This week's 'Raven 2' Meca Ranking is squarely focused on the surge of the Divine Caster. They have delivered strong results in both the Korean and Global regions. Shall we take a look at the Korean region first? The server-by-server Top 3 chart shows strong performance in Mare World. They snagged the number one spot on every server except for Dolor. While the margin over the second-place Night Ranger is slim, a win is a win. It is time to savour the sweet taste of being on top.

The Divine Caster is also making modest gains in the Nox World, clinching the throne on the Fides, Honor, and Dolor servers. What is worth noting is the share gap against the Night Ranger. They have widened the divide on Fides and Dolor. However, the story is different on Honor. The Divine Caster's share dropped by 4 percentage points, while the Night Ranger rose by the same margin, closing the distance. It is a precarious situation that hints at a potential upset.

On the Mors server, we are seeing signs that the Divine Caster could take the top spot. The Night Ranger's share dipped from 34% to 30%, while the Divine Caster climbed from 26% to 28%. This narrows the gap between the two classes to just 2 percentage points.

These shifts are also reflected in the overall ranker class distribution chart for all Raven 2 servers. The Night Ranger lost 0.1 percentage points of the pie, while the Divine Caster gained 0.6. Therein lies the secret to the Divine Caster's flight in the Mare World. Still, the Night Ranger's share sits at a hefty 34.3%, making it a steep climb for the 28.4% held by the Divine Caster. It is a clear display of a gap in weight classes. Conversely, the Global region does not suffer from such an absolute divide between the two classes. I will explain that shortly.

What impact will the major update on July 30 have on the Raven 2 environment?

The most vital piece of news this week is the major update arriving on July 30. We are looking at a deluge of big issues, including class balance tweaks, guild content improvements, new hero skills, class change tickets, and server transfer tickets. None of these can be easily brushed aside. The core of the update centres on 'Class Balance Adjustments - New Hero Skills - Class Change Tickets.' While guild or server transfers might feel distant to some, class patches are elements that impact the actual gameplay directly.

The subjects for this balance adjustment are the 'Deathbringer - Berserker - Destroyer - Elementalist - Divine Caster.' The Night Ranger, Assassin, and Vanguard—often rated as high-performance combat classes—have been excluded. You can check the detailed patch information in the 'News' tab on the official community.

What catches the eye are the Deathbringer and the Divine Caster. The former has had its HP recovery ability bolstered, while the latter has been modified to allow some buff skills to be used while moving. Significant performance shifts are expected. Incidentally, it is hard to gauge the impact of the class change ticket, as it was already sold once this summer in July. Moreover, since all benefits could be enjoyed using gold, many rankers had already made their move. As little time has passed since then, it remains to be seen if this will bring meaningful changes to the charts. It would be best to confirm that through future Raven 2 Meca Ranking charts.

Overall Class Analysis

The rankings for top-tier player classes have seen the Vanguard and Deathbringer swap positions. The Vanguard's share increased by 0.2 percentage points, while the Deathbringer's fell by 0.5. The latter's impact was more substantial. However, it is too early to conclude that the rankings are set in stone, as the July 30 balance adjustment favoured the Deathbringer.

Shall we look back at the opinions that have been circulating on the official community? There have been many expressions of disappointment regarding the Deathbringer's HP recovery and attack range. HP recovery is a crucial ability in Raven 2. Having multiple means of recovery allows for more flexibility in choosing hunting grounds. This is also the secret to the Divine Caster's sustained popularity. The Deathbringer was marketed as having vampiric abilities, drawing interest, but after release, the recovery amount was lower than expected, leading to requests for improvement. Now, the developer has finally addressed this. This should be a positive indicator for its future share growth.

In the lower ranks, the Berserker's share shrunk by 0.3 percentage points, placing them in a tie for 6th with the Destroyer. Yet, the metrics and actual player sentiment are slightly different. While the Destroyer's position is ambiguous, the Berserker has a firm image as a class specialised in PvE. They have also been recording strong results in the recently compiled Tower of Chaos rankings. The real-world standing of both classes will likely hinge on the results and community evaluations of this balance patch.

Global Class Analysis

An interesting shift has occurred in the Raven 2 Global region. The Divine Caster has overtaken the Night Ranger to reclaim the crown as the number one popular class. The Divine Caster saw a 3 percentage point increase in share, while the Night Ranger fell by 2.6 percentage points. The final gap stands at 3 percentage points. By Meca Ranking standards, that is a massive figure.

This marks the second time the Divine Caster has claimed the top spot. Curiously, both instances happened in the Global region. In Meca Ranking tallies, the Night Ranger has consistently remained strong, but the Global region is the exception. It is a metric that shows how the environment and player preferences in the Global region differ from those in Korea. For reference, the Divine Caster's first reign lasted only a week. Let us see if they can keep the record going this time.

PvP Ranking Status

The PvP ranking high points have dropped. Last week's peak was 1,087 kills, whereas this week it is 499. However, this is within the safe range. The fourth week of July featured the Ancient Citadel matches. KDA and kill scores often dip during weeks when the Ancient Citadel is open. It is a standard part of the Raven 2 gameplay routine. I think the rankers in 2nd to 4th place who managed to break 100 kills put in quite an effort.

Hmm, looking back, three out of the Top 4 rankers who surpassed 100 kills are from the Mare World. 1st place 'Nabuli' is from the Nabuli guild, 2nd place 'Solobungjujupman' is from Ajeongdam, and 3rd place 'Musindaejang' is from the Musin guild. Among them, Nabuli and Ajeongdam are not part of an alliance. Solobungjujupman is active in the same Mare-Metus area as Musindaejang, leaving me curious about what went down.

Raven 2 Meca Ranking User Poll

Here are the results of the Raven 2 user poll. Last week, we asked which summer event crafting recipe players prioritised. The most supported choice was the hero Familiar 'Summer Jack.' It was a chance to guarantee a hero Familiar. They are now in the summon table and can be registered in the guaranteed Familiar list. Those who missed out during the event period, take note.

Second place went to the hero crafting diagram fragments. Crafting five times granted one attempt at crafting the finished product. If the attempt failed, do not be disheartened. Raven 2 has provided many opportunities to acquire hero crafting diagram fragments this year. They might distribute them again in the future.

Finally, I will announce this week's poll topic. As mentioned earlier, Raven 2 has adjusted the balance for five classes: Deathbringer, Berserker, Destroyer, Elementalist, and Divine Caster. Please vote for the one you think 'really got a solid buff!' I look forward to your votes and will announce the results next time.