You will not find the Sanctuary Raid: Ludra in the global version of AION 2 right now. NCSOFT pulled it with the October 5, 2026 launch build because Early Access players took the dragon down considerably faster than the studio expected. Rather than leaving the fight as it was, NCSOFT is redesigning it, and the October 9 developer livestream showed what the return looks like: two difficulty modes, a new First Clear race and the return of the gear players lost when the raid was removed.
The date is now official: on October 23 NCSOFT announced that Ludra returns on November 4, 2026 after the weekly maintenance. Both difficulties, Normal and Hard, are open from day one.
Why Ludra disappeared from the global version
Sanctuary is the ten-player raid tier of AION 2 and the top of its PvE content, well above five-player dungeons like Krao Cave. During Early Access, which ran from September 30 for Founder’s Pack owners, the first groups in Europe cleared it within days. In its official notice NCSOFT admitted it had not planned for progress that fast and temporarily disabled the raid with the full launch on October 5. The gear that dropped from Ludra was removed along with it.
According to the studio, the core of the fight stays. The global version, however, gets new and adjusted mechanics and attack patterns, so the routine your group learned in Early Access can be forgotten. For comparison, the Korean version went the other way in September and made Sanctuary easier by cutting 10 % of boss health on Easy difficulty. The global version is heading in the opposite direction.
What changes: Normal, Hard and reworked mechanics
- Normal: a separate difficulty for groups taking on the redesigned encounter without ambitions for a world first.
- Hard: a tougher variant intended for experienced, organised raid teams.
- Reworked mechanics: Ludra receives revised attack patterns and additional mechanics. Previous strategies may no longer work.
- New First Clear race: groups compete for the first kill in their region. The winners get a special reward and a place in the Hall of Fame.
- Early Access recognition: everyone who defeated the original Ludra will be recognised. For European players NCSOFT announced a special commemorative title.
The Hall of Fame is reset for the release of the reworked raid, so Early Access kills do not keep their spots. The commemorative title replaces them. Anyone who wants their name in the Hall of Fame again has to beat the dragon a second time, in its new form and against the whole region.
What happens to Ludra gear
NCSOFT removed the Early Access gear together with the raid. In the official notice it confirmed that the items will be granted back to everyone who earned them and that materials spent upgrading them will be reimbursed. Details are still open, namely when exactly the pieces arrive and whether they come by mail or straight into the inventory. If you upgraded that gear with stones, refresh how manastones, soulstones and theostones work so you know what to expect back.
When Ludra returns
Ludra returns on November 4, 2026 after the weekly maintenance. NCSOFT announced the date on October 23, a week later than it originally promised. Normal and Hard open at the same time, so there is no week of Normal before Hard.
The return kicks off the Ludra Hunt title race, which runs until the maintenance on November 25. The first 20 groups in each region to clear Ludra on Hard earn special titles, and everyone else who defeats it during the event, on Normal or Hard, gets a title too. Clears after the November 25 maintenance earn no title. Daily login rewards and Twitch Drops run alongside the raid, and from October 28 you can claim Odyle Energy x4 from the mail each day (one delivery per account).
How to prepare
- Build your ten-player group now, not on return day. Hard mode is meant for organised teams and nobody wins a title race with a random matchmaking party.
- Finish your gear and upgrades. What you had from Ludra comes back, but the rest of your character has to be ready before the raid opens.
- Check your class. Our AION 2 class tier list and the rest of the AION 2 guides cover rotations and builds for the global version.
- Do not shortcut with boosting. A bot on your own account ends in a ban, as the first ban wave of October 11 showed. A restricted account does not make it into the Hall of Fame.
And a question for you: should AION 2’s hardest raids be challenging enough to keep the best groups busy for days, or should most organised players have a realistic chance of clearing them? And are you going for Ludra on Normal or straight on Hard? Tell us on the GamersTogether Discord. If you want to face the dragon in the right colours, the shop carries AION 2 merch with Elyos and Asmodian designs.
Where to go next
Earlier announcements for the global version are collected in our AION 2 news section, the Kinah guide explains the server economy and all walkthroughs live in the AION 2 guides.
FAQ
On November 4, 2026 after the weekly maintenance. NCSOFT announced the date on October 23. Normal and Hard are both open from day one.
Early Access players cleared Sanctuary Raid: Ludra considerably faster than the studio expected. NCSOFT therefore disabled it with the October 5, 2026 launch build and is reworking its mechanics and attack patterns.
Two. Normal for groups taking on the redesigned encounter and Hard for experienced, organised raid teams. Both get revised attack patterns and additional mechanics and open at the same time.
NCSOFT removed it together with the raid and confirmed it will be granted back to everyone who earned it. Materials spent upgrading it will be reimbursed as well. The exact method and timing have not been announced yet.
Yes. NCSOFT promised recognition and announced a special commemorative title for European players. The Hall of Fame, however, is reset for the raid’s return, so Early Access kills do not keep their spots.
The Ludra Hunt title race, running from the raid’s return on November 4 until the maintenance on November 25. The first 20 groups in each region to clear Ludra on Hard earn special titles, and everyone else who defeats it during the event gets a title too.