Arise – Closed Alpha: Get Ready to Enter the Dungeon

The time has come.

On May 28 at 08:00 AM UTC, we are launching the very first Closed Playtest of Arise, our co-op action-RPG set in the Cross The Ages universe.

This phase marks a crucial milestone: it is the first time external players will have access to a portion of the Arise game.
Access to this test will be granted to all holders of a Mint Pass as of May 26 at 8:00 AM UTC and will be available only on Windows, via the Epic Games Store, with Central Europe servers. (The version is not available in Australia, Brazil, China and South Korea)

What you will be testing

This first session focuses on the core gameplay. The objective is clear: collect your feedback on combat feel, control fluidity, action readability, overall dungeon experience, and allow us to conduct server load tests.
The content is intentionally limited: one dungeon, one playable character, and a single weapon, to be upgraded through each run.

During this Closed Playtest, you will have access to a limited version of the character creation system. Two hairstyles are available, with the option to customize hair and eye color.
After a short tutorial, you will be able to chain runs solo or in co-op with up to 4 players.
In the starting area, four buildings will be active: crystal opening, the Artellium map, the talent board, and the leaderboard.

There is no daily quest system in this version.

The game loop

Once the tutorial is completed, you can enter the dungeon solo, with two, three or four players.
The system is simple:

• You complete a dungeon → you earn crystals and a new key (the higher the dungeon level, the rarer the crystals)
• You open a crystal → you receive a potentially more powerful weapon
• Equip your weapon, customize your skills and head back to the dungeon with your new key.
• The faster you finish, the higher your key level increases (up to +3)
  → If you are too slow, your key level drops

The ultimate goal? Unlock the Tier 7 Mythical Fire Weapon and get the best run out of the Closed Playtest, the most powerful weapon available in this test.

A test phase… but above all, a listening phase

This test will run from Wednesday, May 28 at 08:00 AM UTC to Monday, June 2 at 08:00 AM UTC, and all content will be available in English.

This is a development version: performance drops may occur, especially due to temporary materials used in runtime or log collection. For an optimal experience (High quality or higher), we recommend a solid setup: RTX 3070 or higher and 32 GB RAM. The “High” graphics preset is a good balance between performance and visual quality, so make sure to check your settings at launch.

But above all: your feedback will be essential. 

A questionnaire will appear in-game after you’ve spent some time playing, to gather your opinions in a simple and effective way.

In addition, a built-in feedback/bug report module will allow you to send us your feedback in real time.

You will be able to report anything that seems improvable: readability, combat feel, difficulty curve, menu fluidity, understanding of mechanics, etc.

How to access

On the morning of May 28, an email will be sent to all addresses associated with a Mint Pass. Only one account per user will be selected (the one with the highest level). You will therefore receive an email at the associated address.

This email will contain the access link to the test phase.

IMPORTANT: the snapshot date to determine eligible addresses will be May 26 at 08:00 AM UTC.

We are also anticipating some technical issues: as has happened during the Blast sessions, the Epic Games team may require last-minute revisions.

In this case, the flow will be as follows:

• Snapshot of emails on May 26 at 8:00 AM UTC
• Sending of invitations to join the Cross The Ages organization (a mandatory step before redeeming your code)
• Redeem of the code provided in the email

If this happens, all information will be communicated via Discord.

Exclusive reward: the Founder’s Coin

As previously mentioned, every tester logged in during this Closed Playtest will receive a Founder’s Coin, an exclusive currency.
However, to obtain this reward, you must reach level 10 before the end of the test phase.
This coin will only be usable in the Founder’s Shop, available exclusively during Early Access (and not accessible during the Closed Playtest phases).

But with an Epic account?
No worries: a new Nexus authentication system is currently in development.
Once available, you will be able to link the Epic account of your choice to your Cross The Ages account.

This first Closed Playtest marks the beginning of a new chapter for Arise.
And for those who read all the way to the end, here’s a small teaser of what’s next.

A Closed Playtest 2 is already planned.
This next phase will offer a much wider game scope: you’ll be able to explore a full dungeon, play as two characters, try five different weapons, and discover the first crafting and fishing systems, which are currently locked.
As for the next dungeon, it will only be available starting from Closed Playtest 3.
Each phase will gradually open up the Arise universe, so you can progress alongside us in the game’s development