If you’ve spent hours grinding ladder matches and tweaking your deck to perfection, you’ve probably wondered how to join a tournament on Clash Royale for a shot at bigger rewards and more competitive play. Unlike random ladder queues, tournaments let you face off against players of similar skill for chests, gems, and even exclusive cosmetic items that you can’t get any other way. I’ve been playing Clash Royale on and off for 6 years, and I still get a thrill every time I sign up for a new tournament, especially the themed ones that shake up the usual meta. Let’s break down exactly what you need to know to sign up, pick the right event, and avoid the common mistakes that cost new players a spot before the tournament even starts.
How to Join a Tournament on Clash Royale: Step-by-Step Walkthrough
The process of signing up for a public tournament takes less than a minute once you know where to look, and you don’t need any special permissions to join most open events. First, open your Clash Royale app and load the main home screen, where you see your battle button and deck options. Tap the events icon on the right-hand side of your main home screen – it looks like a little calendar with a confetti icon, right next to the clan and shop buttons.
Once you’re in the events menu, Select the “Tournaments” tab at the top of the events menu, right next to the challenges and seasonal event tabs. You’ll see a list of all upcoming public tournaments, sorted by start time by default. If you’ve never joined a tournament on Clash Royale before, you can scroll through the list to find options that fit your schedule, or use the filter button in the top right to narrow down your options.
Filter events by entry cost, start time, and player count to find one that fits your schedule and skill level. You can choose to see only free tournaments, only low-entry gem tournaments, or events that start within the next hour if you want to play right away. Once you find an event you like, tap the “Join” button, confirm you have enough gems or tournament tokens to cover the entry fee if there is one, and you’re registered.
You’ll get a push notification 10 minutes before the tournament starts, but don’t rely solely on that. Check in within the first 5 minutes of the tournament going live to lock in your spot. If you don’t check in during that window, you’ll lose your spot, even if you registered a week in advance. If the tournament is full, you can join the waitlist for free, and you’ll get a spot if someone who registered fails to check in on time.
How to Pick the Right Tournament for Your Skill Level
Not all Clash Royale tournaments are created equal, and picking the wrong one can leave you frustrated, out of gems, and with no rewards to show for your time. If you’re a newer player with a king level below 11, stick to free, low-stakes tournaments first, so you can get used to the faster pace and different rule sets without risking any of your hard-earned gems.
Always read the full tournament rules before registering. Many themed tournaments have special restrictions, like no legendary cards allowed, only common and rare cards, or a ban on popular meta cards like the Hog Rider or Electro Giant. If you show up with your usual ladder deck that relies on a banned card, you’ll be at a huge disadvantage before you even play your first match. Themed tournaments are great if you have a niche deck you love playing, though, because they level the playing field against players who have stacked high-level legendary cards.
Pay attention to player count too. Small tournaments with 16 or 32 total players have smaller top prizes, but far less competition, so you have a much higher chance of placing in the reward tiers. Large 1000+ player tournaments have huge prize pools, including thousands of gems and exclusive emotes, but you’ll be competing against some of the best players in the game, so don’t waste your gem entry on one unless you’re confident in your deck and skills.
If you’re looking for a more casual experience, clan tournaments are a great option. These are private tournaments run by your clan leader, so you’ll only be playing against other clan members, and the rules are usually more relaxed. You don’t have to browse the public list to find these – your clan leader will send a link or code in the clan chat when the tournament is open for registration.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Signing Up for Tournaments
Even experienced players make silly mistakes when signing up for tournaments that cost them their entry fee or a shot at rewards. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve signed up for a tournament then forgotten about it, only to remember when it’s already halfway over. Here are the most common mistakes to watch out for:
- Forgetting to check in: 70% of players who register for free tournaments never show up for check-in, so even if you signed up a week early, you’ll lose your spot if you miss the 5 minute check-in window. Set a phone alarm if the tournament starts at a time you might be busy with other things.
- Ignoring entry requirements: Some tournaments require a minimum king level, a specific number of lifetime ladder wins, or a clan affiliation to join. If you try to sign up without meeting these requirements, you’ll lose your entry fee immediately, with no way to get a refund.
- Signing up for overlapping events: If you join two tournaments that start at the same time, you won’t be able to play both, and you’ll forfeit any entry fees you paid for the one you skip. Double check the start time of any event you sign up for to make sure it doesn’t conflict with another one you already joined.
Another common mistake is not testing your deck against the tournament meta before the event starts. Spend 10 minutes playing friendly battles with clanmates using the tournament’s rule set to make sure your deck works as expected, and tweak it if you notice gaps. For example, if the tournament bans spell cards, you’ll want to swap out your Fireball or Zap for another troop that can take out swarms of small units.
Entry fees are always non-refundable, even if the tournament gets canceled due to low sign-ups, so only spend gems on tournaments you’re sure you can attend. Free tournaments are zero risk, so they’re always a safe bet if you’re on the fence about whether you can make the start time.
What to Do After You Join a Clash Royale Tournament
Once you’ve checked in, the tournament will assign you to a bracket or round-robin group, depending on the format. Single elimination brackets mean you’re out of the tournament as soon as you lose one match, while double elimination brackets give you two losses before you’re eliminated. Double elimination is usually more fun for casual players, since you get more play time even if you lose your first match.
You’ll get a notification when your first match is ready, and you have 2 minutes to join the battle before you forfeit the match by default. If you lose connection mid-match, you have 30 seconds to rejoin before you’re given an automatic loss, so make sure you have a stable internet connection before you start playing.
You don’t have to win the whole tournament to get rewards, either. Most events give rewards to the top 50% of players, so even 2 or 3 wins can get you a free silver or gold chest, or a handful of tournament tokens. Tournament points never expire, so you can save them up for exclusive items in the tournament shop, like rare emotes, card skins, or even magic books that let you upgrade any card instantly.
If you’re joining a private tournament on Clash Royale, you won’t see it listed in the public tab, so make sure the host sends you the correct 6-digit code or direct invite link. You can enter the code in the “Private Tournament” section of the tournaments tab to join, as long as the event isn’t full yet. Private tournaments are great for playing with friends from other clans, or for joining community events run by Clash Royale content creators.
At the end of the day, learning how to join a tournament on Clash Royale is just the first step to getting more out of the game beyond regular ladder play. You don’t have to be a top 1000 player to have fun or win great rewards, either – start small with free public tournaments, get used to the format, and work your way up to higher entry events as you get more confident. The best part about tournaments is that they shake up the usual routine, and you’ll often face off against decks you never see on ladder, which makes you a better player overall. Next time you log in, take a minute to browse the tournament tab, you might find the perfect event to test your skills and walk away with some great new loot.
