LoL Clash full launch details – release date, how to play, rewards, more

After almost two years of beta testing, Clash is finally ready for a full launch in League of Legends, and we’ve got all the information you need to jump in and start playing on the launch weekend at the end of February.

After years of development, Clash will finally become a regular League game mode in February. Feedback from December’s beta for the tournament system was positive, and with server load issues dealt with, the feature is now ready for its full launch.

There have been some changes about how Clash will be run between the beta and its full launch, however. All teams will play three games regardless of record, instead of some teams being dealt a rough hand and only playing two per bracket.

On top of that, more features will progressively be added as time goes on, including the possibility of expanding into event game modes and Teamfight Tactics.

If you want to get in on the action for Clash’s launch weekend at the end of February, we’ve got all the information you need to sign yourself up and start earning some sweet rewards.

What is Clash?

Clash is an in-game tournament system for League of Legends, where players can assemble their own teams and participate in tournaments to win rewards.

It’s similar to Ranked 5s, which was phased out back in Season 6, where teams could grind the ladder like solo queue, except as fully-fledged teams.

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There are three Clash tournament sizes — four, eight, and 16-team tournaments. Every Clash event so far has run with eight teams per bracket, although that’s set to change when the full launch of Clash comes out.

When does Clash release in League?

Clash’s full launch weekend will be on February 22 and 23, according to a tweet from the League of Legends account on February 4.

Whether it will be another once-off, or whether players will finally get a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly schedule or tournaments remains unclear.

“Our plan is to run Clash regularly,” said LoL design director Andrei ‘Meddler’ van Roon in a January 31 forum post. “We’re still figuring out the exact cadence we want to go with though.

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“We want to ensure gaps between Clash weekends don’t feel too long. We also want to avoid running tournaments so frequently that the potential player base is split over too many different days.”

How to play Clash

To get started in Clash, you first must assemble a team of five. Once the Clash tab re-appears in the client, click on it, and hit the Create A Team button at the bottom of the page.

From there, you’ll be able to invite anyone on your friends list to your team. As long as you have five players when the Clash brackets start opening up on both days, you’ll be able to play. Each player must also enter at least one Clash ticket to play.

Once you’ve assembled your team, paid your entry fee, and the brackets have opened, you’ll be able to check-in and ready up. After you check-in, you’ll be put into a queue to assemble a bracket based on your tier.

Then, it’s a matter of getting your bracket and playing. You’ll have seven minutes before each game to scout the enemy team before jumping into champion select.

If you win, you’ll progress further into the bracket, while if you lose, you’ll be knocked into the loser’s tournament.

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Once you’ve played all of your games, you’ll be given your rewards, and have a chance to sign-up for the next tournament.

What rewards are on offer for Clash?

Players who participate in Clash will receive a Clash Orb or Capsule depending on how many tickets they enter with, regardless of their placing.

One Clash ticket entitles players to a Clash Orb, which contains smaller rewards like random summoner icons, XP boosts, and skin shards.

Entering with five tickets opens up the Clash Capsule, which is jam-packed with more rewards like champion and skin shards, gemstones, and more. The higher you place, the better the rewards you will receive.

If you manage to come first in your bracket, you’ll be refunded your entry cost, allowing you to run it back in the next tournament free of charge. You’ll also receive victory points, which go towards unlocking banners to flaunt on your profile.

Clash returns on February 22. Sign-ups aren’t open yet, but they should be available when Patch 10.3 comes out on February 5.