RuneHero Season 0 Is Live With Seven Ways to Earn Before CBT2

RuneHero has opened Season 0, its first fully operational seasonal experience, giving players 20 days to accumulate rewards across a live economy before the game moves into its second phase of closed beta testing. The season runs from April 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC through April 26, and is available on itch.io.

After months of rebuilding core systems, including a rebuilt anti-cheat architecture based on server-side replay verification, the team at RuneHero is treating Season 0 not as another test round but as the foundation of its long-term seasonal model. Seven distinct reward tracks are active simultaneously, with payouts ranging from shared USDT pools to Crystal NFTs, recurring lottery draws, and a $1,000 launch event that ran in the first 24 hours.

The Season 0 Reward Structure

The central economy of Season 0 is built around Soul Shards and Season Gems. Players gather Soul Shards through in-game activities, then convert them into Season Gems. At the end of the season, USDT rewards are distributed proportionally based on each player's share of the total Gems in circulation. The more Gems a player accumulates relative to the rest of the playerbase, the larger their payout.

Crystal NFTs are distributed based on Season Treasure rankings. The top 1 to 50 players on the leaderboard each receive 2 Crystal NFTs, while players ranked 51 to 500 earn 1 NFT each. Top-ranked players also receive extra rewards beyond the standard tier.

Lottery draws run every 3 days throughout the season. Each draw offers a chance to win USDT, Soul Shards, rare materials, and NFTs, but only Battle Pass holders are eligible to claim these prizes. The recurring nature of the lottery means there are multiple windows to win across the full 20-day period.

The First Day Rush was a 24-hour launch event rewarding the top 30 players by Level and Experience earned from the moment Season 0 opened. Total rewards were $1,000 in USDT. First place took home $200, second received $150, and third earned $100. Players ranked 4th and 5th received $60 each, 6th through 10th got $35 each, 11th through 20th earned $15 each, and those finishing 21st through 30th received $10 each.

The Invite System runs without an upper limit and loops every 5 successful referrals. As a reference point provided by the team, inviting 10 players generates $60 in rewards. Guild membership adds another layer, with partner guild members receiving extra Crystal NFTs distributed based on guild ranking.

What Season 0 Carries Into CBT2

The most strategically significant feature of Season 0 is its carryover structure. Battle Pass purchases made during the season will automatically activate in CBT2, preserving the investment without requiring players to repurchase. Arcane Dust bought during Season 0 will be fully refunded upon entering CBT2, with the full purchased amount returned regardless of how much was consumed. As an example, a player who purchases 8,000 Arcane Dust and uses 3,000 of it will receive all 8,000 back when CBT2 begins.

This means Season 0 is not a standalone experience but a direct economic runway into the next phase of the game. Players who skip it enter CBT2 from a neutral baseline, while those who participate bring forward both their progression and their in-game assets.

About RuneHero

RuneHero is a web3 MMOARPG set in the magical world of Herud, built around dungeons, raids, arena battles, guild systems, and a hybrid PvEvP mode called Outland. The game features a multi-class system where players can mix abilities across classes to create their own build. It runs blockchain integration through the Sei ecosystem, with assets including xRune NFTs, Crystal NFTs, and Rune series items stored on-chain and tradeable through supported marketplaces.

CBT1 ran through May 2025 with a $20,000 base prize pool and introduced core systems including Celestial Stones, Relic NFTs, and the Arcane Crystal whitelist mechanic. Since then, the development team has focused on stability upgrades, a rebuilt server architecture, expanded PvEvP content, and the anti-cheat system now underpinning Season 0. CBT2 is the next confirmed milestone on the roadmap, with Season 0 serving as both the bridge and the qualifying period for the players who will enter it with the most advantages.