AION 2 Controls and Keybinds
AION 2 uses an action-style control scheme by default, with WASD movement, mouse-controlled camera movement, and a center reticle for targeting. Most of the basic controls are familiar, but several important actions have awkward defaults or no useful keybind at all, so it is worth adjusting the layout before getting too deep into combat.
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Default PC Controls
AION 2 vs AION 1 Controls
How to Change Keybinds
Controls Worth Rebinding
Targeting Controls
Flight Controls
Controller Controls
AION 2 Default PC Controls
The default AION 2 control scheme uses WASD for movement and the mouse for camera control. Shift changes function depending on whether you are in combat, while Alt temporarily brings the mouse cursor back so you can interact with the interface.
Movement: W, A, S, D
Sprint: Shift while moving outside combat
Dodge: Shift during combat
Jump: Space
Interact: F
Basic Attack: Left Mouse Button
Change Target: Tab
Show Cursor: Hold Alt
Mount: C
Start or Stop Flying: V
Inventory: I
Skills: K
Map: M
One control worth remembering immediately is Alt. AION 2 mode normally hides the cursor because moving the mouse controls the camera. Holding Alt releases the cursor so you can click interface elements without opening another menu first.
Shift also performs two jobs. Outside combat it is your sprint key, while during combat it becomes your dodge. That means trying to sprint past an enemy after entering combat can trigger a dodge instead.
AION 2 Mode vs AION 1 Mode
AION 2 includes two very different PC control schemes. The default AION 2 mode behaves more like a modern action MMO, while AION 1 mode recreates a more traditional cursor-driven control style.
AION 2 Mode: WASD movement, mouse controls the camera, center reticle targeting, and Alt temporarily displays the cursor.
AION 1 Mode: Cursor remains available, left-click can move or select targets, and the camera turns by holding and dragging the mouse.
AION 2 mode is the better starting point if you prefer action combat and want your mouse movement directly tied to the camera. AION 1 mode makes more sense if you prefer classic MMO controls where the cursor remains available and targeting is more click-driven.
You can switch between the two control modes without rebuilding your entire character setup. There is also a Switch Control Mode action available in Key Settings if you want a dedicated shortcut.
The choice matters beyond movement. Some mouse-button rebinding options behave differently in AION 1 mode, so I would decide which control style you actually want before spending too much time rebuilding your keybinds.
How to Change Keybinds in AION 2
AION 2 lets PC players remap keyboard controls through Key Settings. The menu separates bindings into General, Menu, Quickslot, and Marker categories, which makes it easier to find a specific action than scrolling through one enormous control list.
Each quickslot can also accept more than one keybind, giving you room to build around side mouse buttons or alternate keyboard keys without necessarily removing the original binding.
I would not immediately replace every default control. Movement, interact, inventory, map, and most of the basic combat bindings are fine for most players. The better approach is to fix the handful of controls that either have inconvenient defaults or become much more important later.
AION 2 Controls Worth Rebinding
The first control I would change is Defiance. By default, Defiance can share Space with jumping and gliding. That is awkward because repeatedly trying to break crowd control can cause an unwanted movement action at exactly the wrong time.
AION 2 includes a Separate Defiance Hotkey option. Turn it on and assign Defiance its own comfortable key rather than relying on the shared Space input.
Controls I would change early:
Give Defiance its own key.
Rebind Fly Up and Fly Down to easier keys.
Give Macro a comfortable key if you use the built-in macro system.
Consider a dedicated Target Hostile Players key for PvP.
Add a second convenient Interact binding if you want faster quest dialogue.
Fly Up and Fly Down are particularly worth moving. Their default controls are Ctrl+R and Ctrl+F, which become inconvenient once aerial movement starts mattering regularly. Side mouse buttons or nearby keyboard keys are much easier to use while keeping your normal movement controls available.
The Macro action is another unusual one because it does not have a useful default key assigned. If your build relies on the built-in macro system, give Macro a button you can comfortably hold during combat rather than leaving it buried in the settings.
You can also assign Interact a second key. Since each action supports multiple bindings, alternating between F and a nearby second key can make repeated NPC dialogue and quest interactions less awkward.
Best Targeting Controls and Settings
Tab changes targets by default, but the behavior of Tab can be improved considerably through the Target Scanning settings.
Setting Preferred Search Direction to Front of Camera makes Tab favor enemies in the direction you are actually looking rather than selecting targets with little regard for your camera position.
For PvP, Target Scanning can also use a custom priority order. Moving hostile players above monsters prevents Tab from constantly landing on nearby PvE enemies during fights where both are present.
Useful targeting setup:
Preferred Search Direction: Front of Camera
PvE Priority: Closest First is fine for most content
PvP Priority: Move Hostile Players toward the top
Skill Queue: On
AION 2 also distinguishes between soft and hard targeting. A soft target follows whatever your reticle is currently aimed at, while a hard-locked target stays selected when you move the camera elsewhere. Tab gives you a reliable way to establish that locked target when needed.
There is also a dedicated Target Hostile Players action that can be assigned through Key Settings. It is especially useful in the Abyss or other situations where enemies and monsters are mixed together and you want one button that ignores PvE targets.
AION 2 Flight Controls
Press V to start flying once flight is available. Movement in the air still uses your normal directional controls, while Shift increases your flight speed.
Space changes flight into a glide. While gliding, holding W increases glide speed and Shift can provide an additional burst.
Start or stop flying: V
Fly faster: Shift
Switch to glide: Space
Glide faster: Hold W
Fly Up: Ctrl+R by default
Fly Down: Ctrl+F by default
The last two are the ones I would change. Direct vertical movement is useful because it lets you gain or lose altitude without having to point the camera away from whatever you are watching.
Can You Play AION 2 With a Controller?
AION 2 does have controller support, but its controller layout is currently much less flexible than keyboard and mouse. The layout uses multiple button layers through LT, RT, and RB, and the controller bindings cannot currently be remapped the same way as PC keyboard controls.
Some of the basic controller inputs include A for jump, B for sprint or dodge, Y for heavy attack, View for the map, and RB + B for mounting.
Skills beyond the first few are handled through trigger combinations rather than individual face buttons, so controller play requires learning the different LT, RT, and RB layers.
If you are primarily playing on keyboard and mouse, I would stick with AION 2 mode initially, give Defiance and flight movement better keys, set target scanning toward the front of the camera, and then change additional bindings only when something starts getting in your way. The defaults are usable, but a handful of early changes make the entire control scheme feel considerably cleaner.
If you also want your latency visible while adjusting combat settings, our AION 2 How to Check Ping guide covers the Network Status setting and other ways to check your connection.
