Project Review: Cross the Ages
A Multimedia Science Fiction IP
Blockchain-based games continue to be a readily adoptable use case for the masses. Since 2020, the GameFi industry has soared, attracting several institutional investors such as Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Animoca Brands, Sequoia, Avalanche, and more. In fact, the industry’s popularity and adoption have led to the creation of over 1,300 new Web3 games since January 2024.
However, just like Web2 needed time to gain traction almost 15 years ago, the adoption of blockchain and Web3 face challenges, namely lack of accessibility and education. Aiming to tackle these issues is Morningstar Ventures’ portfolio company, Cross the Ages, a multimedia intellectual property (IP) company that is creating a universe of products, all grounded by three main themes: fantasy, science fiction, and post-apocalyptic. The project’s range of products, including books, games, NFTs, and more, all aim to connect the digital and physical worlds and make Web3 more accessible and enjoyable.
This month’s review will cover everything from the founding team to fundraising, the range of products within the Cross the Ages ecosystem, and how the Genesis trading card game (TCG) works. It will end with an analysis of what we like about Cross the Ages and where we see potential challenges for the project.
What is Cross the Ages: Lore and Products
Launched in 2020, Cross the Ages is a multimedia IP developing various products, including a Trading Card Game (TCG), action RPG, digital universe, collectibles, movies, and books, all grounded in a lore where futuristic fantasy meets science fiction in a post-apocalyptic setting. Cross the Ages aims to create a captivating world by connecting virtual and physical experiences and ultimately building an ecosystem beyond “just gaming.”
The world of Artellium is the backbone of the lore and drives the main storyline of all Cross the Ages products. Written and crafted by six French authors, the “Cross The Ages” saga lays the groundwork for a world struggling with geopolitical and systemic crises mirroring our own. For decades, the world of Artellium has been divided by two rival powers: Arkhante, a magical civilization spanning the western continent, and Mantris, a technologically advanced city state. The Rift, a lawless zone resulting from a cataclysm, separates these two worlds. Pranah, a vital energy source, fuels magic in Arkhante and powers technology in Mantris. But its diminishing strength poses a growing energy crisis for both, threatening their way of life.
Throughout the Cross the Ages ecosystem, readers are immersed in a rich universe of Artellium with its rules and symbols. This journey invites readers, players, collectors, and other participants to empathize with characters as they navigate their fates.
(Pictured above are Cross the Ages Founders Sami Chlagou and Richard Estève with the writers Fabrice Capizzano, Héloïse Brézillon, Pablo Servigne, Arnaud Dollen, Alain Damasio, and Norbert Merjagnan)
Read more about the Lore here: https://whitepaper.crosstheages.com/whitepaper/en/lore/the-world-of-artellium
Cross the Ages Products:
- Trading Card Game (TGC): Cross The Ages: TCG is a free-to-play card game set in the Cross The Ages universe, launched on Unity in March 2023 for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS. The game aims to offer accessible, fun, and evolving gameplay, putting players in control of the economy. This is the only game currently available to the public. It now also includes a partnership with Ubisoft Watch Dogs characters. Read more about the gameplay in the “Gameplay and Token Economy: TGC” section below.
- Books: Planning to release a saga of 7 novels, the team recently published its first volume: La Rune & le Code (publisher Bragilonne, leading publisher in Sci-Fi/Fantasy). “The Rune and the Code” is a dystopian tale blending fantasy and science fiction books. Already highly anticipated, the first volume soared to the top of sales upon release and is available in French on Amazon. The second volume will be finished in June. And it is planned for the books to be translated into multiple languages.
- Arise (Action RPG): Arise is a multiplayer action RPG set in the Cross The Ages universe developed on Unreal Engine 5 and offered as a free-to-play title. The team aims to launch the game on PC, with Mac and other platforms to follow. The game aims to deliver an accessible, innovative gaming experience where players shape the economy. The current roadmap is to launch a game demo in September 2024, followed by a series of NFT launches and season releases. Learn more about Arise and its gameplay here: https://whitepaper.crosstheages.com/whitepaper/en/products/arise/gameplay.
