The 'Cheonhaecheon' season of Dungeon & Fighter (DNF), which kicked off in March, is finally getting its long-awaited raid. The 'Michaela' raid, featuring both Normal and Hard difficulties, is set to launch simultaneously on August 6. Expect to face off against the corrupted apostle Michaela, who was denied a response from the divine, alongside a host of formidable angels.

Nexon pulled back the curtain on the details during a DNF 'Michaela' preview broadcast on the 25th. The backstory? Having been ignored by the heavens, Michaela absorbed the powers of Ozma and Delezie to manifest a Sanctuary. In a bid to replace the gods, Michaela has even managed to twist the angels within the Sanctuary to the dark side. Naturally, it is up to the adventurers and the Priest Order to put a stop to this divine mutiny.

The Michaela raid offers Single, Matchmaking, Normal, and Hard difficulties, playable every week from Saturday through Wednesday. The Matchmaking, Normal, and Hard modes accommodate 12 players, with a recommended Fame level starting at 117,014 for Normal. Director Park Jong-min noted, "We’ve set the Normal mode to be accessible once you've finished basic farming, aiming for a Fame threshold of roughly 168,000." As for the Hard mode, the team is currently playtesting it with requirements in the high 360,000 range.

The raid spans three phases. Phase 1 introduces four fallen angels: Remiel, Jibril, Raguel, and Sariel. They return in Phase 2, bolstered by the arrival of Uriel and Raphael, coinciding with the start of the final showdown against Michaela. In Phase 3, Uriel and Raphael reappear alongside Michael, the vanguard of the seven archangels. Once they are dealt with, the final clash against the rampaging Michaela begins.

The star of the show, Michaela, wields skills from both the Infighter and Crusader classes. As the fight progresses, Michaela taps into the essence of other apostles like Delezie and Ozma to grow even more dangerous. In Phase 3, expect Michaela to wield a cross in reverse to unleash devastating attacks, alongside patterns that threaten to wipe the map itself.

In Hard mode, Michaela appears in a fused final form known as 'The One Who Sees Through Truth.' Director Park Jong-min explained, "The suppression phase starts the moment the raid begins, and the safe zones shift into the Black Sanctuary, completely inverting the environment. In Hard mode, you'll be limited to using only the Chains of Precepts."

Core systems for the raid were also unveiled. The 'Sanctum Zone' acts as a safety bubble where enemies are weakened. Director Park Jong-min added, "While you can technically fight outside the safe zones, enemies there are buffed, and lingering too long will likely result in your character's death." Players can also utilize 'Light of Brilliance,' a party buff from the Priest Order that creates smaller, temporary safe zones.

The 'Chains of Precepts' is a tactical tool that drags any enemy on the map straight to your party, perfect for focusing fire outside of safe zones. Director Park Jong-min stated, "We wanted to avoid the tedium of waiting for safe zones and keep the combat dynamic. Each angel is tied to a specific domain; when you pull them in with the chains, the surrounding environment reconfigures to match their power, which is quite the spectacle." Use it wisely, as the number of uses is limited.

Phase 2 introduces the 'Vespera Gauge.' Once filled, players can enter a dungeon to face Vespera, and clearing it allows you to choose your target for a 'groggy' state. In Phase 3, 'Ascension of Light' is granted to the standout adventurer of the final fight, allowing them to neutralize Michaela's deadliest patterns. Additionally, the Priest Order provides party buffs like 'Flame of Faith' for increased damage and 'Touch of Light' for resurrection and HP recovery.

Rewards are limited to once per character, per week. The loot includes five types of Michaela armor, which can be upgraded by imbuing 'Celestial Status' onto armor already corrupted by Delezie's energy—or even onto standard armor with additional materials.

By combining five pieces of armor with Celestial Status, three pieces of Primordial-grade accessories, and three pieces of Epic-grade or higher special equipment, players can complete the 'Celestial Relic' set. This allows the freedom to swap between any of the 12 existing set options. Director Park Jong-min noted, "Acquiring the Celestial Relic set makes you significantly stronger and grants the flexibility to switch between set effects without spending extra currency."

Furthermore, stages 5 through 9 of 'Vow of Silence' are opening up. Director Park Jong-min mentioned, "During the liberation process, players can choose to boost final damage, movement speed, skill range, or damage reduction." A new Unique ring, 'Eye Containing Brilliance,' is also being added. It provides a base attack boost and allows players to select one of 12 utility options tied to set characteristics. A material shop will also be available to trade in rewards from the raid.

Hard mode players can also enjoy the minigame 'Advent of Holy Light.' Clearing the Michaela Hard raid grants a special item to participate in the minigame, where points are earned based on your choices. At the end, these points can be exchanged for Brilliant Relics or gold.

A new dungeon, 'Resistance of Afterglow,' also opens its doors. It can be entered once a week without conditions, with additional entries awarded based on your Michaela raid clear difficulty. It drops items useful for farming and supports 1 to 4 players.

Quality-of-life updates are also on the horizon. Penalties for the Mist Vow are being removed up to level 80, and experience can now be earned through Prime Stella, the Michaela raid, and daily missions. An honor voting system is being added to both Normal and Raid modes, revamping the reward structure based on accumulated points. The UI for content status and dungeon tickets is also being streamlined for better readability and performance.

Furthermore, the HP of monsters in the Paradox Labyrinth is being slashed by 30%, with HP scaling capped after area 30. The labyrinth is expanding to 50 areas with additional honorary rewards. Superior dungeons and Legion raid tickets will now auto-charge after weekly maintenance, with players free to choose which dungeons to clear within their maximum limits. Character balance adjustments for Elemental Bomber, Agent, Witch, Lancemaster, and Mechanic are also currently under review.

Both Normal and Hard versions of the Michaela raid launch on August 6, with detailed previews hitting the test server on July 29. A 21st-anniversary special event is already live as of the 25th, offering rewards like full Avatar sets, and a 'First Clear' event will kick off on update day. Finally, this year's DNF Festival is scheduled for mid-December.