Clash Royale August 2026 Balance Changes: Spirits, Single-Use Abilities and Reworks
Published: August 4, 2026 · Source: Supercell’s official notes · 53 cards
August 2026 brought one of the biggest balance updates in years. The main patch on August 4 had three big ideas: nerf the 1-Elixir Spirits that had replaced spells and support troops in many decks, make Hero and Champion abilities single-use, and rework cards that had long been either oppressive or forgotten. A few smaller tweaks followed on August 26.
Below you’ll find every change with its Level 11 values; the stats in our card guides were updated accordingly.
Nerfs
Berserker Hero- ⬇ Ability duration: 4 s → 3.5 s (−13%)
- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
Elite Barbarians Evolution- ⬇ Spear damage: 284 → 220 (−23%)
- ⬇ Rage duration: 3.5 s → 2.5 s (−29%)
On August 26 the Evolution’s spear damage and Rage duration were reduced; it was nerfed again in September.
Goblinstein- ⬇ Hitpoints (Monster): 2385 → 2240 (−6%)
- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
- 🔄 Damage (Doctor): 92 → 135 (+47%)
- 🔄 Ability damage per second: 214 → 188 (−12%)
Champions that suffered from the switch to single-use abilities were buffed: the Doctor deals 47% more damage, while the ability’s damage per second went down. On August 26 the Monster lost a few hitpoints.
Electro Spirit- ⬇ Chain range: 4 tiles → 3 tiles (−25%)
- ⬇ Hitpoints: 230 → 215 (−7%)
- ⬇ No longer connects with Crown Towers on its own; Archers, Archer Queen, Bomber, Musketeer and Tesla now take it out in one shot.
Fire Spirit- ⬇ Hitpoints: 230 → 215 (−7%)
- ⬇ No longer connects with Crown Towers on its own; Archers, Archer Queen, Bomber, Musketeer and Tesla now take it out in one shot.
All four Spirits dropped from 230 to 215 hitpoints and no longer connect with Crown Towers on their own. A volley of Archers, Archer Queen, Musketeer and Tesla now take them out in one shot (Bomber did too, until his damage dropped to 212 in September).
Ice Spirit- ⬇ Hitpoints: 230 → 215 (−7%)
- ⬇ No longer connects with Crown Towers on its own; Archers, Archer Queen, Bomber, Musketeer and Tesla now take it out in one shot.
Spirits had replaced spells in many decks because every placement guaranteed a positive Elixir trade. With fewer hitpoints, their value is more situational.
Heal Spirit- ⬇ Hitpoints: 230 → 215 (−7%)
- ⬇ No longer connects with Crown Towers on its own; Archers, Archer Queen, Bomber, Musketeer and Tesla now take it out in one shot.
Goblins Hero- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
- ⬇ Banner Brigade Goblins: 3 → 2 (−33%)
- ⬆ Deploy time: 1.3 s → 1 s (−23%)
Goblin Cage Evolution- ⬇ Evolution cycles: 1 → 2 (+100%)
- ⬇ Damage per second: 337 → 366 (+9%)
- ⬇ Capture cooldown: 0.5 s → 0.3 s (−40%)
Mega Knight Evolution- ⬇ Uppercut now on every other attack instead of every attack.
- ⬇ Heavy troop knockback: 2.5 tiles → 4 tiles (+60%)
Bowler- ⬇ Projectile range: 7.5 tiles → 7 tiles (−7%)
Projectile range down to 7 tiles so it no longer clips towers from behind the bridge (same for Executioner).
Executioner- ⬇ Projectile range: 7.5 tiles → 7 tiles (−7%)
Goblin Drill- ⬇ No longer damages Crown Towers when it surfaces; the Goblins it spawns deal 4% more damage instead.
No more guaranteed tower damage when it surfaces; the Goblins it spawns hit a little harder instead.
Wall Breakers- ⬇ Damage: 350 → 281 (−20%)
Damage down 20%: the threat of around 700 tower damage if left unanswered was too punishing.