- ReVerse: Within Arise, players can purchase Cross the Ages land, serving as digital NFT parcels where players can enhance their skills. These virtual lands also directly translate into physical lands and give players ownership of land within the real Cross the Ages Factory. Cross The Ages has acquired land to provide decarbonized energy from surplus production capacity. The clients of these factories include data centers, players in the artificial intelligence sector, Bitcoin miners, etc., all seeking low-cost green energy in a legally stable environment. CTA Factory can provide a turnkey solution that allows players to connect to their network. ReVerse, therefore, represents a connection between virtual and real-world ownership and supports Cross the Ages with its mission to foster a positive impact on renewable energy transition and decarbonization. The launch of this initiative will coincide with the launch of Arise.
Gameplay and Token Economy: TCG
After migrating from the Polygon blockchain in 2022, Cross the Ages TCG is powered by the Immutable X and is available to play since 2023.Cross the Ages’ TCG is the project’s genesis game. It is a free-to-play, play-and-earn collectible card and NFT game. The game was developed for mobile users first yet leverages blockchain technology for desktop gaming.The Cross The Ages TCG has four primary components:
- Cards
- Heptagram
- Card Deck
- 4x4 Game Board
When players register, they begin in Adventure mode, where they can explore the above-mentioned game elements.
During Adventure mode, players encounter characters in the narrative. While playing, they gradually expand their card collection to enhance their deck and advance in the game, unlocking new possibilities as they progress. The game aims for an accessible gameplay experience, blending elements from both traditional board games and conventional TCGs.
At the moment, two distinct game modes are available:
- Adventure mode: A guided game for players to grasp the game mechanics and compete against AI opponents.
- Arena mode: Catering to a more competitive environment, where players can challenge fellow CTA players.
The gameplay revolves around 1v1 skirmishes, where players take turns placing cards on the battlefield to gain control and accumulate points. Each card possesses a power value and is associated with an element, influencing its effectiveness against opposing cards. The heptagram serves as a guide, indicating elemental strengths and weaknesses during battles.
To win, players must strategically control cards and accumulate points, having the highest score upon board completion or outlasting the opponent’s timer.
One of Cross the Ages’ unique features is the ability to mint favorite cards as NFTs on Immutable X. This offers players an opportunity for digital ownership and potential resale through the secondary marketplace. Cards can only be minted a limited number of times, ranging from 1,000 to 800,000, emphasizing the value of obtaining rare cards.
In terms of statistics, the team has achieved the following:
- 400K+ game downloads, 20K+ DailyActiveUsers, 148K+ MonthlyActiveUsers
- 3.8M+ NFTs minted
- 240K followers on Instagram, 150K on Twitter
- 25K+ members on Discord
Token Economy
All Cross the Ages games are powered by three currencies and on specific mint passes. These include:
- CTA Token: Its primary role is to synchronize its value with the project’s assets and facilitate its adoption. For players, the CTA token helps with game advancement and expands exploration within the Cross The Ages universe. For investors, the token can be used to charge Mint Passes to access exclusive drops.
- Pranah: Pranah is the exclusive digital currency in Cross The Ages products, acquired through purchase. It grants access to secondary features like cosmetics and expedites content acquisition. Pranah is consistent and interoperable across all CTA products.
- Trisel: Trisel is the in-game digital currency, the proof of work currency in Cross The Ages products, earned through player activity. It facilitates crafting features and will soon enable players to sell their Trisel to others. Trisel is consistent and interoperable across all CTA products.
- Mint Pass: CTA offers six Mint Passes. Players can lock CTA Tokens into these passes to activate their perks. Each pass has two statuses: Charged or Discharged. A pass must be charged to at least stage 1 to activate its effects.
Team and Fundraising
Since the project’s inception, the team has grown to include over 180+ members, including world-famous writers, novelists, illustrators, and game developers. Some of the writers of the team include renowned French author Arnaud Dollen, writer of Saint Seiya — Time Odyssey, and Alain Dmasio who is known for Remember Me and Life is Strange. Leading the team are Co-founders Sami Chlagou (CEO) and Richard Esteve (COO). Both have an affinity with gaming, with Sami having founded five gaming companies in the past and Richard currently on board to develop the future roadmap of Cross the Ages.
