Cross The Ages is launching its second Closed Playtest for Arise, the upcoming action RPG, from July 23 to 30. This new session adds new gear, updated rules, and fresh leaderboard prizes totaling $25,000. Players who hold a Mint Pass or belong to the Moca fam will get to compete across dungeons for both loot and leaderboard status, all while testing new gameplay mechanics and cooperative runs.

What's New in Playtest 2

This round introduces five distinct weapons that can be unlocked with in-game crystals. Crystals are earned by clearing dungeons, and the stronger your key level, the better your crystal drops. When opened, each crystal randomly grants a weapon tier, with top-tier drops like Tier 7 now available to all players early in the test phase. This change is meant to speed up discovery and weapon testing across the player base.

Two new leaderboards will track performance separately. One is for Mint Pass holders, whose usernames carry a "CTA" tag. The other is for Moca players, identified with a "MOCA" prefix. Both groups can play together, but rewards are sent based on individual group composition. If a group ranks high on both boards, the CTA rewards go only to CTA players in that group, and the same applies for MOCA players.

Each leaderboard carries a $12,500 prize pool, given away in CTA tokens. Winners will receive tokens directly to their wallets, with conversion based on the average CTA price over the week-long playtest. Tokens will be sent within two weeks after the event concludes. 

Group Play and Co-op Focus

Although solo runs are possible, this playtest encourages team play. Players can form squads of up to four, which helps improve key progression speed. But matchmaking is disabled, so teams must be formed manually via the official Discord server.

Rewards are group-based, meaning the prize for any ranking spot is split among the group members. Players are allowed to join multiple groups and can earn multiple rewards if they rank with different teams. As long as one member is eligible for a leaderboard, the entire group qualifies for ranking.

Founder's Coin Returns

Anyone who completes a level 10 dungeon during the test will earn a Founder's Coin, a special currency usable only in the Early Access phase. This coin cannot be used during the current test but will be available later in the Founder's Shop.

Ranking rewards table for Arise Closed Playtest 2

Ranking Rewards Breakdown

The top 200 players on each leaderboard will receive prizes based on placement. The structure includes the top four individual ranks with high-dollar rewards, followed by grouped tiers down to rank 200. Rank 1 nets $2,500, while rank 101–200 each get $15. 

How to Join the Playtest

To join the second Closed Playtest, you'll need a unique access code linked to a verified account.

For Cross The Ages players, a snapshot was taken on July 21. All eligible Mint Pass holders received their personal access code by email. Only one account per user is selected, based on the highest level.

Moca community members can get their code directly from the MOCAVERSE website. Once you have your code, download Arise from the Epic Games Store, launch the game, and enter the code to start playing.

Gameplay Loop and Dungeon Progression

The upcoming test follows a familiar gameplay structure:

Players enter a dungeon solo or with a team, complete the level, earn crystals, and unlock a weapon. That new gear can be equipped before starting the next run. If you finish a dungeon quickly, your key level goes up. If you take too long, the key level drops. The goal is to climb higher through dungeon levels while upgrading your build with stronger weapons and better talent upgrades. 

Arise on Steam and Epic Games

While the game is only playable on Epic Games during this test, Arise's official Steam page also went live. It won't support gameplay yet, but players can wishlist the title and follow development updates. This page launch marks an important step for visibility ahead of the full release set in 2025.

System Requirements and Known Issues

To run the game, you'll need a Windows 10 (64-bit) PC with at least an Intel i5-8400 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a GTX 1060 graphics card. For better performance, the team recommends using an i7-9700 with an RTX 3080. There's a known issue with AMD RX 5700 cards that may cause display problems, and the team is actively working on a fix.

The game also requires 20 GB of free space, DirectX 12, and a Windows-compatible sound card. It supports text in English and French, with no voice audio for now.

Because of Epic Games Store restrictions, players in China and South Korea won't be able to access this test.

Recap of May's Closed Alpha Phase 1

The first closed test ran from May 28 to June 2. It featured a much smaller build of the game. Testers used a single hero, one weapon, and explored one dungeon. Character creation was limited to hair and eye color changes. Players could team up or run solo, and the gameplay loop focused on earning crystals to unlock the Tier 7 Mythical Fire Weapon.

That first session marked a key point in the development timeline. It served as both a server load test and a chance for early players to provide feedback on combat, controls, and core progression. The in-game environment included basic tutorial guidance, access to a talent board, a leaderboard, and the Artellium map. While limited in scope, the test offered a full loop experience and gave players a peek at the game's deeper systems.

Players who reached level 10 during Phase 1 also earned the Founder's Coin, just like in the current round.

Looking Ahead

Arise is a free to play multiplayer action RPG built in Unreal Engine 5. When finished, it will offer dynamic dungeons, open-world systems, a trade economy, crafting, and more. This second playtest brings it one step closer to that vision.

Players will be able to explore multiple weapons, new strategy options, and a competitive ranking system that gives real rewards. Updates to loot drops and co-op mechanics will also help the team test deeper gameplay systems during this phase.

Whether you're returning from Phase 1 or jumping in for the first time, Arise's Closed Playtest 2 promises to expand the experience while giving players new ways to climb the ranks, upgrade gear, and claim rewards.