Magic Archer- ⬇ Damage: 143 → 135 (−6%)
Zappies- ⬇ Hit speed: 2.1 s → 2.2 s (+5%)
Buffs
Archer Queen- ⬆ Damage: 225 → 232 (+3%)
- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
Slightly more damage after the move to single-use abilities.
Little Prince- ⬆ Ability damage (Royal Rescue): 256 → 320 (+25%)
- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
- ⬆ Now keeps his charged-up hit speed for up to 0.3 seconds while moving.
- ⬆ Damage (Guardienne): 217 → 232 (+7%)
He keeps his charged-up hit speed briefly while moving and his Guardienne hits harder; on August 26 his ability damage went up by 25%.
Electro Giant- ⬆ Damage: 163 → 184 (+13%)
On August 26 his damage went up 13%; on top of the reflected zaps, his punches now do more work.
Void- ⬆ Hit speed: 1.2 s → 1 s (−17%)
- 🔄 Elixir cost: 3 → 5 (+67%)
- 🔄 Hit speed: 1 s → 1.2 s (+20%)
- 🔄 Single-target damage: 340 → 696 (+105%)
- 🔄 Damage to 2–4 targets: 161 → 294 (+83%)
- 🔄 Damage to 5+ targets: 76 → 153 (+101%)
- 🔄 Single-target Crown Tower damage: 48 → 97 (+102%)
Void was completely redesigned into the first 5-Elixir damage spell. Its single-target damage more than doubled, giving an answer to tanky ranged troops like Bowler, Executioner and Hunter other than 6-Elixir spells.
Mighty Miner- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
- ⬆ Base damage (stage 1): 40 → 43 (+8%)
Base damage is now 43, so he two-shots Skeletons at every level.
Tombstone Hero- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
- ⬆ Damage: 320 → 422 (+32%)
- ⬆ Sight range: 5.5 tiles → 7 tiles (+27%)
- ⬆ Hitpoints: 4044 → 4224 (+4%)
Tomb Queen got more damage, hitpoints and sight range, to work as a standalone win condition.
Mortar- ⬆ Hit speed: 5 s → 4.7 s (−6%)
The base Mortar fires faster and the Evolution slower; both now share the same hit speed.
Barbarians- ⬆ Hitpoints: 691 → 716 (+4%)
Barbarians got more hitpoints; the Evolution lost its bonus hitpoints but its Rage lasts longer.
Goblins- ⬆ Damage: 120 → 125 (+4%)
Goblin damage went up 4% (including the Goblins from Goblin Gang, Goblin Barrel and Goblin Drill), while Hero Goblins’ Banner Brigade got smaller.
Princess Evolution- ⬆ The slowing arrow now fires every other attack instead of every third.
- ⬆ Slow duration: 7 s → 5.5 s (−21%)
Spear Goblins- ⬆ Hit speed: 1.7 s → 1.6 s (−6%)
Reworks
Magic Archer Hero- 🛠 Triple Shot now deals the correct damage.
- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
Golden Knight- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
Skeleton King- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
Monk- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
Mega Minion Hero- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
- 🔄 Crown Tower damage reduction: 50% → 75%
- 🔄 Warp damage: 373 → 399 (+7%)
Ice Golem Hero- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
- 🔄 The 3rd blast now slows instead of freezing.
- 🔄 Damage per blast: 38 → 69 (+82%)
Barbarian Barrel Hero- 🔄 The ability no longer has a cooldown: it can now be used once per deployment.
Witch Evolution- 🔄 Heal per Skeleton: 53 → 153 (+189%)
- 🔄 Max hitpoints: 1040 → 1451 (+40%)
- 🔄 Now only heals from her first Skeleton wave.
Evolved Witch now only heals from her first Skeleton wave, but heals much more from it and has more maximum hitpoints.
Battle Healer- 🔄 Damage: 148 → 268 (+81%)
- 🔄 Hit speed: 1.5 s → 2 s (+33%)
- 🔄 Hitpoints: 1717 → 1920 (+12%)
- 🔄 Heal radius: 4 tiles → 3 tiles (−25%)
- 🔄 No longer heals herself.
