Clash Royale: The Proving Grounds

1. The Rulebook

The following rulebook is a guide document which is valid for all stages of The Proving Grounds: King of the Hill event. The Proving Grounds Tournament Admin team reserves the right to make amendments to the rulebook with or without prior notice to the players. The Tournament Admin team are the decision makers for all cases and disputes which may occur and are not written in this rulebook.

1.1. Rule Changes

The Tournament Admin team reserves the right to amend, remove, or otherwise change the rules outlined in this Rulebook, without further, or prior, notice. The Tournament Admin team also reserves the right to make a judgement on cases that are not explicitly outlined, or detailed, in this rulebook, as well as make judgements that even go against this Rulebook in extreme cases, to preserve fair play and sportsmanship.

1.2. Rulebook Translations

This rulebook has been translated into several languages in order to best accommodate as many players as possible. Individuals may request a translation into another language by creating a ticket on the Official The Proving Grounds Discord. In the case of any rules disputes, or translation inconsistencies, only the most recent version of the English rulebook will be considered as the definitive version on which judgements are made. The most recent version of the English rulebook will always be the version linked on the Official The Proving Grounds Discord.

1.3. Game/Patch Version

All matches will be played online, on the current patch available on live servers at the time of a match. All players must have the newest version of the game installed on their own device in order to participate. Any game updates must be installed before the start of the tournament.

1.4. Tournament Admin Team

The Proving Grounds Tournament Admin team will consist of individuals appointed by The Proving Grounds, and will be identifiable by a role on The Proving Grounds Discord Server.

1.4.1. Tournament Admin Contact

There will be one main method of communicating with the Tournament Admin team:

• Official The Proving Grounds Discord Server — for current tournament matters and announcements, as well as initiating a support ticket for any potential questions, issues, or disputes.

1.5. Confidentiality

The content of any disputes, support tickets, discussions, or any other correspondence with the Tournament Admin team are deemed strictly confidential. The publication of any such material without prior written consent from the Tournament Admin is strictly prohibited.

1.6. Participation Requirements

All participants must be at least 16 years of age at the start of the tournament.

• If a Player is under the legal age of consent in their country of residence, but is at least 16 years of age, they may still enter and be a participant if they otherwise meet all eligibility criteria and one of their parents or legal guardians reads and agrees to the Rules on their behalf.

All participants must reside in a country where Clash Royale is available to download in the local app store.

All participants must be playing on a mobile device (no emulators).

All participants must follow and adhere to the Supercell TOS and Safe and Fair Play Policy.

During this event, all participants may be subject to an account integrity check performed by Supercell.

Players must be the sole owners of the Clash Royale account used for participation in the Tournament. Players are only allowed to participate in the Tournament on a single account.

1.7. Verification of Eligibility

Players must be 16 years of age or older in order to participate. Any Player aged 16–17 (16–18 in South Korea, 16–19 in Japan) will be required to confirm on their verification form that they have parental or guardian consent to participate in this event.

1.7.1. Proof of Identity

Players who compete in the Tournament will be required to provide proof of identity. Failure to provide proof of identity may result in disqualification from the Tournament. The Organizer reserves the right to verify an eligible Player's information at any given time if deemed necessary.

During the verification process, Players must submit an acceptable photo ID to the Organizer to verify their identity. The photo ID must include the Players' full name and date of birth. Accepted forms of ID include:

• Government Issued Identification
• School Issued Identification, along with a Birth Certificate
• Birth Certificate, along with another form of photo ID
• Passport

2. Tournament Format

The tournament will consist of three parts:

• Open Qualifiers
• Group Stage
• The Finale

2.1. Regions

Players will be able to participate in The Proving Grounds regardless of which region they reside in, with the exception of Supercell restricted regions.

2.2. Qualification

After each Open Qualifier in-game tournament, sixteen players will be invited to participate in an Open Qualifier Single Elimination Bracket on the same day, immediately following the In-Game Tournament. The sixteen players will be invited to the single elimination bracket based on the following criteria:

• The top 16 players from the In-Game Open Qualifier Tournament of that day.

From there, the top 4 players from each Open Qualifier Bracket will be qualified to play in the Group Stage. Players may only qualify for the group stage once. Any player that qualifies for the group stage, will be ineligible to compete in any remaining Open Qualifier tournaments of the event.

