The recent arrival of the Gunslinger in 'Raven 2' has sent shockwaves through the meta. Alongside their debut, the developers rolled out a class transfer ticket that can be acquired for mere gold—a perfect opportunity for anyone looking to jump ship. The fallout of this move was immediate. Meca Ranking of last week laid it all out. With 163 rankers storming into the top server tier, the class secured a 7.8% share, landing in a tie for third place. It is a staggering start, the likes of which even the Assassin and Deathbringer never managed.

The Tower of Chaos rankings also hosted a rather flashy debut for the Gunslinger. Plenty of top-tier players swapped their gear to join the ranks, quickly dominating the leaderboard. Looking at the broader picture of Tower of Chaos Season 8, there were two major shifts. First, they expanded the peak from 40 to 45 floors. This adjustment clipped the wings of the long-standing Assassin meta, allowing the Night Ranger to fill the void. Meanwhile, the Berserker class is enjoying a surprising surge in popularity, though they remain a rare breed at the very top.

The Gunslinger has effectively stepped into the shoes left by the departing Assassins. Data suggests a migration of many Raven 2 Assassin and Destroyer rankers into the Gunslinger class. Thanks to this influx, the class flooded the top-tier records in their first Tower of Chaos appearance. If this trend holds, Season 8 of the Tower of Chaos is set to be a playground for the Night Ranger and the Gunslinger—the two ranged titans.

Tower of Chaos Class Rankings TOP 5

The top-tier Raven 2 players have settled into the 45th floor of the Tower of Chaos quite comfortably. Many have already hit the ceiling and are now locked in a fierce battle to shave milliseconds off their clear times. Most classes, save for the Assassin and Elementalist, have seen notable progress. The Vanguard saw 'MythicMusa' shave 8 seconds off their time to claim the crown, while in the Destroyer camp, 'ROYALMay'—who sat at 4th early in the season—slashed their time from 1 minute 3 seconds down to 46 seconds.

The Berserker and Destroyer classes even welcomed new faces to the top spot. 'VCManchun' beat the previous Berserker record by 30 seconds, and 'RomanticCiel' improved the Destroyer record by 7 seconds. As for the Assassin and Deathbringer top spots, it seems likely the original holders simply opted for a name change.

In contrast, the Elementalist is going in reverse. With the previous leader 'NamelessGodShinichi' MIA, 'DictatorKimJongUn' has taken the lead with a 3-minute 8-second clear on the 43rd floor. It is currently the only class without a representative on the 45th floor—a stark contrast to the Gunslinger, which debuted with a slew of 20-second clears on that same floor. The two classes are currently painting a picture of a setting sun versus a rising star.

Tower of Chaos Ranker Class Distribution

The real stars of the Tower of Chaos class share charts are the Berserker and the Gunslinger. Both classes made waves in the 3rd week of November Meca Ranking where they tied for third. They didn't stop there, though; they carried that momentum straight into the Tower. The Gunslinger snatched a 9.1% share in its first outing, forcing every other class—except the Berserker—to cough up some of their pie.

The Assassin saw the biggest dip at 2.8 percentage points, followed by the Destroyer at 2.3. The Assassin dropped a spot, though they remain within a 0.2% margin, leaving the door open for a comeback. The Destroyer, however, took a double hit to both share and ranking, sliding down two spots. It is quite ironic; while the Destroyer boasts higher peak records, their lower population count leaves them vulnerable to the Elementalist. The class transfer system has truly left its mark here.

On a brighter note, the Berserker has actually increased their footprint. After a sudden surge at the end of Season 7, they secured 3rd place and have held it firm throughout the start of Season 8. It seems Raven 2 players are developing a real soft spot for melee classes like the Berserker, perhaps due to a loyal fanbase or their perceived prowess in solo PVE content.