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.
Clash Royale Collection Levels Guide (May 2026): Formula, Rewards, and Strategy
Collection Levels are the new lifetime-progression bar in Clash Royale, going live on 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
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.
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.
To compute your Collection Level from your live account data instead of estimating, use the ClashCoachAI Collection Calculator — it pulls your card collection from the Supercell API.
Should You Upgrade Cards Before May 26?
Impact: significant. The optimal pre-patch strategy depends on your distance from the next Collection Level reward tier.
Hold all upgrades if:
- Your card-level sum is within 2-3 upgrades of a reward tier (Level 20, 30, 40, etc.).
- You have unspent Evolution Shards or Hero unlock tokens — each is worth +5 Collection Levels post-patch.
- The card in question is not blocking your ladder push (e.g., a Level 1 card you don't play with).
Upgrade now if:
- The card's combat performance is bottlenecking your ladder push and the reward delta is small.
- You're far from the next tier (no risk of crossing a tier line that you'd cross post-patch instead).
Always hold these specific actions:
- Evolution Shard redemptions — each unlock is worth +5 Collection Levels.
- Hero unlocks — each is worth +5 Collection Levels.
- Level 1 → 2 upgrades of unused cards — these are pure Collection Level gains; do them post-patch for the reward tier credit.
The Pre-Patch Advisor tool runs this decision per card across your collection.
What Resources Get Removed from Other Systems?
Impact: significant. Several resource flows are restructured to consolidate into Collection Levels:
- Masteries lose gems and Wildcards - those rewards migrate to Collection Level milestones. Masteries become gold-only (see Mastery Rework Guide).
- King's Journey XP rewards are absorbed into transition payouts (one-time) and Collection Level rewards (recurring).
- Clan donation XP is gone. Donations still give gold but no longer contribute to a separate progression bar.
In aggregate, total gold rises from 4.47M to 5.16M (+15%) and total gems from 14,330 to 14,945 (+4%). Wildcard totals climb meaningfully. The net effect is more resources overall, but concentrated in the Collection Levels track rather than spread thinly across Masteries and King's Journey.
What's the Optimal F2P Strategy for the First 30 Days?
Impact: significant. Free-to-play accounts should follow a three-phase plan:
Phase 1: Patch Day (May 26-27) - Claim the transition reward, claim any pending King's Journey pop-ups, and resist the urge to immediately spend gems. Audit your card collection: identify cards at Level 1-9 that you've held without upgrading. Those are pure Collection Level gain candidates.
Phase 2: Week 1-2 (May 26 - June 8) - Burn through stockpiled Evolution Shards and Hero unlock tokens first. Each unlock is +5 Collection Levels. Then upgrade low-level Commons and Rares cheaply (low gold per upgrade, +1 Collection Level each). Target hitting Collection Level 100-200 within the first two weeks.
Phase 3: Week 3-4 (June 9 - June 22) - Settle into your normal upgrade cadence but maintain awareness of where you are relative to the next tier. The Upgrade Advisor tool flags upgrades that would cross a tier.
For broader F2P pathing year-round, the F2P Progression Guide covers per-week resource budgets.
How Does Collection Level Interact With Seasonal Arena II's Card Ban?
Impact: small. Collection Level is independent of the Seasonal Trophy Road system. Your Collection Level does not affect which cards are auto-banned in Arena II - that ban list is based on your win counts per card in Arena I, not on card levels.
However, Collection Level does matter for Arena II's level-15 minimum boost: any card in your Arena II deck below Level 15 is auto-boosted, so accounts with low Collection Levels can still compete at Arena II's competitive ceiling. The level-15 boost is not retroactive to Collection Level calculation - it's a matchmaking-only stat adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did King's Journey get removed in the May 2026 update?
Yes. King's Journey is fully removed on May 26, 2026. Unclaimed King's Journey rewards arrive automatically via a login pop-up. XP itself is removed - card upgrades, Mastery completion, and clan donations no longer grant XP. King Tower levels never decrease.
What is the Collection Level formula?
Collection Level = sum of every card level you own + 5 per Evolution form unlocked + 5 per Hero form unlocked. Every card upgrade adds +1 Collection Level regardless of rarity.
When do Collection Level rewards start?
The first reward arrives at Collection Level 20. Rewards continue every 10 Levels through Level 1,500, then arrive every 5 Levels above 1,500. The full track totals 14,955 gems, 28,920 common Wildcards, and 7,850 rare Wildcards.
How much is the transition reward worth?
Transition rewards follow an 11-tier table: 500 gems and 1 5-Star Magic Lucky Chest at the bottom (CL 20-200), climbing to 5,000 gems plus 3 5-Star chests, 6 exclusive banners, and 1 exclusive Tower Skin at the top (CL 2,001+). Banners begin appearing at CL 801+, and the Tower Skin only drops at CL 2,001+. Use the table above or the Collection Calculator to find your specific tier.
Should I upgrade cards before May 26, 2026?
Hold upgrades if you're close to a Collection Level reward tier, have Evolution Shards or Hero tokens unspent, or if the upgrade isn't blocking ladder play. Upgrade now only if the card is mission-critical to your current push and you're far from the next tier line. The Upgrade Advisor tool automates this decision per card.
Do Evolutions count more than card upgrades for Collection Level?
Yes. Each Evolution form unlocked grants +5 Collection Levels, equivalent to upgrading five separate cards by one level. Heroes are the same: +5 Collection Levels per Hero form unlocked. This makes Evolution Shard and Hero token redemptions the highest-leverage actions per progression unit.
Will my Mastery progress carry over?
Yes. Mastery progress carries over against the reduced task thresholds introduced in the same patch (most tasks down ~60%, e.g., Hog Rider damage 420,000 → 170,000). If you were partway through a task, you may find it instantly complete under the new threshold. See Mastery Rework Guide (May 2026) for details.
Is the Collection Level cap really 1,500+?
Rewards continue indefinitely past Level 1,500 - the cadence simply tightens from every 10 Levels to every 5 Levels. There's no hard cap on Collection Level itself; in theory it grows as Supercell adds new cards, Evolutions, and Heroes to the game over time.
Where to Go Next
- The big picture: Q2 Update Hub
- Seasonal Arena II mechanics: Seasonal Trophy Road Q2 Guide
- Mastery gold conversion: Mastery Rework Guide (May 2026)
- Veteran impact: Veteran Compensation Explainer
- Tools: Upgrade Advisor with Pre-Patch Mode arriving post-launch
- Chat with this data inside an AI: ClashCoachAI on ChatGPT or Google Gemini