The overworld in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is packed with hidden areas and optional content, which can be easy to miss if you're rushing through the main story. But if you take the time to explore, you'll find plenty of secrets, many of which reward you with powerful Pictos, unique weapons, and valuable items to give your party an edge in the fights ahead.
The Hidden Gestral Arena is one of those sub-regions. It's a tucked-away battleground you can get to surprisingly early in the game, and the rewards make it fully worth the detour. In this guide, we'll show you how to reach the Hidden Gestral Arena in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and what you get for beating it.
How To Get Medalum Weapon In Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Medalum is one of the best weapons for Maelle in Expedition 33; here's how to get Medalum in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
How to Get to the Hidden Gestral Arena in Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Despite being called the Hidden Gestral Arena, it's not all that difficult to find. Most players manage to get there after fully exploring Gestral Village, but you can access it much earlier if you know where to look.
The easiest way to reach the Hidden Gestral Arena is from the Ancient Sanctuary's southern entrance. From there, head west until you spot a rocky formation surrounded by yellow foliage. You might also notice a massive hand sticking out of the rock. Follow that and round the corner to find the entrance tucked in the center of the formation.
You can reach Gestral Beach by heading west from this location to find the Gestral Beach Rafting Volley Club.
Hidden Gestral Arena Rewards in Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Once you enter the Hidden Gestral Arena, you'll find a wooden arena with spectators around it. Talk to Bagara, the small Gestral NPC standing in the middle of the arena. Choose the dialogue option "Show us what you've got, weaklings" to start the arena battles.
You'll face four champions in total, and you can challenge them in any order. Each fight is a one-on-one duel, and your rewards for winning are powerful, solo combat-focused Pictos. After defeating all four champions, you'll earn a fifth Pictos.
Here's a list of all the Pictos you'll earn from the Hidden Gestral Arena:
|
Name |
Effect |
Bonus Stats |
|---|---|---|
|
100% Critical Chance when fighting alone |
Health +168, Defense +50 |
|
|
Gain Rush when fighting alone |
Health +168, Speed +35 |
|
|
Gain Shell if fighting alone |
Health +168, Defense +50 |
|
|
Deal 50% more damage if fighting alone |
Health +168, Defense +50 |
|
|
Gain Powerful if fighting alone |
Health +168, Crit Rate +10% |
How to Beat the Hidden Gestral Arena in Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Similar to the arena battle you fought back at Gestral Village, this is a one-on-one duel. You can challenge the champions in any order you like. The difficulty of the opponent is represented by their order on the list, with the first one being the easiest and the last one the hardest. Here's a breakdown of each fighter, their attack patterns, and some quick tips to help you win the duels.
Matthieu the Colossus
Matthieu the Colossus is the easiest of the bunch, and only attacks with the knife in his left hand. His moves are easy to parry, and since his HP pool is on the lower side, he should go down without much of a fight.
|
Knife Slash |
Pulls back his blade and quickly slashes across his body. |
|---|---|
|
Uppercut |
Feints with his right arm and then follows up with a quick uppercut. |
Reward: 
Last Stand Critical
Bertrand Big Hands
Bertrand still poses a manageable challenge, but is slightly trickier than Matthieu due to his weird attack timings. One of his attacks is quick, while the other has a slower wind-up.
|
Backhand Punch |
Spins and performs a backhand swing with his fist. |
|---|---|
|
Leg Sweep |
Runs towards the player and crouches down for a quick leg sweep. |
Reward: 
Accelerating Last Stand
Dominique Giant Feet
Dominique hits harder and has more HP. However, his slower, telegraphed attacks make him fairly easy to read and counter once you get used to his patterns.
|
Two-Hand Slam |
Jumps towards the player and slams down with both fists. |
|---|---|
|
One-Hand Slam |
Charges his right arm and delivers a single heavy slam. |
Reward: 
Protecting Last Stand
Julien Tiny Head
Julien is by far the toughest champion in the Hidden Gestral Arena. He has the most attacks in his arsenal, and some of them are multi-hit moves that require precise parrying.
|
Quick Punch |
Rushes in and throws a punch with his left hand. |
|---|---|
|
Leaping Slam |
Leaps with his left arm pulled back, then slams towards the player. |
|
Spin and Left Punch |
Spins in place before finishing with a left-handed punch. |
|
Two-Hit Combo |
Strikes first with his right hand, followed by another punch with his left hand. |
|
Three-Hit Combo |
Opens with a left-hand punch, followed by two more rapid punches. |
|
Feint and Punch |
Pump fakes a punch with his right hand and quickly follows up a punch with his left fist. |
Reward: 
Solo Fighter
Julien Tiny Hand has a tricky moveset because of his feints. His Leaping Slam and Quick Punch are the easiest to counter with parry. For the rest, stick to dodging to avoid taking damage.
Defeating all four champions rewards players with the final 
Empowering Last Stand Pictos. The Hidden Gestral Arena is easy to overlook if you're not exploring everything in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. But since all of these Pictos can significantly buff your character when they are fighting solo, it's worth participating in the arena battles and picking them up.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- April 24, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Kepler Interactive
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
