The esports scene has exploded in recent years, with some estimates saying it will be a $1.5 billion industry by 2020. Clash Royale developer Supercell has decided to get a piece of the pie by launching the Clash Royale League, an official competitive league for their most popular mobile game.
Update: Clash Royale League 2019 teams and start date announced
Supercell has released a list of teams participating in the new CRL West region of the Clash Royale League. This region combines the previous season's North America, Europe, and Latin America regions.
The participating teams include several big esports organizations, including Team Liquid, NRG, SK Gaming, Fnatic, Immortals, and more. You can even support your favorite team with one of the new wallpapers released on the official CRL website.
The 2019 season of the Clash Royale League will start on May 29, so until then grab your best Clash Royale decks and polish up your skills in-game!
The beginnings of a mobile esports league
The Clash Royale League isn't Supercell's first foray into the world of esports, having hosted several Clash Royale tournaments over the years. The largest prior to the start of the CRL was 2017's Clash Royale Crown Championship (CRCC) World Finals in London, with more than 27 million players worldwide participating. The grand prize of $150,000 went to Sergio Ramos, a young player from Mexico. At the time, it was the largest prize ever for a mobile gaming tournament.
See also: Top 6 teams to meet in Tokyo for the Clash Royale League World Finals on December 1
But Supercell upped the ante for the Clash Royale League, which featured more than $1 million in prizes for players around the globe. Rather than competing individually, players in the CRL have to work together as part of a team. Many of the current pro players (including Sergio Ramos) were already signed to various gaming orgs before the announcement, but all CRL teams must consist of four to six players.
The inaugural season of the Clash Royale League featured more than $1 million in prizes
In order to find more players to fill out the Clash Royale League rosters, Supercell launched the Clash Royale League Challenge mid-March 2018. In it, players had to win 20 matches against the best players in the world, as well as meet some other qualifications like age, maturity, and ability to travel. This challenge was repeated in 2019, with exactly the same format and goal. Winners of the second round had the chance to participate in the World Cyber Games Festival in China, as well.
More than 6,700 players managed to overcome the first round of the challenge, and although not all of them found a team, they represented a large base from which teams could draft players for the league. In the first season of the Clash Royale League there were a total of five regions: China, (the rest of) Asia, North America, Latin America, and Europe. Each region featured eight teams.
For the second season, the North America, Latin America, and Europe regions of the Clash Royale League were merged into CRL West. This means that currently there are three regions: CRL West, CRL China, and CRL Asia. The idea is that all regions have the same level of production values and game schedules.
The CRL West teams have been announced, and they include some of the biggest esports organizations in the world. They include Fnatic, Immortals, Team Liquid, and NRG. The Clash Royale League season 2 kicks off on May 29, 2019, so stay tuned for more details!
Clash Royale League format
There was some uncertainty as to how exactly Clash Royale's arena style gameplay would lend itself to team play, or even if each region would follow the same format. However, the format of the Spring seasons of the two Asian leagues proved to set the stage for all seasons to come. The format for the Clash Royale League is as follows:
Two teams of three face off in three to five sets of games. The first team to take three sets wins. In each set, both sides get to ban a single card.
- Set 1: 1v1 Bo3
- Set 2: 2v2 Bo3, excluding the players from set 1
- Set 3: 1v1 Bo3, excluding the players from set 1
- Set 4: 1v1 Bo3, excluding the players from sets 1 and 3
- Set 5: KOF
KOF is a king of the hill format where two players face off in a Bo1, and the victor stays on to play against the next player of the opposing team. The first team to run out of players loses.
This format keeps the matches from getting stale, and can lead to some pretty exciting games with reverse sweeps and all-kill finales. It proved popular after the Asian Spring seasons, and was later adopted by the North American, Latin American, and European leagues as well.
Any other Clashers interested in watching Clash Royale League? Let us know in the comments!
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