Why the versions differ
Korea and Taiwan launched on Nov 19, 2025. Global (Europe, the Americas, Oceania and other regions, excluding KR/TW/China) opened early access on Sep 30, 2026 and went free-to-play on Oct 5, 2026. Global starts from the Season 1 state, but with its own changes: some systems were toned down, some rebuilt. Meanwhile Korea added a new class, level 50 and new regions (the "Chapter 1" update, July 2026).
The most useful Korean material is from the first six weeks (Nov–Dec 2025), when KR players were where Global is now. Even then, take the mechanics, not the numbers.
The differences
| What | Global (as of Oct 6, 2026) | Korea / Taiwan | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classes | 8 (Spiritmaster; some guides, e.g. couga54, call it Elementalist) | 9 — Brawler added Jul 1, 2026 | ExpCarry, misti, Inven |
| Level cap | 45 | 50 (Chapter 1) | NC stream via playnews, Inven |
| Stigma slots | 4 (unlocked at 22, 27, 32, 37) | 6 | ExpCarry, MetaBot, couga54 |
| Max stigma level | 20 | 25 (Superior Stigma Shard) | ExpCarry, misti |
| Daevanion boards | 5: Nezekan, Zikel, Vaizel, Triniel, Azphel (PvP) | 8 (+ Ariel, Marchutan, Yustiel) | couga54, Inven DB |
| Arcana | 5 slots, fewer cards, no Libra card | more slots and cards, Libra | official character page (site code), ExpCarry |
| Pets (Genus) | max level 3, panel rebuilt: less offense, more defense | max 5 | ExpCarry, MMOExp, couga54 |
| Heroic gear | none in Season 1 (crafted included) | yes | NC stream via playnews, aion2.vi.ki |
| Item level on items | lower, e.g. True Dragon Lord Greatsword 62 | the same sword is 70 | couga54 (datamine) |
| Fire Temple Conquest gate | 2100 | 2200 | MetaBot, aion2.vi.ki |
| Crafted gear | no big % PvE damage bonus | has it | MMOExp, 祥可可 |
| Soul imprint / soul bind | lower max values | higher | MMOExp, 祥可可 |
| Hard and "Ordeal" modes | none | Hard since Dec 2025, Ordeal since Sep 23, 2026 | aion2.vi.ki, Madsin |
| Party size | 5 (expeditions, Transcendence), 10 (raid) | same since Jul 1, 2026; 4 and 8 before | ExpCarry, misti, aion2.vi.ki |
| Player trading | disabled (Market only) | allowed | ExpCarry, misti |
| Subscription | one (Special Quai) | two at launch, merged in June 2026 | ExpCarry, guildorder |
| Battlefield PvP | 10v10, normalized stats | 10v10 since Jul 1, 2026, 8v8 before | ExpCarry, misti, aion2hub |
| Weekly reset | Wednesday 07:00 UTC | Wednesday 05:00 KST | couga54, ExpCarry; Inven |
Unconfirmed (single source or no confirmation)
- Feathers (Empyrean Traces) and the Monolith are weaker on Global — couga54 and the Taiwanese 祥可可 video. Korean tables like "560 traces = 112 skill points" don't apply.
- "?" spots on the enemy map give no Daevanion Crystals on Global (just Abyss Points and stones) — couga54 datamine, no second source.
- Strike is said to be weaker on Global — one mention on Taiwan's Bahamut forum (Sep 30, 2026). Don't trust Strike values from Korean calculators.
- Wing materials drop less often — 祥可可 only.
- Shugo Festa key caps and some weekly dungeon limits — Global sources still give different numbers (see the dungeon list).
How to spot a Korean or Taiwanese guide
If you see any of these, it's not about Global:
- Dated before Sep 30, 2026 (except Global previews and test coverage).
- Level 50, the Brawler class, Eltenen or Morheim regions.
- Six stigmas, or stigmas at level 25.
- Ariel, Marchutan, Yustiel boards, the Libra Arcana card.
- Heroic (red) gear, Hard or Ordeal mode.
- Four-player parties or 8-player raids.
- Item levels around 3000–5000 treated as normal.
- Korean or Chinese UI, prices in won.
What not to copy from KR guides
- Item level thresholds. Korean items carry higher item levels, so "Vakron at 1800" or "Fire Temple at 2500" are inflated. The dungeon entry window shows the real gate.
- Class tier lists. Korea's balance is a dozen-plus patches in; Global has launch balance.
- Builds with six stigmas and Daevanion routes through Ariel. Global has 4 stigmas and 4 PvE boards. The class guides on this site are already built for Global — e.g. Templar and Cleric.
- Stat values (Strike, soul imprint, crafted bonuses, pets) — lower or different on Global.
- Times (resets, Shugo Festa, rifts, world bosses) — different time zones.
- "What to buy with Quna" lists — the Global shop isn't the Korean launch shop (more in is Aion 2 pay to win).
What you can safely use
- Boss mechanics on normal modes (Exploration and Conquest). Krao, Fire Temple and Draupnir bosses do the same things — see Krao Cave and Fire Temple.
- Daevanion board layout — the board shapes are the same for every class and in both versions (the number of boards differs; the skill nodes are class-specific).
- System rules: skill specializations (slots at skill levels 8, 12 and 20, an extra option unlocks at 16), how damage bonuses add up.
- UI tricks (double-check in your client): monster loot shown on the map (M), holding E on a knocked-down boss, auto-use for scrolls.
Rule of thumb: a Korean guide tells you what to do, a Global source tells you how much. When the numbers clash, trust the game and sources dated after Sep 30, 2026.