There will be 16 invited pro players that will qualify directly to the Group Stage. The 12 from the 2025 CRL World Finals will be invited. The remaining 4 players will be the top 4 players from the 2025 CRL Last Chance Qualifier. If any of the 12 players from 2025 CRL World Finals decline the invitation, or are unable to participate, the next highest player in the 2025 LCQ Leaderboard will be invited. If a player that would be invited declines the invitation, they are ineligible to participate in the Stage 1 Open Tournaments.

2.3. Match Formats

Depending on the stage of the event, matches will be played in various formats. The vocabulary for formats will be as follows:

• Game — One game between two players in Clash Royale.
• Match — One Best of 3 or Best of 5 set of games played between two players.
• Duels — Players are prohibited from re-using any cards from any decks they use in a match, regardless of if they won or lost the game(s).
• Modified Duels — Players are prohibited from re-using any cards from any deck they WIN within a match.

2.3.1. Game Settings

For all bracketed stages, the player that is on the Top or Left side of the bracket/match lobby will be the player that should initiate the game, and for the purposes of this event will be considered the 'Home' player. The player on the Bottom or Right side of the bracket/match lobby will be considered the 'Away' player. All games should use the settings outlined in the sections below, whichever is applicable.

2.3.2. Best of 3 Match

A Best of 3 Match means players will play up to three games of Clash Royale against each other. A victory is declared based on once one player has won two games. In the unlikely event of a tie in game, that game will be replayed, and treated as if it never happened.

2.3.3. Best of 5 Match

A Best of 5 Match means players will play up to five games of Clash Royale against each other. A victory is declared based on once one player has won three games. In the unlikely event of a tie in game, that game will be replayed, and treated as if it never happened.

2.4. Open Qualifier

There will be 4 Open Qualifiers. Registration will be open to all players across the globe and will be capped at 1,000 participants each, first come first served. Each Qualifier will consist of one day of competition. For the Open Qualifier, players will register for an in-game tournament on Clash Royale. The in-game tournament(s) will be set to 1-hour duration, and max losses will be set to 5. All matches in the Open Qualifier in-game tournament will be played using 'normal battles', Best of 1s. The top 16 players from the tournament(s) will qualify for the Open Qualifier Brackets, which each take place immediately following the in-game tournament.

These Open Qualifier Brackets will be seeded based on the final placement of the in-game tournament, in the order shown in-game.

The top 16 players from each in-game tournament will be required to join a tournament specified In-game Clan, and will compete in a single elimination bracket immediately after the in-game tournament is completed. The Open Qualifier bracket will be played using Duels, Best of 3s. These players will be contacted via Discord immediately after the in-game tournament, and all coordination of this bracket will happen in The Proving Grounds discord and in-game clan chat. The top 4 players from each Open Qualifier Bracket tournament will qualify for the Group Stage. Each bracket will be played in its entirety including a 3rd place match to determine seeding 1 through 4 from each tournament.

2.5. Group Stage

The Group Stage will consist of the 16 players qualified from the four Open Qualifiers, as well as 16 invited Clash Royale Pro Players. All 32 players will be sorted into groups of 4 groups of 8 players, and each group will play a Double Elimination Bracket of Best of 3 Modified Duels, with the top 4 players from each group advancing to The Finale, for a total of 16 players qualifying for The Finale. All group stage brackets will be played to completion to determine seeding for The Finale.

2.5.1. Group Stage Seeding

Players will be seeded into the group stage based on their qualification placement for Open Qualifier participants, or based on their placement in the 2025 CRL World Finals or 2025 LCQ Points Leaderboard. The players invited from the 2025 CRL World Finals will be given the top seeds of the invited players.

The Open Qualifier participants will be sorted so that no groups will have more than one participant that qualified from each individual day of qualifications, nor will any groups have more than one participant that qualified with a seeding matching another participant in that group.

The invited pro players will be sorted into groups in a reverse snake order, so Group A will receive pro players 1, 8, 9, and 16, Group B will receive pro players 2, 7, 10, and 15, and so on.

Within each group, the top seeded Invited Pro Player will be given seed #1, with the top seeded Qualified player being given seed #2, and so on.

2.6. The Finale

The Finale will consist of the Top 16 players from Group Stage (Top 4 from each group) competing in a double elimination bracket. The format is as follows:

• 16 players
• Double Elimination Bracket
• Best-of-3 (Bo3) Modified Duels format
  • Cards are only banned from a match when you win with them.

2.6.1. The Finale Seeding

Players will be seeded in The Finale's double elimination bracket based on their performance in the Group Stage. Players finishing 1st in their respective group will be paired against a player that finished 4th in a different group, while players that finished 2nd in their group, will be paired against a player that finished 3rd in a different group.

