When Supercell makes a game, the world takes notice. This Finish, mobile game development company, has only a handful of games, but their success has been, to put it mildly, staggering. Recently, it launched Brawl Stars, a hybrid arena fighter and it took less than a month to become a huge success. Because of this, no one should be surprised by the fact that their older game from 2016, Clash Royale, a card-collecting real-time strategy is still around.

It is not just a big earner for the company, but also a relevant and in many ways, emerging esports from the field of mobile titles. 2019 will be an important year for the game and its global audience, as well as a growing ecosystem of players and esports teams. Here are some of the most relevant facts about Clash Royale esports for the upcoming 12 months and the dynamic it will have with the esports domain at large.

Clash Royale League is only Starting

Esports and Clash Royale are no strangers. Over 2016 and 2017, the game was present at a range of relatively small-to-medium tournaments and events. But then, last year, with the support of Supercell, the game kicked off its Clash Royale League (CRL). This esports competition features almost 40 organization broken up into five regions. The first season saw a total of one million USD raised for the CRL prize pool.

The ecosystem that has grown since the start of the league is not mind-blowingly impressive when numbers are concerned. So far, its combined prize pool stands at $1,243,000. Right now, the ecosystem includes over 130 players, which would be considered minuscule compared to the esports cross-platform heavyweights. However, there are viewers on the side of Clash Royale, and their numbers are a lot more telling when it comes to the future of this game.

The Clash Royale Fans

There are well over a 100 million active Clash Royale players. Among them, the top whales, or big spenders on in-game purchases, spend thousands of dollars, like this example shows. All of this translates to a huge fan base that is both engaged and loyal. After all, where do you move from Clash Royale to get your similar gaming kick?

Any competitors are leagues beyond the results that Supercell provides. Esports reflect the same fact. Total time watched for CRL in 2018 is almost 21 million hours. Clash Royale League World Finals 2018 had 708,000 peak viewers. For a growing esports field, these numbers are essential - they will make sure that the number of pro players climbs up and does that fast. 2019 is the year when that professional expansion stands to happen.

Team Presence

Maybe the best possible indicator for the Clash Royale esports growth to come is the fact that 36 big teams and organizations are already in the mix. More precisely, they make up the CRL, and these include Immortals, Cloud9, Team Liquid, and 100 Thieves, to mention some of the most famous ones. Other esports teams have their roster and are hoping to make the cut in the future. They are gearing up for the upcoming CRL season and the one after it. These esports teams have no doubt that Clash Royale is here to stay and others are bound to follow.

Strong 2019 in the (Clash Royale) Cards

Like it or not, Clash Royale is the dominant mobile-only esports on the global level. China, with its Honor of Kings, has a substantial mobile esports market, but it is still in many ways closed and limited to local growth. For any global esports team, the Supercell is the obvious and more sensible alternative.

The effect and potential of the same game will inevitably rise in 2019, and it might even pave the way for other big esports games that are only played on a mobile device. While this might or might not happen, the success and expansion of the title in the year to come are almost certain.

Image Via: Dot Esports