Aion 2's hardest fight is coming back, bigger and better, after being pulled from the free MMORPG's launch

The Ludra raid has a date to return to Aion 2, and NC is handing out additional login bonus rewards to help you get up to speed. Designed as the pinnacle encounter for the global launch of the MMORPG, it was removed from the game within days of the advanced access release after it was defeated "at a lower level of progression than originally intended." Now, the developer has confirmed when it'll be back, and it's a redesigned fight with new mechanics. Alongside that comes some additional events to help out players further back in the curve, or simply to show off your favorite Ludra-themed fashion.

The rapid defeat of Ludra sparked plenty of intense discussion among the Aion 2 community. The speed with which some players were able to clear the fight was held up as an example of potential 'pay to win' microtransactions, but beyond that, it simply meant the vast majority of users never even had a chance to try the fight before it had been beaten. NC noted that the incident "made us reconsider simply releasing the same Ludra experience again at launch" as it previously had on Aion 2's Korean and Taiwanese servers.

"We want Sanctuary Raids to create memorable moments," NC wrote in a post explaining its decision to remove the encounter. "Discovering mechanics together, developing new strategies, competing for the first clears, and celebrating when someone finally overcomes the challenge. For global players, we believe Ludra should have that same sense of discovery." It also temporarily stripped any gear rewards earned, with a promise to return them to players when the raid was reinstated.

NC now confirms that the Ludra Hunt will return on Wednesday November 4, and it'll include "new and adjusted mechanics and attack patterns unique to this version of the fight." That doesn't mean any learnings from its brief prior appearance will be completely useless, but it sounds like everyone will have to do some fresh raid progression from scratch. There will also be a first-clear event with special titles for the first party to clear, those that come second through fifth, and for the rest of the top 20.

To give you slightly more of a chance to prepare this time, NC is also rolling out a few extra incentives. The first is a login event that will run from Wednesday October 28 until Wednesday November 11, during which you'll get two Odyle Energy via your in-game mail for each day you check in. This applies once per day per character, although you'll need to claim it within seven days.

When Ludra actually lands, an event called Daeva Bootcamp will begin, running from Wednesday November 4 until Wednesday November 18. As players within a region clear certain eligible dungeons, special rewards will unlock that will be sent to everyone via the in-game mail. These start at 500,000 total clears, with tiers going up to the seven-million mark. There will also be seven days of login rewards, including the Lush Leaf Tiara helmet, along with Twitch Drops available for watching up to 14 hours of Aion 2 streams during the same period.

Even with all of that in mind, if you're enjoying Aion 2 as a purely free-to-play character, you'll probably find you aren't getting up to speed in time to jump into Ludra on day one. Remember that it doesn't need to be a race, and you can enjoy the raid when you get there, so don't feel too pressured if your item level is still looking a little low. Take your time and move at a pace that suits you.

If you're not sure you're up to the big test yet, there is one more way you can take part. A Ludra Outfit Contest will be running from Wednesday November 4 until Wednesday November 18. You must submit your best "single screenshot that represents Ludra" via the Aion 2 Discord. Only one entry may be included per player, and it needs to be a direct, in-game capture with "no editing or AI" used to modify it.

Simply submitting an entry will earn you two Dye Tokens, but the big prizes are for the winning contestants. Community managers at NC will be picking their top three favorites, with prizes of 6,000, 3,000, and 1,000 Quna going to the victors. Additionally, the entrant who earns the most upvotes from the Discord community will also net themselves 3,000 Quna. If your strength is in fashion more than fighting for now, this could be your chance to shine.