Quick answer: Collection Level = sum of every card level you own + 5 per Evolution form unlocked + 5 per Hero form unlocked. Every card upgrade grants +1 Collection Level regardless of rarity. Rewards begin at Collection Level 20 and arrive every 10 Levels through Level 1,500, then every 5 Levels. Full-track rewards total 14,955 gems, 28,920 common Wildcards, and 7,850 rare Wildcards. Launch date: May 26, 2026. King's Journey is fully removed; unclaimed rewards arrive via login pop-up.
Collection Levels are the lifetime-progression bar in Clash Royale, live since May 26, 2026 as the centerpiece of the Q2 update. The system completely replaces King's Journey and reorganizes progression around your entire card collection's level total instead of XP earned from playing. This guide breaks down the formula, the reward structure, transition mechanics, and the optimal F2P and low-spender strategy for the first 90 days post-launch.
For the broader update context including Seasonal Trophy Road and the Mastery rework, see the Q2 Update Hub.
What Is the Collection Level Formula in Clash Royale?
Impact: massive. The Collection Level formula is:
Collection Level = sum(all card levels you own) + 5 × (Evolutions unlocked) + 5 × (Heroes unlocked)
Every card upgrade grants +1 Collection Level, regardless of rarity. Unlocking a new card grants the level the card unlocks at (varies by rarity tier — Commons start at Level 1, higher-rarity cards may start higher). There are 125 cards in the catalog at launch, plus all Evolution and Hero variants. Merge Tactics Rulers are the only forms that do not count toward Collection Level.
Worked example — a player with all 125 cards at average Level 10, six Evolutions, three Heroes:
- Card levels: 125 × 10 = 1,250
- Evolutions: 6 × 5 = 30
- Heroes: 3 × 5 = 15
- Collection Level: 1,295
Compare to a newer account with 60 cards at average Level 6, one Evolution, no Heroes:
- Card levels: 60 × 6 = 360
- Evolutions: 1 × 5 = 5
- Heroes: 0
- Collection Level: 365
Supercell published three concrete examples in its announcement:
- Unlock Valkyrie → +3 Collection Levels (card joins at her unlock level)
- Upgrade Valkyrie 11 → 12 → +1 Collection Level
- Unlock Valkyrie Evolution → +5 Collection Levels
Not sure what to upgrade next?
The free Upgrade Advisor reads your card collection and ranks your next upgrades by real ladder value — no guesswork, no account needed to start.
Why Are Evolutions and Heroes Worth +5 Collection Levels?
Impact: significant. Supercell weights Evolution and Hero unlocks at +5 Collection Levels because they represent a meaningful collection milestone, not just an incremental upgrade. The system effectively treats each Evolution form as the equivalent of upgrading five cards.
Tactically, this means every Evolution or Hero you unlock during launch week is worth roughly five card upgrades toward the next Collection Level reward tier. Hoarding Evolution Shards and Hero unlock tokens through the patch window is a high-leverage play - your post-patch redemption of stockpiled Evolution Shards immediately propels you across multiple reward tiers.
What Are the Collection Level Rewards and Tiers?
Impact: massive. Rewards begin at Collection Level 20 and arrive every 10 Levels through Level 1,500, then tighten to every 5 Levels above 1,500. Supercell published the exact full-track totals in the Collection Levels announcement:
Clash Royale Collection Levels system banner from Supercell
| Reward type | Total across full Collection Level track |
|---|---|
| Gems | 14,955 |
| Common Wildcards | 28,920 |
| Rare Wildcards | 7,850 |
| Epic Wildcards | 1,327 |
| Legendary Wildcards | 58 |
| Champion Wildcards | 19 |
| 5-Star Magic Lucky Chests | 28 |
| 4-Star Magic Lucky Chests | 1 |
| Evolution Boxes | 13 |
| Exclusive Banners | 6 |
| Exclusive Tower Skin | 1 |
The transition from "every 10" to "every 5" at Level 1,500 means high-level accounts unlock rewards twice as fast in the late-game grind — a deliberate design to reward sustained play beyond the F2P plateau.
Exact per-tier rewards are not published by Supercell in summary form; the in-game Collection Levels screen is the authoritative source post-launch. The cadence pattern is fixed (every 10 below 1,500, every 5 above), so a player at Level 250 has 24 future reward tiers ahead before hitting 1,500 (every 10), then another 100+ tighter tiers above 1,500.
What Happens to King's Journey?
Impact: massive. King's Journey is fully removed from the game on May 26, 2026. Specifically:
- Unclaimed King's Journey rewards arrive automatically via a login pop-up.
