AION 2 vs AION 1 - What Changed?
Played the original AION and wondering what's different this time? AION 2 is a true sequel, not a remake - same world, same factions, but a new era, a new engine, and a fresh start on gear and story. Here's what's changed for returning players.
📜 Story: 200 years later
AION 2 is set roughly two centuries after the original, after the collapse of the Tower of Eternity. Crucially, it's a continuation, not a reset - the events of AION 1 happened, and their consequences shape the sequel. The biggest shift: the Daevas are losing their power, the once-dominant winged immortals now in decline. The Elyos–Asmodian war still burns and the Balaur still threaten everyone.
🖥️ Engine & platform
The original AION ran on CryENGINE; AION 2 is built on Unreal Engine 5, bringing a major visual and technical leap. It's also designed as a cross-platform MMORPG - releasing on PC and mobile - a big departure from the PC-only original.
⚔️ Factions: familiar, with a redesign
The two playable factions are exactly what veterans expect: Elyos and Asmodians, with the Balaur returning as the NPC antagonist faction. But there's a notable art-direction change - to move away from a simple "good vs evil" read, the Asmodians got a sleeker, more attractive redesign rather than the overtly demonic look of old. Both sides are meant to feel appealing to play.
🎨 Customization & wings
AION 2 leans hard into character creation - reportedly 200+ adjustable features, with iconic body types from the original (including the fan-favorite Chibi and Big Head options) returning alongside new ones. As always, your wings are fully customizable - your ascension, personalized.
🗺️ World & combat feel
AION 2 aims for a large, more seamless open world with modern action-oriented combat, versus the more tab-target, zone-gated feel of the 2009 original. Flight, the Abyss, and faction warfare remain central - but the moment-to-moment gameplay is built for today's MMO expectations.
✅ Quick recap for returning players
- Same world (Atreia), same war - Elyos vs Asmodian vs Balaur.
- New era - ~200 years later; Daevas are fading.
- New engine - Unreal Engine 5, PC + mobile cross-play.
- Redesigned Asmodians - sleeker, less overtly demonic.
- Deeper customization - 200+ features, returning body types, custom wings.
- Fresh start - new progression, new gear; your old AION 1 characters don't carry over.
📚 Keep going
- The Story of AION, explained
- The Daevas & Ascension
- New to AION 2 mechanics? Start with the Player's Guide and the Classes overview.