Pick the faction your friends are on. Neither side is stronger: all eight classes play the same for Elyos and Asmodians, and NC hasn't published any faction bonus. The choice is locked to your server, so it decides who you can play with, not how well you play.

Playing from Australia? There's no Oceania region. Asia and NA West are the likely closest, so check your ping in the launcher before you commit to a server, and with it a faction.

If you're starting alone, here's how to choose.

Aion 2 servers by faction

Every Aion 2 server holds one faction. You don't pick Elyos or Asmodian on a menu; you pick a server, and the faction comes with it. As of 2 Oct, the Early Access server names are:

  • Elyos servers: Siel, Nezekan, Vaizel, Kaisinel, Yustiel, Ariel, Fregion and Meslamtaeda.
  • Asmodian servers: Israphel, Zikel, Triniel, Lumiel, Marchutan, Azphel, Ereshkigal and Beritra.

NC added 12 more on 30 Sep, so there are now 32, 16 per faction. Our server guide has the full list by region.

What's different

  • Looks: the factions have their own wings and armour styles. Elyos lean bright and elegant, Asmodians dark and rough.
  • Story and starting area: each faction starts in its own zone and follows its own side of the story.
  • Who you fight: Elyos and Asmodians never share a server. You meet the other faction only in cross-faction PvP.

What's the same

  • Classes: Templar, Gladiator, Ranger, Assassin, Sorcerer, Spiritmaster, Chanter and Cleric are open to both.
  • Power: NC has published no racial stats or faction-only skills for the global version.

So pick on looks, story and people.

How the factions fight

Each Elyos server is paired with an Asmodian server for cross-faction PvP. NC says these pairings are for a limited time, so today's rival server may not be your rival for long.

That matters for population. If your faction is badly outnumbered in a pairing, open-world PvP gets harder for a while. NC hasn't published population figures, and early numbers will shift as the free launch brings in new players.

Can you change your mind?

Treat your faction as permanent. NC's server transfers, due from 14 Oct, only move you between servers of the same faction, and it hasn't announced faction changes.

You can still try the other side. Each server has four character slots, so you can start an alt on a server of the other faction. You'll level, gear and earn Kinah there from scratch.

Choosing in two minutes

  • Friends already playing: join their server. Nothing else outweighs this.
  • Joining a guild: your Legion can only include your own faction, so ask before you pick.
  • No strong pull either way: pick the look you'll enjoy staring at for a few hundred hours.

Kinah follows your server

Kinah lives on the server you earn it on. It doesn't cross factions or servers, and cross-server trading isn't open yet. Our Kinah guide covers how to earn it on your server.

We sell Kinah on every global server, for both factions, delivered through that server's own Auction House. You need NC's Membership to use it, and buying Kinah breaks NC's Operation Policy, so read the FAQ on our Aion 2 page before you order.

One more question

Can I play with a friend on the other faction? Not in the same party or Legion, and you can't trade Kinah or items between factions either. You'll only meet in cross-faction PvP, on opposite sides.