As the start of the Tumult Championships approaches, Cédric Leblanc, the new organized play director at Equinox, was kind enough to take a few minutes out of his busy schedule and answer a couple questions about what to expect.

What makes the Tumult Championships different than standard Organized Play?

CL: The Tumult Championship is a core component of our Organized Play program, designed from its creation to offer diverse competitive formats addressing various levels of player commitment. These championships serve as the initial, highly competitive milestones at a local level, providing a platform to gauge your skill against your community.

However, the Tumult Championship extends beyond mere competition. It represents our first step in integrating Organized Play with the game’s lore. Recognizing the deep investment many players have in representing their factions, we prioritize rewarding the top performer from each faction. Furthermore, these championships establish a narrative race between factions, where the ultimate winner unlocks the main narrative trope of the set.

What’s exciting for you about the upcoming TC events?

CL: I’m really looking forward to seeing how players develop the metagame in stores and how they’ll adapt to the heroes that are currently on top. I love being surprised by the creative ways players come up with to catch their opponents off guard in competitive events. I’m also really keen to hear players’ feedback on the prizes and the format in general. This is just the start of Altered’s competitive journey, and I’m sure we’ll create something amazing together.

What types of plans or projects are you working on to help the TC go well? Any kind of outreach similar to the YouTube video you did recently?

CL: With Tumult just a few weeks away, the marketing team is seeking ways to enhance player understanding of the Tumult Championship and its offerings. The initial concept for the Tumult video originated with Léa from the community team, and we were delighted to contribute to that initiative. While I typically operate behind the scenes, it was an enjoyable exercise, and we’ll certainly repeat it, given the positive player reception.

We’re also mindful of the local game store owners who wish to host Tumult Championships. To that end, we’ve collaborated with the judge community to create a concise quiz in both English and French. This quiz will allow anyone interested to assess their ability to judge a championship.

Time constraints impacted our ability to provide more comprehensive resources for this inaugural championship. However, we are committed to expanding our efforts and offering even more tools to the community for future competitive milestones.

What kind of response have you gotten from local game stores and players so far?

CL: They reach out with questions seeking clarification on the Tumult Championship and write an article on a community blog. (Ed. note: ha!) Jokes aside, the player support for our organized play program is amazing, and I’m incredibly grateful. My dream would be to connect with every LGS owner and competitive player, to really get to know them and have great conversations on what Altered could be. I’m starting with my local stores, and I’m excited for the international events we have coming up to meet more people from around the globe!

We’ve heard that the Equinox team is looking for feedback on players’ experiences with the TC. What kind of feedback would be helpful? How should players get that to you?

CL: We’ve put together a quick survey for players after their Tumult Championship. The feedback from this will be very valuable in shaping future format and rewards. We are aiming to push in English, French, Italian, Spanish and German and invite every player to take few minutes to complete it.

Do you have a message for players as they’re getting their decks ready for the TC? And which faction do you secretly hope will win?

CL: Of course, I do! Send me any spare Akhlut you have, I’m still hunting for one. (Ed. note: Unfortunately, I only just have a set of three, myself!) Have an amazing Tumult Championship! Go out there and show your neighborhood who’s the best, and don’t let those Ordis tokens scare you! And to my fellow Bravos, be powerful and let’s free Kuraokami from ice to prove who the main characters of Altered truly are!

The Tumult Championships will be taking place between April 5-May 11, and operate as the culmination of the season’s Organized Play for Trial by Frost. Find championships near you by using the Tumult filter on the Event Locator page.