So the Academy Quest has two stages. Stage 1, where you have to reach the lodestone planets; and Stage 2, where you have to capture the lodestone planets by orbiting them with Hero fleets. In the quest description of both stages it says something like: "The Academy's doors are closed. No new Heroes can be recruited or even healed."

I started a new game with the Galactic Statecraft Update and noticed in Stage 1, even though it says "the doors are closed", that I could still buy Heroes from the Marketplace. (I didn't notice if my progress towards a new Hero on the Hero Management Screen was still advancing or not.) Then in Stage 2 I could no longer buy Heroes, nor could even naturally progress to unlocking them.

Is this something that has changed with the Galactic Statecraft Update? Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I feel like it used to be as soon as Stage 1 started you couldn't buy Heroes from Marketplace (or heal any of your Heroes), but the gradual progression towards naturally unlocking Heroes continued throughout the whole Academy Quest.

If it is now meant to be that you can buy (And unlock?) Heroes in Stage 1, then AMPLITUDE may want to slightly alter the text in the quest descriptions.

Check this blog article on how hero recruitment changed:

https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space-2/blogs/585-galactic-statecraft-pirate-lairs-empire-heretic-s-quest-rewards-more

I think this happened in my game as well, I was on the winning side of Rejuvenator quest and the market is locked with 5 heroes in it.  

Quote from the patch notes:

Only the winning camp will be able to recruit Heroes after winning, through either the Academy or the Marketplace, depending on the outcome.

Well I was actually asking about what goes on during the Academy Quest. Like I said, I couldn't remember if we used to be able to buy Heroes in Stage 1 or not. BUT in the end it seems this thread has revealed some bugged stuff going on with the Academy Quest as a whole...

I completed the Academy Quest on the Defender side just now, and it seems that afterwards I am able to buy Heroes again from the Marketplace, but the natural unlock of Heroes has remained locked ("due to ongoing Ultimate Quest"). I suppose in a way that makes sense if the Defenders win, as it is implied that the Academy is destroyed... But then there would never be a reason to choose the Defender side if it meant EVERYONE could no longer recruit Heroes if the Defenders win.

Looks like players are reporting varied experiences in this thread.

Hello guys.

To answer the first question about how heroes are obtained: 

Before, the Marketplace wasn’t locked: during the two chapters was in going and after they ended. This modification has appeared recently through the new update. 

For the moment, we’ve decided to leave the Marketplace opened, but I agree that it could be “incoherent”. Is that what you’re thinking? That the Marketplace should be closed from the beginning of Chapter 1?

I think this happened in my game as well, I was on the winning side of Rejuvenator quest and the market is locked with 5 heroes in it.  

So you chose Religious-Rejuvenator side, and the Marketplace was locked? That’s normal… Did you perceive it like a bug or an issue?

Looks like players are reporting varied experiences in this thread.

Sure :D

Please, feel free to comment, and report your feelings on those changes.

We are mindful of the way heroes are unlocked. If this heroes-locking is too painful, a game breaker etc or (of course) if you think it’s a super idea… >.>

Quaedam