Major class overhaul and Chaotic Abyss

The update of 25 March 2026 is the dividing line for every class page on this site: after it, anything written about class power before it is out of date. NCSOFT gave each of the eight classes a new Stigma skill, expanded the maximum number of Stigma slots to five, introduced Perfect Shield Block and Perfect Parry, stopped Immune and Immortal effects from being applied consecutively within a 30-second window, and separated PvP from PvE damage calculations. It also unveiled Chaotic Abyss. It has not been announced for the Western release.

The new Stigma skills are listed by class in one sentence: "These include Fracturing Rush (Gladiator), Battlefield Banner (Templar), Barrier Spell (Chanter), Reincarnating Touch (Cleric), Command: Proxy (Elementalist), Hibernation (Sorcerer), Shadowstep (Assassin), and Supporting Fire (Ranger)." Two names in that list are worth pausing on: Elementalist is the class the game displays as Spiritmaster, and Ranger is the class the 2025 announcements called Marksman. Same classes, different official names in different documents.

The separation of PvP and PvE damage is the change with the longest reach: after this date, a build judged on open-world clearing tells you nothing about its performance against players, and the reverse holds too. Balance was adjusted "to reduce damage gaps between certain skills", with no figures published. On the PvP side, Chaotic Abyss "divides players into West and East forces at the server level, engaging in large-scale battles regardless of race alignment", while "Spacetime Rift will continue to operate under the current race-based matchmaking system".

Before anything else: this update applies to the Korean service, and NCSOFT has published nothing about its state at the Western launch of 30 September 2026. This is the single most useful date to remember when reading anything about AION 2 classes. Any tier list, build guide or class comparison published before 25 March 2026 describes a game where Stigma slots were fewer, two defensive mechanics did not exist, defensive effects could be chained, and PvP and PvE damage were one calculation. It is not slightly out of date — it describes different classes.