Heroes Legacy: A Look Back at the Hero Festival
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Published on Nov 17 2025
A Unique Human and Artistic Experience
More than a competition, Heroes Legacy celebrated a shared passion: a transmedia universe where art, literature, and technology merge to create a living, collective work.
Our artists Théo, Coralie, and Yanis brought the weekend to life by sharing sketches, conversations, and inspirations with visitors.
Gabriel even created a live illustration, greeted by enthusiastic applause from the crowd.
On the booking side, authors Alain, Arnaud, Fabrice, and Norbert unveiled the richness of the Cross The Ages universe, inviting the public to dive into the lore of Artellium through their perspectives and narratives.
Throughout the event, the Cross The Ages team opened the doors to the backstage of this epic adventure, introducing visitors to Blast and Arise and answering countless questions from a passionate and ever-growing community.
Our community showed up in great numbers to support the champions, while many curious newcomers discovered CTA for the first time and explored the many ways to experience Artellium. Players could claim the first physical cards and open them with the team and the community.
An Edition Full of Creativity and Innovation
This edition was marked by the release of an exclusive animated film announcing the arrival of the world’s best players in Marseille, immersing visitors from the very first seconds. 🎥 Watch the video here 🎥
Another highlight was our collaboration with Olympique de Marseille, resulting in limited-edition outfits reserved for top players—an unprecedented encounter between sports, gaming, and culture.
Blast: A Memorable France–Japan Final
On October 22, the eight Heroes Legacy finalists were announced: DunkeyKin, Lolomi, LKD Eiji, Junzy, Sixel, DevilChicken, Zenoxh, and AFC MrRegem.
On Saturday, November 8, a surprising moment shook the audience: DunkeyKin lost his first match against AFC MrRegem in the morning, sending him into the loser bracket. Yet he showed remarkable resilience by winning four consecutive duels against Junzy, Lolomi, DevilChicken, and Sixel to qualify for the grand final.
After an emotional day, LKD Eiji and DunkeyKin ultimately secured their places for the final.
On Sunday, November 9, the long-awaited showdown began. DunkeyKin entered the final with a one-point disadvantage due to his loser bracket path, while Eiji had lost only two duels across all his BO3s to reach this stage.
In an electrifying atmosphere, France, represented by DunkeyKin, triumphed over Japan, represented by @eiji_5230.
This victory marked the revenge of the very first Heroes Legacy final: in 2023, Japan had won—but in 2025, the victory went to France.
Who will claim the title in the 4th edition in 2026 ?
Arise: A Public Demo and a Spectacular Tournament
For the first time, the general public was able to test the Arise solo demo, a streamlined version of Dungeon 1, Level 0, designed for quick onboarding. Some rooms were removed to make the experience smoother, but in future sessions players will discover new dungeons, new quests, and new dialogues with characters such as Pietro.
At the end of the demo, players entered an open land where they could explore the harvesting and crafting systems, key mechanics for upgrading weapons and progressing more efficiently through dungeons.
The reception was outstanding: over a thousand people tested Arise throughout the weekend. The public ranged from ages 7 to 77, and the statistics showed strong engagement: the boss was defeated in half the runs, with an average playtime of 13 minutes!
On the competitive side, the Arise tournament delivered intense action. Seven teams of four competed on Saturday, but AFC and Cocopelie emerged as the top contenders for the final.
Players had two attempts to achieve the best time in the Competitive Mode, which required clearing the dungeon as fast as possible with a level-30 key. Each success increased difficulty, as monsters gained HP and damage. Finalists faced the full Dungeon 1 equipped with Mythic Sept weapons—the best items in the game.
On Sunday afternoon, the two teams played simultaneously on stage:
Cocopelie won the first match with the fastest time.
The second match, in Ascension Mode, featured an eight-player obstacle race. Only the finalists had access to this exclusive new mode. Cocopelie’s top two players took the lead, followed by an AFC player, while a fourth competitor narrowly missed the finish line.
The final round came down to fewer than 10 seconds in a last level-30 dungeon run.
Ultimately, Cocopelie won 3–0, and each of its four members earned a gaming PC.
The Ascension Mode will be available in the next playtest at the end of November.
You can already pre-download the game for Playtest 3 on November 26 via this link:
https://store.epicgames.com/fr/p/arise-arise-closed-alpha-1-8562dc
This playtest will be available exclusively on Epic Games—and it will be your chance to try Ascension Mode!
You can also add Arise to your Steam wishlist:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3814170/Cross_The_Ages_Arise/
A Collective Adventure
A huge thank you to HeroFestival for their warm welcome!
To our partners for their invaluable support: LDLC (Plan de Campagne & Aubagne), Région Sud, Ville de Marseille, Olympique de Marseille, Animoca Brands, Solana, Swissborg, CMA CGM, Cepac!
To our CTA team for your energy!
And above all, to our community for your passion and loyalty!
This 3rd edition of Heroes Legacy will remain a landmark moment in our history—and a new reminder that games have the power to bring people together far beyond the screen.
🎥 You can watch the HL recap video here:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sami-chlagou-b2468b74_gaming-jeuxvideo-marseille-activity-7393565995275202560-qViU?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAC26d_4B9LDpmOpZ1ZGRcELz4MGkbSv-e2I
