AION Classic EU Announces Update 4.5 ‘Ignite’, Its First Major Update of 2026

Karlsruhe, Germany (February 16, 2026) | Gameforge today announced Update 4.5 ‘Ignite’, the first major update of 2026 for AION Classic EU. Planned to arrive in early 2026, Update 4.5 delivers a broad range of new content, gameplay systems, and refinements—headlined by the introduction of the all-new Phoenix class—while offering European players a fully optimized version of the update from day one.

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Rather than releasing Update 4.5 in stages, Gameforge will deploy the update as a single, consolidated patch, incorporating balance improvements, system refinements, and usability updates informed by player feedback from other regions. This approach ensures a smoother launch experience and a more cohesive progression path for both new and returning players.

Watch the AION Classic EU Update 4.5 ‘Ignite’ Announcement Trailer: YouTube | Download

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‍New Class Spotlight: Phoenix

‍Leading Update 4.5 is the arrival of Phoenix, a fast-paced, mid-range magical damage dealer wielding Flame Revolvers and wearing Flame Leather equipment. Designed for dynamic combat, Phoenix excels at rapid-fire combos, area control, and explosive burst windows in both PvE and PvP encounters.

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Phoenix’s signature mechanic, Overcharge Energy, builds with every critical hit. Once fully charged, Phoenix enters a heightened combat state that dramatically enhances magical skill output for a short duration. With access to airborne binds, black hole-style pulls, auto-cannons, and skill-reset abilities, the class delivers a highly mobile and expressive playstyle that rewards precision and timing.

Streamlined Onboarding for New and Returning Players

‍Update 4.5 modernizes the early AION Classic experience by removing the legacy base class system. New characters now begin directly as their chosen advanced class, allowing players to immediately engage with their preferred playstyle.

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Additionally, players now start in their faction’s main city rather than a low-level starter zone, providing faster access to core services, clearer progression guidance, and a more efficient introduction to the game’s systems. These improvements significantly reduce early friction and help players reach meaningful content more quickly.

Teva: A New Open-World Progression Zone

‍Teva is a large-scale open-world field zone designed as a central progression hub for Update 4.5. It features rotating anomalies, field missions, rare monster encounters, hidden islands accessed through special portals, and a new weekly-reset currency used to obtain valuable rewards.

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Teva also introduces monster taming, allowing players to capture rare creatures using Prism Cores, alongside challenging solo and group content that feeds directly into the update’s new gear and progression systems.

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Expanded Endgame Progression

‍Update 4.5 significantly deepens long-term character growth with several new systems:

• Battle Armour Gear Line – A new endgame equipment path that evolves into higher-tier Battle-Hardened and Battle-Seasoned Armour, offering powerful stat upgrades and a new combined defensive attribute.
  
• Arcamant – Equipable progression items that introduce new combat-enhancing stats, including Critical Damage Increase, with multiple variants for PvE and PvP builds.
  
• New High-Tier Manastones – Expanded build customization through stronger Fabled-grade stones tied to open-world and endgame activities.

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Skill Reboot, RvR Enhancements, and QoL Improvements

‍Update 4.5 delivers one of the largest skill overhauls in AION Classic EU to date, featuring class-wide Skill Reboots, new Advanced Skills and Stigmas, and extensive balance adjustments. These changes improve combat clarity, build diversity, and performance across both PvE and PvP.

RvR (Realm vs Realm) gameplay also receives major refinements, including improved raid structures, clearer scheduling, enhanced rewards, and expanded progression systems. Alongside these updates, a wide range of quality-of-life improvements streamline crafting, enhancement, inventory management, and general navigation throughout the game.

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Quote from Gameforge

‍“Update 4.5 represents an important step for AION Classic EU as we move into 2026,” said Syd, Product Manager for AION EU at Gameforge. “Our goal with this update is to deliver meaningful new gameplay—like the Phoenix class and Teva—while also refining the core experience based on what we’ve learned so far. We want players to feel that AION Classic continues to evolve in a thoughtful and sustainable way.”

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Coming Early 2026

‍‍AION Classic EU Update 4.5 ‘Ignite’ is currently planned to launch in early 2026 and will be available as a free update for all players via the Gameforge client.

For more information on AION Classic EU, head over to the Gameforge website. For more information, follow the game on X (Twitter) and “Like” it on Facebook.

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A full press kit, including logo, screenshots, key art, and trailers, can be found here: https://uberstrategist.link/AION_Classic_PressKit.

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About Gameforge

‍Founded in 2003, Gameforge is a leading Western publisher and operator of widely acclaimed Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) and browser-based game titles. Gameforge builds highly active and enduring global communities by supporting players through high-quality LiveOps, localized content, engaging community management, and the frequent delivery of meaningful updates.

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Gameforge’s diverse portfolio includes core MMORPG titles such as AION Classic, Runes of Magic, and Metin2, beloved anime MMOs Elsword and NosTale, strategy-focused browser games OGame and Ikariam, along with select indie titles.

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More information: gameforge.com

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‍PRESS CONTACT
‍Alun Lower and Sean Walsh
UberStrategist Inc.
‍pr@uberstrategist.com‍