Seeding will be done in such a way that all groups, and group stage final standings, will be evenly distributed across each quadrant and half of the bracket.

2.6.2. Player Cams

During the Finale, we will ask Players to share a virtual camera via VDO Ninja. Video footage from this call will be used for broadcast purposes and possible social posts. Instructions will be shared with players who are competing in The Finale.

2.7. Global Bans

In the event of a new card being introduced, or a game affecting bug/glitch involving a card, or other game affecting instances that the players can control, the Tournament Admin team may at their discretion declare a card to be globally banned. Global bans will be clearly communicated via The Proving Grounds Discord. Global bans will remain in effect until otherwise stated by the Tournament Admin team.

3. Prize Pool

There will be a total Prize Pool of $25,000 USD.

3.1. Prize Pool Breakdown

The Prize Pool for The Proving Grounds is $25,000 USD. It will be awarded as follows:

3.2. Prize Pool Distribution

If a Player qualifies for prizing, they will be contacted via a dedicated payment link to begin prize payment processing. Players will be asked to confirm receipt of this link. The deadline to submit payment information is ninety (90) days from the date the Tournament Organizer sends the payment link. This deadline will be clearly stated in the communication alongside the link.

After the initial contact, Players will receive a minimum of two (2) reminder communications as the 90-day deadline approaches to ensure sufficient time to complete the payment process.

If payment information is incomplete or incorrect, the payment will be delayed until corrected information is submitted. Corrections must still be resolved within the original 90-day window.

Players are responsible for any and all costs and expenses associated with their prize that are not specifically set forth herein. National, state, and local taxes, including possible VAT taxes, are the sole responsibility of the Player.

Players are responsible for all national or local taxes (including VAT). Prizes are in USD and subject to exchange rates. Payments will not be made to countries under US or EU financial sanctions.

3.2.1. Prize Claim Deadline Mandatory Acknowledgement

The 90-day prize claim deadline set forth in Article 3.2. is binding upon all Players. Failure to submit valid payment information within this period will result in permanent forfeiture of the prize. No exceptions will be made. By registering for this Tournament, Players expressly acknowledge and consent to this condition as part of the Official Rulebook.

4. Schedule

The Proving Grounds will take place on the following dates:

Times shown in your local timezone (CT).

Stage 1 and Stage 2 will be hosted on Co-Streamers' channels. The only official broadcast day will be The Finale on May 29th.

5. Player Registration

All tournament registration will be handled via arena-royale.com. Participants will have to give their Clash Royale ID, email address, and sign in via Discord to earn access to the Discord Channel and the event. Any player that registers for The Proving Grounds must join the official Proving Grounds Discord Server, otherwise they will miss vital information on the event days.

Once registered for Proving Grounds, players are able to attempt as many Qualifiers as they're able, as long as the player hasn't already qualified for Stage 2 — Group Stage.

Registration does not guarantee a spot in the open qualifiers — it strictly grants you access to receiving the tournament password prior to it starting in-game on Clash Royale. Each Open Qualifier will be capped at 1,000 players, first come first served.

5.1. Player Names

The Tournament Admin team reserves the right to forbid the use of any unwanted names and/or symbols in the competition.

All player nicknames registered must contain at least a part of the name by which they are known in-game, and be identifiable as such.

6. Game Preparations

Please resolve any problems that might occur before a match starts. Players are responsible for their own devices and connections. Matches must be played with the correct settings. Matches may not be rescheduled due to technical issues, including but not limited to hardware, software, and internet issues.

6.1. Punctuality and Failure to Appear

Each player must be online and ready to play no less than 15 minutes before their scheduled start time. If a player is not online at the match start time, they will forfeit the Match. For all subsequent matches, such as in a bracket, if a player is not online and ready to play their match within 5 minutes of the match being announced, they will forfeit their match.

If a player is online, but must leave to resolve an issue, no penalties will be assessed. Abuse of this exception may lead to a forfeiture. Please open a ticket on The Proving Grounds Discord if you feel your opponent is abusing this rule.

If at least one game has been played, but the Match has not concluded, and one player has not responded within 5 minutes to any contact methods via Discord, they will be considered to have abandoned the Match, and will forfeit.

