First Look at Arise: CTA’s New RPG Enters Closed Alpha Playtest

What Is Arise and What to Expect in Closed Alpha Phase 1

Cross The Ages (CTA) is back with something new for its community. This time, it’s not just a trading card game. The team is working on a co-op action RPG called Arise. Closed Alpha Phase 1 for the game starts on May 28. This will be the first time anyone outside the team gets to try it out. Players will explore one dungeon, play as one hero, and use only one weapon. It’s a very early version of the game, so the developers want feedback on the core gameplay. No deep knowledge of CTA lore is needed. This playtest is about testing the basics: how the game feels, how controls work, how clear the actions are, and whether the dungeon experience is fun.

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The test version gives players access to a short tutorial. This helps everyone understand the controls and mechanics before jumping into a dungeon run. After that, you can play solo or with up to four people. You’ll also get to interact with four early buildings: the leaderboard, the talent board, a place to open crystals, and the Artellium map. There won’t be any daily quests during this phase. You can customize your hero’s hairstyle, hair color, and eye color. It’s not much, but it gives a small taste of what’s to come in future phases.

The gameplay loop is simple. Finish the tutorial, complete dungeon runs, earn crystals, and find new keys. Higher dungeon levels give you rarer crystals. Open them, and you might get a stronger weapon. Equip it, tweak your skills, and head back in. The speed of your dungeon run matters. Finish fast, and your key level goes up. Take too long, and it goes down. Your goal is to unlock the Tier 7 Mythical Fire Weapon, which is the strongest one available during this test. If you reach level 10 before the test ends, you’ll receive the Founder’s Coin. This is a special currency used in the Founder’s Shop, which will only be available later in Early Access.

What Comes Next After Phase 1

This is just the beginning. The team has already planned the second closed playtest. That phase will open up more content. You’ll be able to explore a full dungeon, play as two characters, and try five different weapons. It’ll also introduce crafting and fishing. The third test will bring a brand-new dungeon. These phases will continue building on what testers share. The focus is on collecting feedback, improving the game, and scaling the experience.

You can take part in the test if you have a CTA Mint Pass. The Closed Alpha starts on Wednesday, May 28 at 8 AM UTC and runs until Monday, June 2 at 8 AM UTC. Only one account per person will get selected. The team will send access emails to the account with the highest level connected to a valid Mint Pass. A snapshot of eligible emails and wallet addresses will be taken on May 26 at 8 AM UTC.

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If you don’t have a Mint Pass yet, you can still join. You’ll need to buy an NFT Mint Pass before the snapshot. The cheapest one is the Red Mint Pass, priced at $40.24 USDC. These passes are available on CTA’s official marketplace. Make sure your email is tied to the wallet that holds the pass. This is how you get selected for the alpha.

This is a dev build of the game, so it needs a strong setup. CTA recommends an RTX 3070 graphics card or better, and 32 GB of RAM if you want to play on “High” settings. The Closed Alpha is only available on Windows. You’ll need to download it through the Epic Games Store. The test runs on Central European servers. If you’re located in Australia, Brazil, China, or South Korea, you won’t be able to join the Closed Alpha. The team shared that the full game will be free to play and will support other platforms later, including Mac.

Final Thoughts

Cross The Ages: Arise is shaping up to be an exciting new chapter in CTA’s universe. The Closed Alpha is a great chance for early supporters to jump in, test the game, and help shape its future. If you’re interested in blockchain games and enjoy RPGs, this is something to look out for. Just make sure to get your Mint Pass in time.