LoL Clash Guide: Tiers, Rewards and Dates (2026)

Level 30 + SMS
Tiers I–IV
400 VP a win
Next: Worlds Clash, 21–22 Nov

Clash is League of Legends' tournament mode: build a team of five, register for the weekend, and play a bracket against teams of your skill tier for trophies, banners and Victory Points. It's the closest most players get to organised competition, and it rewards a team that has practised together. This guide covers how Clash works in 2026 — who can enter, how tiers are set, what a tournament day looks like, what you win, the dates Riot has listed for the rest of the year, and how to get your team ready. Checked 2026-10-25.

Short answer: Clash is a weekend tournament for teams of five. You need level 30, SMS verification and completed placements in at least one Summoner's Rift ranked queue this year or the year before; there's no Honor requirement. Every player needs a ticket. Teams are placed in Tiers I–IV by rank, play an 8-team bracket each day, and earn 400 Victory Points a win. Summoner's Rift and ARAM Cups alternate monthly — the next one Riot lists is Worlds Clash on 21–22 November 2026.

Key takeaways

Requirements: level 30, a verified phone number and completed ranked placements — no Honor level restriction.
Tiers I–IV, weighted towards your team's strongest players; different tiers never meet.
Format: an 8-team single-elimination bracket a day, with a consolation bracket after a first-round loss.
Rewards: 400 VP a win, banners and logos, and a trophy for the bracket winner.
Smurfing rule: an account more than 2 divisions below your highest counts as smurfing in Clash.

Who can play Clash

Requirement	Summoner's Rift Clash	ARAM Clash
Account level	30	30
Phone (SMS) verification	Yes — mobile or prepaid, no VOIP	Yes
Ranked	Completed placements in at least one Summoner's Rift ranked queue this year or the year before	None
Honor level	No Honor level restriction
Ticket	One per player, every tournament

One caution: the same FAQ also says you can't take part if you were unranked last season — check the client before you build a team. Unlinking a phone number starts a 6-month wait before it can be linked again, so don't swap numbers the week of a Cup.

How Clash tiers work

Tiers run from I (highest) to IV (lowest). Each player's tier comes from their Solo/Duo or Flex rank plus Clash history, and the team's tier is a weighted average that leans on its best players — so one Diamond friend pulls a Gold team up. Tiers are fixed for the weekend and teams from different tiers never play each other. Lock-in is staggered: Tier IV can lock in for the whole 2-hour window, Tier I only in the last 30 minutes.

Stacking a strong player

Raises your tier — the weighting favours the strongest players, so your opponents get tougher too.

Playing on a lower account

Riot's rule: an account ranked more than 2 divisions below your highest-ranked one counts as smurfing in Clash — a ban from competing in Clash again, and the team can lose its Clash rewards.

What a Clash weekend looks like

Form the team (from Monday).
The captain creates the team — name, logo and tag — and invites four players.
Get tickets.
Every player needs one. Basic tickets come from the Clash mission (one every two tournaments), a teammate or the store; Premium tickets cost more RP and pay out capsules instead of orbs.
Register for Saturday, Sunday or both.
Each day is its own bracket.
Lock in.
During your tier's lock-in window on the day — Tier IV's is the longest, Tier I's the shortest.
Play the bracket.
A single-elimination bracket of 8 teams a day; a first-round loss drops you into a consolation bracket. /pause and /remake are disabled, and Sudden Death starts after 60 minutes.

How League of Legends Clash works in 2026: level 30, SMS verification and completed ranked placements, no Honor requirement; Tiers I to IV weighted towards the strongest players; an 8-team single-elimination bracket on Saturday or Sunday with a consolation bracket; 400 Victory Points a win plus a first-win bonus of 150 in Tier I, 100 in Tier II and 50 in Tier III; banner levels at 400, 1,000 and 1,400 VP; the next Summoner's Rift Clash is Worlds Clash on 21 and 22 November 2026 — **Five players, one weekend, one bracket.** Win games for Victory Points, win the bracket for the trophy.Graphic: BoostPirate

Clash rewards

Reward	How you get it
Victory Points (VP)	400 for every win, plus a first-win bonus: Tier I 150, Tier II 100, Tier III 50, Tier IV 0
Clash banner	level 1 at 400 VP, level 2 at 1,000 VP, level 3 at 1,400 VP — flags upgrade its frame
Team logos	logo 1 at 600 VP and logo 2 at 2,000 VP
Trophy	Win the bracket — it stands at your Nexus for 2 weeks
Orbs or capsules	When you're knocked out — a Premium-ticket 3–0 run ends with a capsule that includes 10 Mythic Essence and a Chibi icon

VP belongs to the current Clash theme and doesn't carry past it, so spend it on that theme's rewards.

League of Legends splash art of Sett, the Boss, seated on a throne in his fighting pit — **The bracket is the arena.** A team that has drafted and practised together has a real edge over five solo players.Splash art: Riot Games via Data Dragon

Clash dates in 2026

Cup	Mode	Weekend
Demacia Cup	Summoner's Rift	24–25 Jan
Ionia Cup	ARAM	21–22 Feb
Noxus Cup	Summoner's Rift	21–22 Mar
Ixtal Cup	ARAM	18–19 Apr
Zaun Cup	Summoner's Rift	9–10 May
Void Cup	ARAM	20–21 Jun
MSI Cup	Summoner's Rift	18–19 Jul
Bilgewater Cup	ARAM	22–23 Aug
Bandle City Cup	Summoner's Rift	19–20 Sep
Piltover Cup	ARAM	17–18 Oct
Worlds Clash — next	Summoner's Rift	21–22 Nov
Freljord Cup	ARAM	19–20 Dec

Team formation opens on the Monday of each Clash week. For Worlds Clash that's 16 November 2026, for play on 21–22 November 2026; the Freljord Cup follows, with formation on 14 December 2026. Riot's FAQ also says dates can change and to check the client — in patch 26.2 the Clash was cancelled in EU, APAC and OC and replaced by a free makeup Clash on 7 February 2026.

