The 48th Ancient Citadel match in Raven 2 is fast approaching, and it brings a pair of rather interesting wrinkles. First, the server transfer window is set for June 10th to 16th, with the match smack in the middle on the 13th. We are expecting quite a few guilds to be packing their bags before and after the action.

The second issue is the updated matchmaking rules that arrived with the 2nd-anniversary update. Previously, each server capped out at four participating guilds, but that limit has now been pushed to 20. Last time out, several servers already saw five guilds making the bracket—the Ancient Citadel has truly entered a new era. Let’s break down what the landscape looks like for the upcoming clashes.

Analysis of Expected Participants for the 48th Ancient Citadel

Lux and Nox: One server pairing that really catches the eye

Lux and Nox are crossing paths again. The key focus here is Group 2's Lux-Honor and Group 1's Nox-Dolor. Each server managed to break through the bidding competition with five guilds last time. Looking back at the previous match, Lux saw 'Silence v Immortality - Incheon Team' enter the Battlefield of Life, while 'Royal White - TQQQ - Hyundai Motor' secured a spot on the Battlefield of Vegetation.

Over in Nox, 'Rangtebe - Seodaemun Rotary' took the Primordial, thetheVeteran handled the Elemental, and 'MOCHA - CAFE' jumped into the Vegetation battlefield. However, for the upcoming match, these two servers are in different groups, so they won’t be squaring off directly. Instead, expect a fierce bidding war as they scramble to secure their spots in their respective groups.

Old Guard vs. Raon Union: The Battle Lines

Vita and Sola met in the same group during the last match—specifically in Groups 3 and 4, with participation heavily skewed toward Group 3. The main event was the 'Vita-Honor's Promo-anim Union vs. Sola's Raon Union.' The Promo-anim Union is particularly noteworthy, as it houses Raven 2 powerhouses 'Romance' and 'Noppakku'.

Romance and Noppakku are absolute heavyweights in Raven 2. Romance’s pedigree is currently being solidified by the 2nd-anniversary event dungeon, where they were selected as a dual-protagonist alongside RoyalDanekke to represent the game's history. They’ve spent the last few months operating under various aliases like 'NoshowRomance' and 'Romance v', but they’ve finally reverted to their classic 'Romance' tag for recent skirmishes. As they stack up points,Ancient Citadel Championship Ranking TOP 10we are keen to see if they can climb the ladder.

Noppakku currently sits at 6th in the championship rankings. After a hiatus of several months, they returned to the fray this year and have been steadily accumulating points. Given that the rankings include a fair number of inactive guilds, they are easily within the top five of the current active roster. Seeing them teamed up with Romance makes us wonder just how much chaos they’ll cause. Meanwhile, Sola world features the sprawling Raon Union across multiple servers, setting the stage for a proper collision with the returning titans.

Group 5: Sparks flying

Groups 5 and 6 are the stomping grounds for Kerum and Mare worlds, and the biggest difference between the two is their union structure. Kerum is dominated by the TOP Union, with factions like TOP4 and TOP10 holding the reins.In particular, servers like Mors, Honor, and Dolor are packed with guilds aligned with the TOP faction.Other unions are either small fry or operate as independent guilds, which are quite numerous in the Ancient Citadel.

Mare, on the other hand, is a cocktail of AURA, NEO, 'Working is Always Tiring', and the Royal Union. Fides is firmly under the sway of the AURA Union, home to Raven 2’s top-dog guild, RoyalDanekke, who currently holds the record for most Ancient Citadel wins. The NEO Union is showing its teeth in Salus and Metus, while the Honor server is the home turf for the 'Working is Always Tiring' union, consisting of 'Leaving Work on Time', 'Getting to Work on Time', and 'Ottogi'.

So, how will the bracket shake out? Group 5 will see a direct confrontation between the unions of both worlds. Kerum has Mors, Honor, and Dolor all in one place, providing a perfect stage for the TOP Union to flex its muscles. Mare, matching Honor, Metus, and Salus, will see the NEO and 'Working is Always Tiring' unions stand their ground. It’s going to be a fascinating watch to see how these union dynamics play out.

PVP Ranking Status

The Raven 2 PvP rankings have been heating up, albeit slowly. Last week, 'Cantabile' topped the list with 90 kills, but this week, they absolutely blew the doors off with 218 kills. The user belongs to the 'Friends' guild on the Mare-Metus server, sitting pretty with a PvP score of 1,066—the highest on the server. What’s truly head-scratching is the rest of the top-tier PvP ranking on that same server; while the NEO guild members dominate the chart, their kill counts were sitting at a measly 2–4. In the midst of that, Cantabile is running a solo masterclass. One has to wonder how on earth they managed to pull off such a lopsided performance.