At Early Access launch you pick one of four classes, and each class is locked to a set gender. XLGAMES is adding gender choice one class at a time, starting with a female Warrior in the first update, planned for December 2026. No playable race list has been published.
Classes at creation
The four classes named in Steam news are Warrior, Ranger, Berserker and Mage. Each has two weapons at Early Access.
| Class | Weapons at launch |
|---|---|
| Warrior | Longsword, Greatsword |
| Ranger | Longbow, Hatchets |
| Berserker | Axe and Shield, Warhammer |
| Mage | Elemental Staff, Wavesword |
The Warrior pairings come from official Steam posts. The other three come from MMORPG.com’s class previews. See classes for each one.
Gender locks
Classes are gender locked at launch. Producer Ham wrote on October 29 that this has been the most common piece of feedback since the September network test. His plan is:
- Gender selection at character creation, added one class at a time.
- The first class is the Warrior, with a female Warrior planned for the first update in December.
- More options will follow in later updates.
- The goal is to remove gender locks from every class by full release.
XLGAMES has not published which gender each class is locked to. Press and creator coverage agrees on this split:
| Class | Locked gender at Early Access | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Male (female option planned for December) | NextLevel (5:52), AlterMMO |
| Ranger | Female | NextLevel, AlterMMO, MMO-News.audio |
| Mage | Female | NextLevel, AlterMMO, MMO-News.audio |
| Berserker | Male | AlterMMO (from the September network test) |
A sensible approach is to choose the class you want to play now rather than wait, since the other classes have no announced dates for gender options.
Gladius and third weapons
The first update also adds the Gladius as a third Warrior weapon. XLGAMES says every class will get a third weapon type over time, one class at a time. It is not one of the eight launch weapons.
Appearance and presets
Producer Ham’s letter lists two creation and appearance changes since the demo: there are more character presets, and glasses and masks can now be hidden on helmet appearances. XLGAMES has not published the full list of sliders, hair options or face controls, so we cannot describe them yet.
Races
Short answer: no race choice has been confirmed. The Steam store FAQ says you choose from four classes with two weapons each and names no playable races. Launch-day Steam reviews describe character creation in terms of appearance options such as skin color and presets, not a race picker. Class previews mention lore figures such as Kyrios, Tahyang Kahlzit of the Firran, Aranzeb and Shyagon of Gon; MMORPG.com presents those as legends tied to each class, not a character creation roster. If XLGAMES adds races, we will update this page with the source.
Pre-order costume
Each pre-order includes one Dawn Pioneer Set costume for a single class of your choice. You can claim it in game now that Early Access is live. A sensible approach is to claim it for the class you intend to play, since it covers one class.
Character creation FAQ
Are classes gender locked in ArcheAge Chronicles?
Yes. At Early Access every class is locked to one gender. XLGAMES plans a female Warrior option for the first update in December 2026 and aims to remove gender locks from every class by full release.
Which gender is each class?
Press and creator coverage reports the Warrior and the Berserker as male, and the Ranger and the Mage as female. XLGAMES has not published this split itself.
Can you choose a race in ArcheAge Chronicles?
No race choice has been confirmed. The Steam store FAQ names four classes and no playable races, and launch-day reviews describe character creation as appearance options such as skin color and presets.
Questions XLGAMES has not answered
- How many characters you can make per account.
- Whether you can change a character’s appearance later.
- Whether name changes or class changes exist.
The demo save does not carry over to Early Access. We will add answers as soon as XLGAMES or players report them.