How to get your team ready

Fix five roles before the weekend.
Clash punishes autofill — decide who plays what, and two champions each.
Play Flex together.
Flex games count towards your tier and give you drafting practice — see Flex vs Solo/Duo.
Look up your opponents.
Check the other team's players before the draft and ban their one-tricks.
Plan the objectives.
A team that groups for drakes and Baron beats a team of better laners — the macro guide covers when.

Ranked 5s, a Clash-style drafted team queue, started a new run in patch 26.18 — the closest thing to Clash between Cups.

Help before Clash

Coach your team's draft: 1-on-1 coaching — from $22.00 an hour.
Need placements done first? Placement matches — from $1.25 a game.
Raise your Flex rank: a Flex boost — from $2.90 a division.

Win the bracket, not just a game. A Master+ coach can review your team's draft and objective plan before the Cup weekend.

Sources

Riot Support — Clash FAQ (7 May 2026: requirements, tiers, format, Victory Points, 2026 schedule) · smurfing rules (Clash account gap)
Riot — Patch 26.1 notes · Patch 26.3 notes (26.2 Clash cancellation) · TL;DW dev update (Ranked 5s). Ticket prices aren't published by Riot, so we don't quote them. Checked 2026-10-25.

Free: LoL Duo Checker Pick two ranks — see whether you can queue Flex or Solo/Duo together under Riot's rules before you build a team.

All free tools: calculators, percentiles & season countdowns →

FAQ

Common questions

What do you need to play Clash?

Level 30, SMS verification with a mobile or prepaid number, and completed placements in a Summoner's Rift ranked queue this year or last. Riot says there's no Honor requirement. ARAM Clash needs only level 30 and SMS verification.

How are Clash tiers decided?

Each player's tier (I is the highest, IV the lowest) comes from their Solo/Duo or Flex rank plus Clash history; the team's tier is a weighted average that favours its strongest players. Different tiers never play each other.

What do you win in Clash?

400 Victory Points for every win plus a first-win bonus (150 in Tier I, 100 in Tier II, 50 in Tier III), banner and logo upgrades bought with VP, orbs or capsules when you're knocked out, and a trophy for winning the bracket.

When is the next Clash?

Riot's Clash FAQ lists Worlds Clash (Summoner's Rift) for 21–22 November 2026, with team formation from 16 November, then the ARAM Freljord Cup on 19–20 December. Riot says dates can change, so check the client.

Ready to climb the Rift?

1-on-1 Coaching

Draft and objective prep for your team.

from $22.00 / hourLive price →

Placement Matches

Clash needs completed placements.

from $1.25 / gameLive price →

Flex Rank Boost

Your Flex rank counts towards your tier.

from $2.90 / divisionLive price →

More League of Legends guides

LoL Ranks in Order (2026): All 10 Tiers, Divisions & LP ExplainedEvery League of Legends rank in order — the ten tiers, the four divisions, how LP and the apex ladder work, what share of players sits in each rank, and what counts as a good rank in 2026. LoL Rank Distribution 2026: What Percentage of Players Are in Each RankThe share of League of Legends solo-queue players in every tier and division on patch 26.20, the percentile each rank puts you in, how the ladder has moved since Emerald arrived, and what the numbers say about a good rank. How LoL Ranked Works in 2026: LP, MMR, Promotions, Demotion Shields & ResetsThe complete 2026 ranked system in plain words: unlocking ranked, how LP and hidden MMR interact, promotions without series, division and tier demotions, placements, the three-season year with one annual reset, decay, dodges and the apex tiers. LoL Placement Matches Explained (2026): 5 Games, the Annual Reset and Where You LandHow League of Legends placements work in 2026 — five games per queue, what the annual reset does to your starting point, how MMR decides where you land, the Diamond III cap, and how to play them. LoL Rank Decay Explained: Diamond & Master Rules, Banked Days and How to Stop ItWhich ranks decay, how banked days work in Diamond and the apex tiers, how much LP a day of decay costs, where a decayed account lands — decay stops below Diamond — and how to keep a rank while you are away. LoL Dodge Penalty Explained: LP Loss, Queue Lockouts and When Dodging Is Worth ItExactly what a champion-select dodge costs in League of Legends in 2026 — LP, queue lockouts, how the 24-hour tiers stack across queues, the Master+ full-loss rule since patch 26.1, autofill carryover and the maths of when a dodge beats playing the game. How Long Does It Take to Rank Up in LoL? Games & Days per Division (2026)Realistic numbers for a League of Legends climb — the LP maths behind games per division at every win rate, how game length changes by tier, what a full tier costs in hours, and how a verified booster's tier-by-tier pace compares. What Is LoL Boosting? How Elo Boosting Works, Prices & Safety (2026)League of Legends boosting explained without the sales pitch — what a booster actually does, piloted versus duo, division boosts versus net wins and placements, what it costs, how long it takes, Riot's rules, and how to tell a safe service from a risky one.

All League of Legends guides →

League of Legends and all related assets are © Riot Games; splash art via Data Dragon. BoostPirate isn't endorsed by Riot Games.