playable classes after the Brawler arrived on July 1, 2026, while official global marketing presents eight classes for the global launch. NCsoft has not said when the ninth class reaches the global build. In either build the roster is identical on both sides: nothing is Elyos-only or Asmodian-only.
If you plan to play with friends, agree on a faction first. Cross-faction grouping in shared open-world content is restricted: the Abyss in particular pits Elyos and Asmodian against each other in PvP. Instanced PvP queues and arenas treat factions as opposing teams, so split-faction premades are not playable for those modes.
At the global launch each faction gets its own servers inside a region, so the faction you pick also decides which server list you see when you log in. A PvP flag toggle is available from the start everywhere except the Abyss, where Elyos and Asmodian are hostile to one another by default.
The Daeva and Ascension
Members of both factions become Daeva, ascended beings able to fly under their own power. Ascension is the in-world justification for player flight and is core to identity, progression, and the Daevanion talent board. The Daeva ascension also unlocks access to the aerial combat systems that define AION 2's encounter design.
The Balaur
Balaur are dragonkin who serve as the primary PvE enemy faction in much of the open world. AION 2's framing is that the Balaur advance is more dangerous than the Daeva factions have faced in living memory, prompting both Elyos and Asmodian players to push deeper into contested territory regardless of faction loyalties. Several open-world events and dungeons feature Balaur antagonists at the top of the encounter list.
Related Pages
Classes
World and Regions
PvP and the Abyss
Daeva System and Daevanion Board
Aerial Combat and Flight