6.1.1. Match Dispute

For all bracketed matches, both players should take a screenshot at the end of each game that clearly shows the correct result, and be prepared to upload them in the case of a score dispute. If a match score is incorrectly reported, players should dispute by creating a ticket in The Proving Grounds Discord Server, and an admin will assist as quickly as possible. If insufficient proof is provided to determine a clear winner, then both players may be penalized at the sole discretion of the The Proving Grounds Admins.

6.1.2. Screenshots

A screenshot of the on-screen results must be made for every game that is played. If requested, players will be responsible for uploading the screenshots to the match page, or to Discord, whichever is requested. Faking or manipulating screenshots is strictly forbidden, and will result in harsh penalties, including potential disqualification from the entire event.

6.1.3. Screen Recording

Players are strongly recommended to record their device screen during all Open Qualifiers. Screen recordings serve as evidence in the event of a dispute and help protect Players against false accusations.

During the Group Stage and The Finale, screen recording is mandatory. Players must record their device screen for the entire duration of every match they participate in.

Screen recordings must capture the full game screen without obstruction and must be of sufficient quality to clearly identify in-game actions.

Screen recordings will be used exclusively for the purpose of investigating allegations of cheating or unauthorized software use. They will not be considered as evidence in disputes related to in-game bugs, performance issues, connectivity problems, or lag.

In the event of a cheat-related dispute where no screen recording is available, the decision shall be made at the sole discretion of the Tournament Administrators based on any other available evidence. The absence of a screen recording may be considered unfavorably when evaluating the dispute.

Players are responsible for ensuring their recording software or device functionality is working correctly before the start of each match.

7. Code of Conduct

All registered players agree to abide by the Code of Conduct, to observe fair play, competitive integrity, and sportsmanship at all times during the event. All actions outlined below will be considered a breach of the Code of Conduct, and could result in disqualification from the event.

7.1. Collusion

Collusion is defined as any agreement between two or more players to intentionally disadvantage other competitors. Collusion includes, but is not limited to, acts such as:

• Soft play, which is defined as any agreement among two (2) or more players to not damage, impede or otherwise play to a reasonable standard of competition in a game.
• Pre-arranging to split prize money and/or any other form of compensation.
• Deliberately losing a game for compensation, or for any other reason, or attempting to induce another player to do so.

7.2. Hacking

Hacking is defined as any modification of the Clash Royale game client by any player, player or person acting on behalf of a player or a player.

7.3. Exploiting

Exploiting is defined as intentionally using any in-game bug to seek an advantage. Exploiting penalties will be at the sole determination of the Tournament Admin.

7.4. Profanity and Hate Speech

A player may not use language that is obscene, foul, vulgar, insulting, threatening, abusive, libelous, slanderous, defamatory or otherwise offensive or objectionable; or promote or incite hatred or discriminatory conduct, in the Match Lobby, In-Game Chat or The Proving Grounds Discord, at any time.

7.5. Non-Compliance

No player may refuse or fail to follow any reasonable instructions or decisions of the Tournament Admin.

7.6. Penalties

Any participant found to have engaged in, or attempted to engage in any act that the Tournament Admin, in its sole and absolute discretion, considers to be a violation of the Code of Conduct, or any other guidelines outlined within this Rulebook, will be subject to penalty. The Tournament Admin may subject the participant and/or players, without limitation of its authority, to the following penalties:

• Warning
• Forfeiture of a Game, Set, or Match
• Disqualification from the event

Repeated infractions are subject to escalating penalties, up to, and including, disqualification from all future The Proving Grounds Events. These penalties are not required to be applied in escalating order, as some infractions may result in immediate application of forfeiture or disqualification penalties.

7.6.1. Right to Publish

The Tournament Admin has the right to publish a declaration stating that a player has been penalized. Any player which may be referenced in such declaration hereby waive any right of legal action against the tournament, tournament organizer and/or any of their parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, agents, or contractors.

8. Broadcast and Streaming

The Tournament Admin will be performing a live broadcast of the event. By competing in The Proving Grounds event, all players agree to their gameplay being recorded. All players and players also agree to have their corporate logos, and player images used for the duration of the competition. They also agree that replays of the matches may be used in promotional material including, but not limited to, posts in The Proving Grounds Discord and Social Media.

8.1. Rebroadcasting

Only Observers organized by the Tournament Admin and people that are given permission by them are permitted to broadcast the matches.

Players actively participating in tournament Matches are allowed to stream their own point of view on their personal channels.

8.2. Tournament Clan Restrictions

Players that have been chosen to be streamed must add the tournament admin accounts in game, or join a specific clan in game that will be sent to them on the day of the tournament, for spectating.