- XP is removed entirely — card upgrades, Mastery completion, and clan donations no longer grant XP.
- King Tower levels never decrease, but Tower upgrades are now triggered by card-upgrade counts rather than XP thresholds.
- Existing King Tower progress is preserved at the player's current Tower level.
- Clan donations of max-level cards now grant Gold and Star Points (no longer XP).
The XP economy that existed since Clash Royale's 2016 launch is gone. Every progression-relevant action funnels into Collection Levels instead. This is the largest structural progression rewrite in the game's history.
How Are King Tower Levels Calculated Now?
Impact: significant. Instead of unlocking King Tower levels at fixed King's Journey milestones, your King Tower Level is now driven by how many cards you've upgraded to a given level. Each King Tower Level requires a count of cards meeting a minimum card-level threshold. The table is published by Supercell:
King Tower upgrade requirements in the new Collection Levels system
| King Tower Level | Old (King's Journey) | New (card-upgrade count) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Level 1 | — |
| 2 | Level 2 | 9 cards at Level 1+ |
| 3 | Level 3 | 9 cards at Level 2+ |
| 4 | Level 5 | 10 cards at Level 3+ |
| 5 | Level 7 | 10 cards at Level 4+ |
| 6 | Level 10 | 10 cards at Level 5+ |
| 7 | Level 14 | 10 cards at Level 6+ |
| 8 | Level 18 | 10 cards at Level 7+ |
| 9 | Level 22 | 10 cards at Level 8+ |
| 10 | Level 26 | 10 cards at Level 9+ |
| 11 | Level 30 | 10 cards at Level 10+ |
| 12 | Level 34 | 11 cards at Level 11+ |
| 13 | Level 38 | 11 cards at Level 12+ |
| 14 | Level 42 | 12 cards at Level 13+ |
| 15 | Level 54 | 13 cards at Level 14+ |
| 16 | Level 75 | 14 cards at Level 15+ |
Tower Troops do not count toward the King Tower Level upgrade requirement. When your King Tower Level upgrades, you automatically receive a full upgrade's worth of Tower Princess cards and Gold to upgrade the Tower Troop to match.
This change means King Tower Level is no longer something you grind XP for separately — it ratchets up naturally as your card collection levels rise. The system can only move your King Tower up (or hold it), never down.
Which Features Unlock at Earlier Arenas Now?
Impact: significant. Features previously locked behind King Tower thresholds now unlock by Arena, generally much earlier. The Supercell-published shift:
| Feature | Old unlock | New unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Clan | King Level 1 | Arena 1 |
| Deck Slots | King Level 2 | Arena 1 |
| Clan Donation | King Level 3 | Arena 2 |
| Pass Royale | King Level 7 | Arena 2 |
| Clan Wars | King Level 10 | Arena 3 |
| Clan Trading | King Level 16 | Arena 3 |
| Card Mastery | King Level 14 | Arena 4 |
| Star Points | King Level 9 | Arena 5 |
For new and returning players, Pass Royale, Clans, and Mastery all become accessible within the first dozen hours of play. The unlock cliff between casual and committed players is much shallower under the new system.
Not sure what to upgrade next?
The free Upgrade Advisor reads your card collection and ranks your next upgrades by real ladder value — no guesswork, no account needed to start.
How Does the Transition Reward Work?
Impact: significant. When the patch downloads, Clash Royale calculates your Collection Level from your current account state and grants the New System Celebration Reward matching your starting tier. The full 11-tier table is published by Supercell:
Official Transition Reward Table
| Collection Level band | Gems | 5-Star Magic Lucky Chests | Exclusive Banners | Exclusive Tower Skin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 – 200 | 500 | 1 | — | — |
| 201 – 400 | 750 | 1 | — | — |
| 401 – 600 | 1,000 | 1 | — | — |
| 601 – 800 | 1,500 | 1 | — | — |
| 801 – 1,000 | 2,000 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1,001 – 1,200 | 2,500 | 1 | 2 | — |
| 1,201 – 1,400 | 3,000 | 1 | 3 | — |
| 1,401 – 1,600 | 3,500 | 2 | 4 | — |
| 1,601 – 1,800 | 4,000 | 2 | 5 | — |
| 1,801 – 2,000 | 4,500 | 3 | 6 | — |
| 2,001+ | 5,000 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
The 2,001+ tier is the only band that includes the exclusive Tower Skin. Reach Collection Level 2,001 by patch day to claim it. The transition reward is a one-time celebration bonus, separate from the recurring Collection Level milestone rewards you earn going forward.