If you’ve ever been mid-ladder battle, staring at your evolved Hog Rider barreling towards an enemy tower while a Valkyrie and swarm of Minions rush your side, you’ve probably wondered how to get a second evolution slot in Clash Royale. Evolved cards completely shifted the game’s meta when they first launched, adding unique new abilities to classic cards that turn even the most lopsided matchups around. Being able to run two evolved cards at once opens up hundreds of new deck combinations that can outplay almost any opponent, whether you’re grinding for a new personal best in trophies or competing in a high-stakes clan war. I’ve been playing Clash Royale since the 2016 beta, and I’ve tested every method to unlock this slot across three different accounts, ranging from a free-to-play mini to a maxed main, so I’m breaking down exactly what you need to do, no guesswork or misleading hacks involved.
Exact Steps to Get a Second Evolution Slot in Clash Royale
When you’re working out how to get a second evolution slot in Clash Royale, the first thing you need to check is your current King Level and collection progress, because you won’t even see the unlock option until you hit specific thresholds. Unlike some card unlocks that are tied to trophy count, this slot is tied almost entirely to progression metrics you can grind consistently, even if you don’t play for hours every day. The core requirements are listed below, and you’ll need to hit all of them before you can equip a second evolved card:
- King Level 15 or above (you can’t access the second slot quest line or shard purchase option before this threshold, no matter how many evolved cards you already have)
- At least 3 fully evolved cards already unlocked in your collection, so the game registers you as an active user of the evolution feature
- 6 extra Evolution Shards, or completion of the special seasonal progression track when the slot is offered as a free prize for top track rewards
- No active penalties for violating Supercell’s terms of service, as restricted accounts can’t unlock new evolution slots or collect special event rewards
If you’re still below King Level 15, your top priority should be earning XP as fast as possible to hit that mark. Don’t waste gold on upgrading low-tier cards you never use in your regular decks; focus on maxing out your core 8-12 cards first, as every upgrade gives you XP and helps you push higher in trophies to unlock better chest rewards. Season pass holders get a 20% XP boost on all earned rewards, which cuts down the time to hit King Level 15 by almost a month for most casual players, so it’s a worthy investment if you play a few times a week. Once you hit King Level 15, you’ll see a new “Second Evolution Slot” quest pop up in your quest tab, which will walk you through the final steps to unlock it once you have enough shards.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Unlocking Your Second Slot
One of the most common mistakes players make when trying to figure out how to get a second evolution slot in Clash Royale is wasting their Evolution Shards too early on cards they barely use. I’ve seen so many players burn all their shards on a meme evolved card like Evolved Barbarians just for fun, then have to wait 2-3 months to collect enough extra shards to unlock the second slot, putting them at a huge disadvantage against other players at their King Level. You don’t have to only evolve meta cards, but make sure you save 6 shards specifically for the slot before you evolve any extra cards that aren’t part of your main deck.
Another big mistake is ignoring seasonal event challenges that sometimes give the second evolution slot as a free top prize. I missed out on one of these events last season because I skipped the 1v1 Evo Challenge to grind clan wars instead, and I had to grind an extra 5 weeks to collect enough shards to unlock the slot on my mini account. Never buy Evolution Shards from the regular shop with gems unless you’re a spender with extra gems to burn; you get way more value from using gems on the season pass or special challenge entries that give multiple shards as prizes, plus extra XP and gold. A lot of players also think they can unlock the slot by pushing trophies alone, but trophy count doesn’t factor into the unlock requirements at all, so don’t waste time forcing ladder matches if you’re still low on XP and shards.
How to Use Your Second Evolution Slot to Win More Battles
Unlocking the slot is only half the battle; you need to pick the right pair of evolved cards to get the most value out of it, or you’ll end up wasting the advantage entirely. The best evolved card pairs cover each other’s weaknesses, so you don’t have gaps in your defense or offense that your opponent can exploit. For example, Evolved Fireball pairs perfectly with Evolved Hog Rider: the Fireball can take out enemy buildings and medium health units like Wizards or Musketeers that would stop your Hog in its tracks, while the Hog applies constant pressure so your opponent can’t save enough elixir for big all-in pushes.
Always test your two-evolved card deck in friendly battles or 1v1 casual matches first before taking it to ladder, because some combinations feel great on paper but don’t work in actual play. I tried pairing Evolved Goblin Barrel with Evolved Royal Giant a few weeks ago, and I kept running out of elixir to defend against fast swarm decks like Miner-Wall Breakers, so I had to swap the Royal Giant out for Evolved Valkyrie to add more defensive utility. Right now, the most popular two-evolution decks in the meta run Evolved Valkyrie and Evolved Skeleton Army for near-unbeatable defensive coverage, or Evolved Miner and Evolved Poison for slow control playstyles that wear opponents down over time. You don’t have to copy meta decks if they don’t fit your playstyle, but make sure your two evolved cards don’t have overlapping weaknesses, like both being weak to air units or both costing more than 4 elixir.
What to Expect From Future Evolution Slot Updates
A lot of players ask me if a third evolution slot is coming, and based on recent Supercell dev Q&As and test server leaks, it’s likely going to launch sometime in the next year, but it will have much higher requirements than the second slot. Early test builds show it will require King Level 17 and at least 8 fully evolved cards unlocked, plus 12 extra Evolution Shards, so it’s not something casual players will be able to unlock right away. That said, you don’t need to hold off on unlocking the second slot to save shards for the third one, because the second slot gives you such a big competitive edge that you’ll earn more shards faster by winning more matches with it.
You don't need to hoard all your extra shards for future slots right now, though, because Supercell has confirmed that they’ll be adding more ways to earn shards for free as they roll out more evolution features. They’re also testing a quality of life feature that lets you swap evolution slots between matches without spending any shards, so you can run different two-evolved card decks for different game modes, like a defensive deck for clan wars and an aggressive deck for ladder. If you’re still working on how to get a second evolution slot in Clash Royale, events like the Evolution Festival, which runs every 3 months, offer double shard rewards for all challenge completions, so mark those on your calendar to speed up your grind. You can also earn extra shards every week by participating in clan war battles, so make sure you’re in an active clan that completes at least 2 war days a week for maximum rewards.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to get a second evolution slot in Clash Royale doesn’t have to be a confusing, frustrating grind. As long as you focus on hitting King Level 15 first, save 6 shards specifically for the slot, and avoid wasting resources on unnecessary upgrades or overpriced shop purchases, you’ll unlock the slot in 2-4 months at most, even if you only play a few matches a day. The extra flexibility of running two evolved cards will completely change how you build decks and play matches, so it’s 100% worth the effort to work towards this unlock. If you have any questions about specific steps or the best evolved card pairs for your playstyle, drop a comment below and I’ll help you out.