She no longer heals herself, but her hitpoints and damage went up a lot. Persistent self-healing was considered frustrating to play against.
Goblin Curse- 🔄 Slowdown: 0% → 15%
Now slows by 15%, like Poison, so troops can’t escape the cursed area before turning into Goblins.
Goblin Machine- 🔄 Rocket speed: 250 → 350 (+40%)
- 🔄 Rocket hit speed: 3.5 s → 5 s (+43%)
- 🔄 Melee damage: 212 → 232 (+9%)
- 🔄 Hitpoints: 2150 → 2265 (+5%)
The rocket flies faster but fires less often; melee damage and hitpoints went up.
Rune Giant- 🔄 Hitpoints: 2662 → 2816 (+6%)
- 🔄 No longer stops to enchant (cast time 1s → 0s) and no longer enchants self-destructing troops.
She no longer stops to enchant, so she keeps up with her support troops, and she got more hitpoints.
Bug fixes
Poison- 🛠 Now deals the correct damage to Crown Towers.
Ronin- 🛠 First hit: 0.3 s → 0.4 s (+33%)
X-Bow- 🛠 Hit speed: 0.3 s → 0.4 s (+33%)
- 🛠 Damage: 43 → 58 (+35%)
- 🛠 Projectile speed: 1400 → 1600 (+14%)
Fixes wasted shots on troops at the edge of its range: slower hits, but more damage per hit; overall damage per second went up by about 1%.
Single-use abilities
Except for Boss Bandit, every Champion and Hero ability is now single-use per deployment instead of running on a cooldown. Supercell felt cooldowns didn’t add enough meaningful gameplay. This mostly hit cards that used their ability repeatedly, such as Golden Knight, Archer Queen and Monk; the weaker ones (Goblinstein, Little Prince, Mighty Miner) were buffed in the same update.
Impact on the meta
Cycle decks running several Spirits lost both their tower pressure and their safe Elixir trades, and decks with real spells and support troops came back. For cards whose Evolution dominated (Archers, Valkyrie, Mega Knight, Goblin Barrel, Giant Snowball), power was moved from the Evolution to the base card, and classics like Mortar, Barbarians and Goblins are more playable in their base form.
Use the deck builder to see which decks are stronger now with your own cards.
Affected classic decks
Classic decks that include cards changed in this update:
- Hog 2.6 Cycle · Musketeer, Ice Golem, Ice Spirit
- Log Bait · Goblin Barrel, Princess, Knight, Ice Spirit
- X-Bow 3.0 · X-Bow, Archers, Knight, Ice Spirit
- Golem Beatdown · Mega Minion, Barbarian Barrel
- LavaLoon · Balloon, Mega Minion, Tombstone
- Royal Giant Fisherman · Electro Spirit
- Miner Poison Control · Poison, Valkyrie, Spear Goblins
- Graveyard Poison · Poison, Knight, Tombstone, Barbarian Barrel
- PEKKA Bridge Spam · Magic Archer, Poison
- Giant Double Prince · Giant, Dark Prince, Mega Minion, Ice Spirit
- Mortar Miner · Mortar, Knight, Archers, Spear Goblins
- Mega Knight Miner · Mega Knight, Spear Goblins
- E-Giant Tornado · Electro Giant, Bowler, Mega Minion, Ice Spirit
- LumberLoon Freeze · Balloon, Ice Golem
- Royal Hogs Earthquake · Electro Spirit, Ice Golem
- Goblin Giant Sparky · Dark Prince, Mega Minion
- 3M Pump Ram · Ice Golem
- Elixir Golem Healer · Battle Healer, Barbarian Barrel
More updates
- Clash Royale September 2026 Balance Changes: Every Buff and Nerf · September 23, 2026
- Minion Academy Season: New Card Minion Giant and Hero Ice Wizard · September 7, 2026