Supercell’s Clash Royale and Why it’s so Successful at AISG

Starting from last year, a mobile game pervaded AISG’s community like a tornado; it was Clash Royale, free to play and a tower defense MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game. The game saw its initial release on March 2, 2016, yet, it gained popularity and attention at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year. Even after one year, it has maintained its popularity among the older students and has been introduced to younger students.

There are several reasons why Clash Royale received such positive feedback. First of all, it is age-friendly to everyone. You don’t have to be knowledgeable of the game to enjoy it; the servers match you with an opponent of the similar skill. If you understand the game mechanics well, there are also higher level matchmaking groups. The players are divided into 11 “arenas” which are determined by a player’s trophy count, which a player gains by winning a match.

 

Secondly, the game is constantly updated, balanced, and advertised. The game has recently seen its largest update, adding a brand new game mode called Touchdown. The frequency of balance changes and the creative updates show how much Supercell cares about their game and helps maintain the players’ interest. Additionally, Supercell has forums about the game on their own website (www.forum.supercell.com) and Reddit; their staff is also unexpectedly active and supporting. The popularity of the game resulted in content creators on platforms such as YouTube. Supercell advertises their game by providing the best-known creators update/balance sneak peeks or hosting a tournament with these celebrities playing in them. Commercials of the game are also seen on the official Clash Royale YouTube channel and national television around the world. Some may argue that Clash Royale’s player base is “dying”, and the game isn’t that popular anymore. They are not incorrect, and Clash Royale did see a decline in players entering fall 2017, but it is still the most popular mobile game, making it impactful and often imitated.

Thirdly, the card mechanics are addicting and motivative for players to keep playing. This also pushes the players to charge money for the game. Cards are sorted into 4 categories: Common, Rare, Epic, and Legendary, with legendary cards being the most scarce but most desired. From each arena battle win, players receive a chest that contains a number of cards. The chests have a fixed chance of releasing cards of different rarities. For that reason, it always feels extremely satisfying unboxing a legendary card from a free chest.

In short, Clash Royale has seen great success worldwide and that includes the AISG community, grossing millions of dollars daily. Its easy rules, regular updates, and well-designed mechanics make it so successful and revolutionary in the mobile game industry.