AION2 Battleground Matchmaking Changes: Solo Queue, Cross-Faction Teams & Class Balance — August 12 Update

Battlegrounds now accept only solo queues or full 5-person fixed teams. This is a major change from the previous system, which allowed partial premades of any size. The new system aims to create fairer matches by matching 5-stacks against other 5-stacks, and solo players against other solo players.

This change is likely to reduce the advantage that organized premades had over partially grouped teams. However, it also means that players who queue with 2-4 friends will no longer be able to enter Battlegrounds together unless they form a full 5-stack. Solo players should benefit the most, as they will no longer face partially organized groups.

Cooperation Arena and Battleground matching now builds teams regardless of race. This means Elyos and Asmodian players can be matched on the same team in cooperative PvP modes. Previously, teams were strictly segregated by faction.

This change should reduce queue times, especially during off-peak hours, and create more balanced team compositions. The cross-faction matching applies only to cooperative modes, not to faction-versus-faction content where the racial conflict is the core mechanic.

Solo battleground queues now apply a class balance correction between the two teams. This means the matchmaking system will attempt to ensure that both teams have a similar distribution of classes, preventing one team from having an advantage due to a favorable class composition.

The specific balance correction algorithm has not been detailed by NCSOFT, but it likely considers the role (damage, tank, support) and class tier of each player. This is a significant improvement for solo queue, where previously team composition was entirely random.

The healing received debuff in Battlegrounds has been moved into the base stats inside the battleground. This means it is now a permanent stat rather than an entry debuff, and the healing reduction is a further 30% lower than before. On top of the general healer nerfs from this patch, healing in Battlegrounds is effectively cut by 50% or more.

This change dramatically shifts the PvP meta. Burst damage compositions become more viable, while sustained healing strategies are heavily penalized. Players should adjust their Battleground builds to account for the reduced healing, potentially investing in more defensive stats or self-healing options.

Players who stay out of combat for a set time in a Battleground are now removed from the match. This is an anti-AFK measure designed to prevent players from passively participating or hiding to avoid engagement. The specific timeout duration has not been publicly detailed.

This change encourages active participation and should improve the overall quality of Battleground matches. Players who are temporarily disconnected or need to step away should be aware that extended inactivity will result in removal from the match.