TL;DR
- Varg Berserker is a Cogni pet in AION 2.
- Its souls drop in Altgard from Varg Berserker and Chief’s Bodyguard monsters.
- You can also get it from the Pet Chest: Cogni, Mysterious Pet Chest, Growth Pet Chest, and Black Cloud Merchants.
- At max level (Pet Insight Lv. 3) it gives HP +30, Critical Hit +2, and Might +1.
- You need 5 souls to unlock it, 25 more to reach Lv. 2, and 75 more to reach Lv. 3.
- Lv. 3 unlocks the Transformation ability using Empathy Candy.
What Is the Varg Berserker in AION 2?
The Varg Berserker is a Cogni-type Cogni pet in AION 2. It is one of 41 Cogni pets in the game. Like all pets in AION 2, it works as a rideable mount and gives passive stat bonuses called Owned Effects.
The Cogni genus focuses on HP, Critical Hit, and Might. If you play an attack-focused class and want to stack offensive stats passively, Cogni pets like the Varg Berserker are a great place to start. For a full breakdown of why Cogni pets matter for progression, check our AION 2 Best Pets to Farm for Stats guide.
Varg Berserker Pet Insight Stats
Pet Insight is the leveling system for each individual pet. Raising your Varg Berserker’s Pet Insight gives you more stats and unlocks new features.
Here are all three Pet Insight levels for the Varg Berserker:
- Pet Insight Lv. 1 — HP +10. Unlocks: Mount. (Costs 5 souls to unlock, then 25 more to reach Lv. 2)
- Pet Insight Lv. 2 — HP +20, Critical Hit +1. Unlocks: Mount Glide. (Costs 75 more souls to reach Lv. 3)
- Pet Insight Lv. 3 — HP +30, Critical Hit +2, Might +1. Unlocks: Transformation.
These are the same stats every Cogni pet gives at each level. What sets the Varg Berserker apart is how you get it and its value for filling your Cogni Genus Insight board. Read more about how the Cogni Genus compares to others in our AION 2 List of All Pets guide.
How to Get the Varg Berserker in AION 2
There are two main ways to get the Varg Berserker: farming its souls from monsters in Altgard, or getting it directly from chests and the Black Cloud Merchants.
Method 1: Farm Varg Berserker Souls in Altgard
The Varg Berserker’s souls drop from two monsters in the Altgard zone:
- Varg Berserker — Level 32 Normal monster. Found in the Dranactus area in Altgard. Has 21 spawn points across the zone.
- Chief’s Bodyguard — Level 42 monster. Also found in Altgard.
You need 5 souls to unlock the pet. After that, you need 25 more to reach Pet Insight Lv. 2, and another 75 to max it at Lv. 3. That is 105 souls total to fully level the pet.
The Varg Berserker monster is a level 32 Normal enemy, so it is not too difficult to farm. Altgard is an Asmodian starting zone, so this is a great early farm if you are playing that faction. For more on the Asmodian side of things, see our AION 2 Elyos vs Asmodians guide.
Method 2: Get It from Chests and the Black Cloud Merchants
If you do not want to farm souls, you can also get the Varg Berserker directly as a pet item from:
- Mysterious Pet Chest
- Pet Chest: Cogni (Bound) — The Varg Berserker has a 2.44% chance per draw from this chest. There are 41 possible items in total.
- Growth Pet Chest
- Black Cloud Merchants — Available in the Special and Pets tabs. Rotates, so check regularly.
There is also a Pet Soul Chest: Cogni that can give you Varg Berserker souls directly if you want to raise its Pet Insight without farming Altgard.
Additionally, the Varg Berserker can be obtained from Ascension Trials across multiple difficulties:
- Nightmare Altar Ascension Trial (Easy, Normal, Hard, Extreme)
- Sanctum of Loathing Ascension Trial (Easy, Normal)
You can also earn it from the My Reliable Friends II Achievement. Want to know what to prioritize first? See our AION 2 What to Farm First guide.
How to Use the Varg Berserker as a Mount
Once you unlock the Varg Berserker at Pet Insight Lv. 1, you can equip it and ride it as a mount. At Pet Insight Lv. 2, you unlock Mount Glide, which lets you glide while mounted. Both of these are available to all pets in AION 2, not just the Varg Berserker.
For more on how movement and positioning works in combat, check our AION 2 Back Attack and Front Attack guide.
How to Unlock Varg Berserker Transformation
At Pet Insight Lv. 3, you unlock the Transformation ability for the Varg Berserker. Here is how it works:
- Required: Varg Berserker must be equipped as your active pet.
- Required: Pet must be at Pet Insight Lv. 3.
