- You will stop getting Max Level duplicate cards starting February 23, 2026.
- Heroes will now unlock at Arena 5 as you can choose whom to unlock using Fragments.
- A new Evo arrives in April, with rotation between Heroes, Evos, and new cards starting June.
Over the past few months, progression, Heroes, duplicates, and rewards have been hot topics in the Clash Royale community. Now, it looks like Supercell is rolling out some serious structural changes in 2026. Some of these changes go live on February 23, while Clash Royale begins rolling out the rest in the March 2026 update and beyond. Let’s break down everything properly.
All the details on the Clash Royale update rolling out on February 23, 2026
No more Max Level duplicate cards
One of the most frustrating parts of progression has been receiving duplicates of cards you already maxed out, especially at Level 16. That feeling of opening a reward and getting something you simply can’t use has been a long-standing issue.
Starting February 23, this changes in a big way. If you have fewer than 60 Max Level cards, you will no longer receive duplicates of Max Level cards at all. If you already have more than 60 Max Level cards, the drop rate weight for Max Level cards will be reduced by 90%.
Heroes unlock earlier at Arena 5
Hero accessibility is also being pushed much earlier in the game. Instead of feeling like a distant milestone, the Hero unlock slot will now be available at Arena 5. From what I can see, this makes the early-game experience far more exciting. You won’t have to grind endlessly before interacting with Heroes, which surely has had a strong impact on battles.
What’s coming to Clash Royale in the March 2026 update and beyond
Special Deck Slots reduction
One of the more gameplay-focused changes is the reduction of special deck slots from four to three. The new structure will include one Evolution slot, one Hero slot, and one Wild slot that can contain either a Hero or an Evolution. This adjustment applies to Trophy Road, Ranked, and Challenges.
Welcome change, I feel. The overload of Evos and Heroes has been a mess, and it took out the originality the older cards offered. Reducing it to three may tighten gameplay and make matches feel cleaner; of course, there will still be some overpowered mechanics still be a headache.
No random Hero Unlocks
This is one of the biggest changes in the update. Hero unlocks are no longer going to rely on randomness. Instead of hoping luck gives you the Hero you want, you will now use Hero Fragments to choose exactly which Hero to unlock.
This is also why they are doing a little tweak to the Free Pass, as we’ll be getting 75 guaranteed Hero Fragments every season once this change goes live in March 2026. Well, the freebies part doesn’t stop here.
They are also giving out 200 Hero Fragments to players who have already passed the Arena 5 Hero unlock step. These fragments will be claimable for three months starting mid-March.
New Evolution and Content Rotation
Well, some interesting news. A new Evolution is confirmed for April, but there will be no Evolution release in May. It has been a long while since they released Evos, but finally, this cycle of just dishing out Heroes will change. Starting in June, content releases will rotate between Heroes, Evolutions, and new cards.
Alongside this, they have also mentioned on the 5-Star Lucky Chest, where the feedback was that it has not felt as exciting as it should. While exact reward changes haven’t been detailed yet, improvements are confirmed.
Read other Clash Royale articles and update news:
- Clash Royale Season 80 “Midnight Mischief” February 2026 Update and Balance Changes
- Clash Royale February 2026: Events, Challenges, Tournaments, and Rewards
- Clash Royale introduces Hero Goblins and Hero Mega Minion in the February 2026 season
- Clash Royale: What is the Frostfire Lucky Chest and how to unlock it
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