Altar of Calanthia was announced as Throne and Liberty’s first 12-player raid, launching June 26, 2025. Its design centers on coordinated roles, two-party teamwork and tank swaps. The details below describe the June 2025 launch and NCSOFT’s later Nightmare announcement; they are not confirmation of the game’s live settings in October 2026.
What is the Altar of Calanthia raid?
The raid sends two parties through a sequence of hostile encounters toward the Arkeum Legion’s Command Marshal General, before the showdown with Calanthia. Amazon Games described Calanthia as a defeated witch who turned to necromancy to revive fallen allies. The June 2025 reveal presented the raid as a long-form weekly activity and a larger-scale challenge than standard party play.
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In an interview, Lead World Content Designer Jaehyeon Kim said the team wanted a challenge that required “coordination and commitment.” The official announcement likewise said its difficulty was intended to require “harmony” and “growth,” through party composition and individual role performance—not simply tougher enemies. The reveal also included a developer deep dive on design, character and narrative, alongside concept art of the exterior, altar, corridor, Calanthia and a fire-and-ice arena. Read the official reveal.
How were parties and boss encounters designed?
The developers described three main sections, each ending in a boss fight. The first encounter was meant to introduce the fundamentals of 12-player combat and teamwork; later encounters would add more advanced positioning and role switching.
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At launch, Raid matchmaking formed two parties, each with one tank, one healer and four damage dealers. Some encounters were designed for both parties to work on a single boss. Two tanks also had to take turns managing aggro, a departure from the single-tank approach in earlier co-op dungeons. Kim called that swap a key mechanic.
How did players access the raid at launch?
The June 2025 Update 2.16.0 notes required players to complete parts I and II of the Two Wings of Sylvaeth Codex. The raid portal and associated crafting NPCs were at the north end of Herba Village. Players could use the Raid UI at the portal to find matchmaking or Party Board listings; the standard Party Matchmaking interface did not list the raid. Raid matchmaking was available for Normal, not Difficult.
These requirements and interface details are from the June 2025 launch notes. Consult the Update 2.16.0 notes for the announcement as published then; they do not establish the current live-game setup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What were the launch difficulties and Combat Power requirements?
| Difficulty | June 2025 launch requirement | Launch details |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 5,000 Combat Power minimum | Available through Raid matchmaking; a full wipe granted a stacking damage and HP buff for subsequent attempts, up to 10 stacks, subject to a three-minute interval. |
| Difficult | 6,000 Combat Power minimum | Bosses had stronger stats, mechanics and phases; matchmaking was not available. |
The patch notes said players could earn rewards in both launch difficulties each week. Boss kills served as weekly checkpoints: groups could return to a checkpoint later in the week, and players could join multiple groups. Repeating a boss already defeated did not grant additional rewards before the weekly reset. All thresholds and rules in this section describe the June 2025 launch, not verified October 2026 settings.
What rewards were announced?
At launch, defeating Calanthia on either difficulty guaranteed a Heroic armor or weapon each week. Difficult had better odds for weapon drops or selection chests. The raid also introduced Entropy Shards and Chaos Prisms, used to craft Heroic enhancement materials, Skill Core management items and gear. These are the reward details in the June 2025 patch notes; later live-game reward tables may differ.
What changed with Nightmare difficulty?
In an August 25, 2025 announcement, NCSOFT said Nightmare difficulty had become available starting August 21 at 8 p.m. KST, with a minimum requirement of 7,000 Combat Power. The company said raid clears could reward Heroic accessories, including Choking Conviction and Shackled Twilight, and that Difficult had been rebalanced for smoother progression. Those statements document NCSOFT’s announcement at the time; they do not confirm that the threshold, rewards or balance remain unchanged. Read NCSOFT’s announcement.
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