Aion 2 Playable Factions Explained

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If you are looking ahead to NCSoft's upcoming MMORPG Aion 2, one of the first and most critical decisions you will have to make is picking your faction. The game revives the classic, bitter rivalry that defined the original universe, dividing the player base into a binary choice between two opposing sides.

But there is a massive twist this time around: Aion 2 enforces a strict faction lock by separating the Elyos and the Asmodians onto completely different servers right out of the gate. Because you can't have characters from both factions on the same server, you will absolutely want to coordinate with your friends before picking where to roll your first character.

Here is a practical breakdown of how the factions work, what they look like, and how they stack up against each other to help you decide where you belong.

The Elyos: The Celestial Vanguard

The Elyos occupy Elysea, the sunlit lower half of the shattered planet Atreia. Because their homeland was bathed in constant light after the Great Cataclysm, they managed to retain a flawless, angelic appearance.

• Aesthetics: They feature human-like traits, fair skin, radiant expressions, and pristine white wings.
• Environment: Their zones are lush, vibrant, and filled with dense green jungles and bright, nature-themed continents.
• Mindset: Arrogant and righteous. They genuinely view themselves as the chosen people and openly look down on their counterparts across the rift.
• Combat Themes: Expect visually graceful animations, swift movements, and dazzling, light-based visual effects on your abilities.
  
  

If you like the "holy warrior," high-fantasy aesthetic and want to fight for a faction that carries itself with divine confidence, the Elyos are tailored for you.

The Asmodians: The Resilient Shadows

On the flip side, the Asmodians were cast into Asmodae, the frozen, dark upper hemisphere of the world. To survive this unforgiving, desolate environment, their bodies physically adapted over generations, resulting in a much more rugged, monstrous appearance.

• Aesthetics: They sport pale or bluish-greenish skin, sharp claws on their hands and feet, manes running down their backs, and dark, demonic-looking wings. Their eyes glow red whenever they enter combat.
• Environment: Their homeland is a mix of arid, frozen wastes and rugged volcanic landscapes blanketed in perpetual twilight.
• Mindset: Fiercely loyal and brave, defined by a gritty survivalist mentality. They harbor deep bitterness toward the Elyos, whom they feel abandoned them to starve in the dark.
• Combat Themes: Their skills feature brutal, heavy-hitting animations infused with shadow and dark magic.
  
  

If you prefer the anti-hero vibe, dark fantasy aesthetics, and a tight-knit "us against the world" community mentality, you will likely feel right at home with the Asmodians.

The Balaur: The Non-Playable Threat

You can't talk about Aion without talking about the Balaur. These are powerful, draconic entities that exist strictly as an aggressive, non-playable third faction. They act as the primary PvE antagonists for everyone.

The Balaur control the most dangerous PvE zones and rule over the Abyss. What makes them interesting from a gameplay perspective is their unpredictability. Their dynamic incursions can trigger right in the middle of standard Realm-vs-Realm (RvR) warfare. Every now and then, a massive Balaur world boss threat might even force the Elyos and Asmodians into a temporary, incredibly uneasy truce just to survive the raid before going right back to cutting each other's throats.

Direct Faction Comparison

The good news is that you won't lose out on gameplay power based on your choice. The actual gameplay loop, available classes, and mechanical stats are fundamentally balanced and identical across both sides. Your decision really comes down to visual taste and which server your friends are joining.

Here is how they compare side-by-side:

FeatureThe ElyosThe Asmodians
ThemeAngelic, divine destiny, lightDemonic, grit, survival, shadow
WingsFeathered WhiteFeathered Black / Dark
Home TurfElysea (bright, green, vibrant)Asmodae (dark, icy, rugged)
Server RulesEnforced separate serversEnforced separate servers
ClassesAll 8 launch classes availableAll 8 launch classes available

Whether you prefer the pristine, sunlit fields of Elysea or the harsh, twilight battlegrounds of Asmodae, make sure to talk to your guildmates early so you don't end up locked out on the wrong side of the server divide.