AION 2 Controls and Aim Modes

Quick answer: AION 2 has two control schemes. AION 2 mode is the default: the cursor is hidden, a fixed reticle sits in the centre of the screen, and you move with WASD while the mouse alone rotates the camera. AION 1 mode is the classic click-to-move scheme with a permanently visible cursor. Switch between them with the / hotkey, or through Settings → Combat → Controls.

The two control schemes side by side

The difference between the two modes is not cosmetic — it changes both what you see and what your hands do, which is why switching mid-playthrough feels like relearning the game.

	AION 2 mode (aim)	AION 1 mode (click)
Default	Yes	No
Mouse cursor	Hidden; shown with Alt or when a UI panel opens	Always visible
Movement	WASD or arrow keys	Left-click on the ground
Camera	Mouse movement alone	Hold left mouse button and drag
Lock-on	No, the reticle does the targeting	Yes, with Tab for nearest target
Hotkey to switch	/	/

In AION 2 mode the character moves only via the keyboard. Even without clicking, moving the mouse rotates the view, so camera control never fights your movement input. The reticle at the centre of the screen is the targeting device: aiming at an enemy selects it, and skills resolve against it. Pressing Tab locks the target so you can cast skills regardless of where the camera is pointing.

In AION 1 mode the cursor behaves independently of the camera. You can click an enemy to set it as your main target, and attacking again makes your character follow it with basic attacks. There is no dedicated lock-on key, and holding both mouse buttons auto-runs forward, reproducing the feel of the original game.

The default PC key bindings

These are the PC defaults for AION 2 mode. They are documented on the official guidebook, which notes it was last updated on 18 November 2025 and that some values may differ from the live client.

Action	Binding
Move	W, A, S, D or arrow keys
Sprint	Hold Shift while moving; consumes stamina
Dodge	Shift in combat; press just before a hit to avoid damage
Jump	Space
Interact	F, while standing at an interactable object or NPC
Auto-move to quest	Alt + number, or click the quest to run
Lock target	Tab
Toggle control mode	/
Show cursor	Alt

Two of these deserve special attention. Dodge uses the same Shift key as sprint, differentiated by whether you are in combat — and the dodge only works if you press it just before the hit lands. Pressing it early or late fails. Auto-move is bound to Alt + a number rather than to a visible menu, so it is easy to never discover.

Why the dodge window matters more than the key

AION 2's combat is built around telegraphed attacks and invincibility frames rather than raw numbers. The dodge is the mechanic that makes the difference between taking a hit and not, and the timing window is what determines whether you clear it.

This has a direct consequence for how you play. Standing still through a telegraphed attack and waiting for the health bar to drop is the single most common beginner mistake in group content, and it is punished much harder in AION 2 than in a passive tab-target MMO. Reading the animation and dodging through the window is the habit to build early.

NCSOFT has also shown a "Perfect Dodge" mechanic that triggers a distinct visual effect when timed correctly.

Camera settings that make combat readable

The Camera / Direction sub-tab under Settings → Graphics controls what you see without touching graphics quality. The settings that matter most in practice:

• Perspective — Default keeps your character centred; Over-the-Shoulder moves the character to the left edge of the screen, which reads more like a modern third-person action game.
• Maximum view distance — best kept at Far. In the Abyss you need to see attackers before they arrive.
• Camera shake during combat — turning this off keeps the screen completely still when you are hit or casting, which makes enemy telegraphs easier to read.
• Horizontal and vertical move speed — both default to 50, and can be adjusted independently.

Zoom is not a static slider: scrolling the mouse wheel forward pulls the camera in toward the character for a first-person feel, scrolling back pushes it out to your maximum view distance.

Targeting priority and advanced aim options

Below the control-mode toggle, the Controls sub-tab exposes targeting behaviour layered on top of whichever mode you picked. The Tab-targeting priority can be configured to prefer targets in front of the character, in front of the camera, or simply the nearest ones.

The options that change how combat feels most:

• Set main target on attack — automatically locks the target when combat starts, which is what you want when kiting. Disabling it gives a more console-like feel.
• Adjust aim position — the screen-space offset of the aim point, 120 pixels by default.
• Select aimable target — restricts reticle snapping to hostile targets by default.
• Pursue targets with skill activation — closes the physical distance to enemies when you activate abilities. Typically disabled for PvP.
• Display distance to aimed target — shows how far your character is from the current reticle target.

There is also a "no tracking" option in AION 1 mode: turn off auto-chase and you can cast skills while standing still, which is what healers who need to manage party frames tend to want.

Game controller support

Controller support exists in AION 2 but is explicitly marked as beta, with some functions not yet working. The published layout is:

Input	Action
X	Skill 1 (normal)
Y	Skill 2 (heavy)
B	Dodge / sprint
A	Jump
D-pad left	Auto-potion
D-pad up	Action
D-pad right	Soul-binding stone
D-pad down	Pointer
LT + button	Skills 3–6
RB + button	Skills 7–8
RT + button	Stigma

All combat buttons are mapped, and a full console version is described as being in development. Given the beta label and the note that some functions do not work yet, keyboard and mouse remains the safe choice for a launch-day character.

Which mode to pick

If you have never played an action-oriented MMO, start in the default AION 2 mode and stay there. The modes are not cosmetic, and switching later means rebuilding muscle memory — so it is better to test both in the first few zones and pick one deliberately.

AION 1 mode is the better fit if you specifically prefer cursor targeting, if you play a healer who needs to watch party frames without the camera moving, or if you are coming from the original AION and want its control scheme back. AION 2 mode is the better fit for action combat, quick repositioning, and PvP where camera control is part of the fight.