In March 2022, the team announced a $12 million seed round, which included participation from Animoca Brands, leading game publisher Ubisoft, Square Enix, Mechanism Capital, Morningstar Ventures, and others. The investment was allocated towards development initiatives, retaining talent, and executing go-to-market strategies.
Recent Launches and Partnerships
Watch Dogs Partnership
On April 10th, Cross the Ages launched a collaboration with the Watch Dogs franchise, where they debuted 24 iconic characters into the lore of their native Cross the Ages game. The collection of 51 cards will be gradually introduced, with 17 cards to be released each month. Watch Dogs is developed by Ubisoft, one of the biggest game developer studios in the space. The Watch Dogs franchise has been highly successful and continues to grow its fan base. This collaboration is exciting for Cross the Ages, as the two IP universes can come together to create a strong storyline within each other’s lores.
Watch the full trailer below.
MSV GG partnership
MSV GG is among the largest NFT holders in the Cross the Ages ecosystem. So far, MSV GG has run one closed and one public tournament, allowing its GG members to utilize its NFTs. Furthermore, MSV GG members have created content and helped with go-to-market efforts. Members also played the game and conducted early-stage product testing and bug reporting. With this, the members provided some market research and recommendations for game UX and UI improvements.
Our Analysis:
Strengths:
- Cross the Ages has already developed a strong and valuable IP with various products for both Web2 and Web3 audiences. These products can generate multiple revenue streams for the project to continue building out its IP and expanding its ecosystem. Similar to other IP multimedia powerhouses like Marvel, Cross the Ages has the potential to expand to multiple new verticals and product lines.
- The project is supported by some of the biggest crypto and traditional gaming publishers, including Ubisoft, Animoca Brands, and Square Enix. With these publishers’ support, Cross the Ages is well positioned in terms of strong go-to-market efforts and building on top of three very large and established communities. The recent Watch Dogs collaboration is a great example of how these publishers have already generated value for Cross the Ages.
- The team is also aiming to sustainably bridge the digital and physical worlds with ReVerse. Given macroeconomic discussions around sustainability, decarbonization, and energy-efficient solutions, Cross the Ages’ efforts to reduce said issues, are a great way to attract environmentally friendly users to the ecosystem.
Challenges:
- Even though the team is launching many products, it still poses the challenge of ensuring the IP stays relevant and interesting. To ensure relevancy, the team must continue building new content, which can be costly to uphold. Furthermore, this will require a consistent and controlled release system to ensure the audience is engaged.
- The game’s tri-token system is not that common in Web3 projects. Other projects often struggle to maintain a sustainable economy.
What’s Next for Cross the Ages
The Cross the Ages team has a solid and busy roadmap for the upcoming months. In addition to rolling out new Watch Dogs Characters, the team is also focusing on launching a demo version of Arise, which they aim to present at the Tokyo Games show in September. Moreover, they will work on the ReVerse platform to support digital and physical ownership and their sustainability mission.
To further expand the IP and Cross the Ages universe, the team is working on writing six more sagas of their book, as well as comics, movies, series, and physical merchandise.
The team is also planning to release an E-sport event sometime this year. Players of the already live TCG can also expect game and feature updates along with new modes.
Learn more about Cross the Ages
🌐 Official website: https://www.crosstheages.com/en-us/
🐦 Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrossTheAges
🕹️ Discord channel: https://discord.com/invite/cross-the-ages-917028207566401586
📖 Whitepaper: https://whitepaper.crosstheages.com/
📹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClAY7c4yKUg_ZweqCKp5DPg
About Morningstar Ventures
Morningstar Ventures is an investment firm backing ambitious ideas by early-stage founders. Based in Dubai, Morningstar Ventures focuses primarily on the blockchain and digital assets space and is led by CEO Danilo S. Carlucci. The firm is active in token and equity investments and has a particularly strong focus on the MultiversX ecosystem.
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