Following the rising trend of a popular mobile game, the school’s halls have become a virtual arena, where kings, knights and classmates collide in Clash Royale. The game has students occupied in class, at lunch and outside of school. It’s a mix of bonding, bragging privileges and the emptying of a few wallets.
Released in 2016 by Supercell, Clash Royale is a mobile game that combines strategy and coordination. Players collect cards for their decks, with each representing troops, spells, or buildings and use them to battle opponents. The goal is to destroy the opponent’s three towers before they get to yours.
Freshman Jacob Bonilla said that he plays for both enjoyment and connection; for him, the game improves his social skills. “I do play Clash Royale to fit in with them,” Bonilla said. “When I see a person playing Clash Royale, I ask them if they want to add me and do mega draft or 2v2s.”
Clash Royale has seen a massive comeback because of the sense of community. After years of steady popularity, new updates have gathered interest. “The biggest reason why Clash is trending is the new update because a lot of creators push out content about it,” Bonilla said. “It brings people to play the game more.”
The rise of popular streamers like Jynxzi and Kai Cenat playing the game on Twitch and YouTube has also drawn in new players. Videos of wins, comebacks and deck-building guides are popular on social media feeds daily.
Clash Royale is also a test of patience and pride. For some players, losing is personal. “I play because I’m competitive, and that makes me feel stressed and mad when I lose trophies,” Bonilla said.
The game demands time and effort from students. Despite the entertainment, Clash Royale includes negative aspects regarding student behavior. “It causes me to miss homework, not go to sleep and play during classes,” Bonilla said.
Sophomore Marcus Langlee agreed that Clash Royale isn’t exactly a relaxing hobby. “The game is not relaxing,” Langlee said. He said that, in his experience, “The game is not fun for everyone because it is pay-to-win and unfair to players who don’t pay for upgrades.”
While Clash Royale is free to download, students find themselves spending money on cards, gems and season passes to keep up. “I’ve spent upwards of $200 on Clash Royale alone, with much more on Brawl Stars,” Langlee said.
Bonilla also admitted to spending money in the game. “I spent around $59 on wild cards, gold, three pass Royale seasons, gems and evo shards,” he said. “The game got to a certain point where there are too many pay-to-win players, so I bought items to be on level with them.”
Sophomore Creighton Lin said he’s spent around $100 and sees the trend as a part of a larger gaming cycle. Like other students, he plays with friends for bonding and connection. “Clash Royale is trending because Brawl Stars has lost its popularity and we need a new mobile game,” Lin said.
Despite complaints about fairness, even free players can win games through clever strategies and deck-building. Bonilla said that the game offers special updates and rewards for free-to-play players to settle complaints. “They do little event challenges for people who are free-to-play to unlock evo shards and chests,” he said.
Regardless, the line between fun and frustration can blur gradually. Clash Royale stirs up various emotions in students. Bonilla described his reaction when he loses games: “When I lose a match that’s a losing streak, I either slam my phone, close the game and return after 30 minutes, or I keep playing while I’m still mad.”
As the game continues becoming more popular at school, it’s also changing how students hang out. People talk about their decks, placement tips and laugh about their worst games. No matter if it’s winning, losing, or waiting for the next update, Clash Royale has become a big part of some students’ lives. This game created new friendships and strengthened bonds at school.
