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Video games are no strangers to dramatic shifts in popularity. Games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Among Us have seen manic levels of popularity, followed by long periods without much traction at all. Recently, one game specifically has been through this exact cycle. Clash Royale is mobile video game where two players manage characters on an online battlefield, like a general managing their soldiers. The goal is to destroy the other players’ castles and defend their own. Despite being relatively simplistic, it has exploded in popularity over the past 4 months.
According to data from Google Trends, Clash Royale experienced middling popularity for almost four years. However, it saw an explosion of popularity shorter before 2024-2025 school year ended. In fact, Clash Royale’s popularity has even influenced students at Bellevue High School.
Junior William Liu remarked: “Clash Royale is one of the most enjoyable things I do every day. The memories I have made with my friends playing Clash Royale have been some of the best I’ve had in high school. There’s honestly nothing else I’d rather do.”
So, what explains the recent increase in the game’s popularity? One of the main reasons for the resurgence is due to popular content creators playing, the most prominent of these being the renowned video game streamer, Jynxzi. Jynxzi is known for having hilariously energetic and over the top content and was previously known for playing games such as Rainbow Six siege. His Clash Royale content gained immediate traction, and considering many of his viewers played Clash Royale in the late 2010s, it evoked a nostalgic emotion within his audience. His streams became so popular that they averaged almost 35,000 live viewers a day. It wasn’t just live viewing that spread Jynxzi’s gameplay; it was also editors who spliced funny or memorable clips from his streams and posted them on social media, like Instagram or TikTok, which allowed the game to reach a far wider audience.
However, some worry that Clash Royale’s prevalence is distracting students, as it seems some students have prioritized playing the game over actual schoolwork.
Junior Catie Kwon explains that the level of distraction often varies, as “In classrooms that enforce the schools phone policy, Clash Royale isn’t really an issue. With teachers that are more relaxed, a lot of kids get distracted and can be seen playing.”
Hilariously, Clash Royale seems to be trendier nowadays than some searches for colleges, jobs or news sites.
Sophomore James Sun has a refreshing take, remarking “the longer answer is that even if we didn’t have Clash Royale, people would still be distracted the same from other things, like other games, so the problem isn’t really Clash Royale itself. Rather, people don’t want to pay attention.”
So, is Clash Royale a net positive for students? The answer to this of course depends on who you ask.
Junior William Wu finds that, “sometimes when I’m at home doing work, a game of Clash can revitalize me and help me get through long nights, and at other times like lunch, playing Clash can help me socialize with others.”
Whether or not students and faculty agree over the benefits of Clash Royale, the game appears to be firmly rooted in the psyche of high school entertainment.