- Item needed: Empathy Candy — obtainable from the Festival Shop for 20 Centuryroot Tokens, or as a Pet Collection Status reward.
- Duration: 5 minutes.
- Size: Your character becomes 100% the size of the Varg Berserker model.
- Skills: You can still use your normal skills while transformed.
- Restrictions: You cannot mount during the transformation. You must cancel the transformation before switching pets.
The transformation is mostly cosmetic but is a fun reward for fully leveling your pet. To understand the full Pet Insight system better, see our AION 2 Pet Selection Chest Guide.
Is the Varg Berserker Worth Getting?
Yes. Here is why.
The Varg Berserker is listed as one of the best Cogni pets to own. Since its souls cannot be collected directly from most monster combat in the open world (unlike pets like the Krall Warrior or Klaw Scout), it is harder to collect naturally. That makes it valuable for filling Cogni Genus Insight milestones, which are harder to complete without these chest-exclusive pets.
Completing Cogni milestones boosts your passive Attack and Critical Hit stats through the Genus Insight board. The more unique Cogni pets you own, the higher your board progress. Every Cogni pet you max at Lv. 3 gives you HP +30, Critical Hit +2, and Might +1 stacked permanently.
If you are building toward a strong endgame character, adding the Varg Berserker to your collection is a smart step. For broader endgame priorities, see our AION 2 Endgame Guide.
Varg Berserker vs Other Cogni Pets
All Cogni pets give the same stats at each Pet Insight level. So what makes the Varg Berserker stand out?
The key difference is availability. Many Cogni pets like the Krall Laborer, Klaw Scout, and Nagarant Guardian Warrior drop souls in the open world. They are easier to farm just by playing the game. The Varg Berserker does not drop souls from most open world combat, making it a chest and merchant exclusive for the most part.
This matters because owning unique pets that are harder to get fills out your Cogni collection milestones faster, unlocking better passive bonuses. For comparison, check our guides on similar Cogni pets:
- AION 2 Klaw Cogni Pet Guide
- AION 2 Klaw Scout Cogni Pet Guide
- AION 2 Elite Klaw Cogni Pet Guide
- AION 2 Krall Warrior Cogni Pet Guide
- AION 2 Krall Warshaman Cogni Pet Guide
- AION 2 Krall Laborer Cogni Pet Guide
- AION 2 Nagarant Guardian Warrior Cogni Pet Guide
- AION 2 Manduri Fighter Cogni Pet Guide
- AION 2 Elite Manduri Fighter Guide
- AION 2 Aullaeu Shaman Cogni Pet Guide
How Many Souls Does Varg Berserker Need to Max Out?
Here is a quick soul count breakdown:
- 5 souls — Unlock the pet (Pet Insight Lv. 1)
- 25 more souls — Reach Pet Insight Lv. 2
- 75 more souls — Reach Pet Insight Lv. 3 (Max)
- 105 total souls — To fully max the Varg Berserker
If you are trying to max it quickly using chests, plan ahead. The drop rate from the Pet Chest: Cogni is 2.44% per draw. The Pet Soul Chest: Cogni is a faster way to stack souls for leveling once you already own the pet. For tips on getting pets faster in general, see our AION 2 How to Get Pets Fast guide.
Varg Berserker and Genus Insight
Every time you raise your Varg Berserker’s Pet Insight level, it also gives your account Genus Insight EXP for the Cogni board:
- Pet Insight Lv. 1 — Grants 500 Cogni Genus Insight EXP
- Pet Insight Lv. 2 — Grants 250 Cogni Genus Insight EXP
- Pet Insight Lv. 3 — Grants 250 Cogni Genus Insight EXP
Genus Insight is a separate, account-wide progression system. It does not reset between characters. Every Cogni pet you level up pushes your Cogni Genus Insight board forward, unlocking bigger passive bonuses like Critical Damage boosts. Do not mix this up with Pet Insight, which is per-pet. See our AION 2 Best Pets to Farm for Stats guide for a full breakdown on how to prioritize this.
Varg Berserker Quick Reference
- Pet Name: Varg Berserker
- Genus: Cogni
- Pet Type: Common
- Race: Elyos and Asmodians (both factions can use it)
- Required Level: 1
- Tradable: No
- Soul Drop: Yes — from Varg Berserker and Chief’s Bodyguard in Altgard
- Soul Zone: Altgard (21 spawn points for the Varg Berserker monster)
- Monster Level: Varg Berserker (Lv. 32), Chief’s Bodyguard (Lv. 42)
- Max Stats (Lv. 3): HP +30, Critical Hit +2, Might +1
Where to Play AION 2
You can play AION 2 on the official AION 2 website or download it through AION 2 on Steam.
