Updated October 25, 2026 · applies to Season 88 (Shocktober), the Level 16 update (November 24, 2025) and the Collection Levels progression system (May 26, 2026 update).
Quick answer: A Star Level does nothing to a card's stats. It's purely cosmetic: Star Level 1 adds a gold glow when you deploy the card, and Star Levels 2 and 3 give it gold armour, weapons or other skin details. You buy Star Levels with Star Points: 5,000 for Star Level 1, 10,000 for Star Level 2 and 20,000 for Star Level 3, or 35,000 to max one card. The card has to be at least Level 7, 10 or 13 for each Star Level. Two things changed recently. Since November 2025, extra copies of a maxed card turn into Crystals, not Star Points. And since the May 26, 2026 update removed XP, the only ongoing source Supercell names is donating Max Level cards to your clan. Card upgrades are no longer on that list.
"What does star level do?" is one of the most-searched Clash Royale questions, and most answers online are out of date. Some describe the 2018 rules (King Level 13, Max Level cards only), and others the 2021 rules (King Level 6, Star Points from XP). Neither matches the game in October 2026. This guide gives the current rules, what each Star Level costs, and whether spending your points is worth it.
Key takeaways
- Star Levels are 100% cosmetic. A Star Level 3 Hog Rider has the same hitpoints, damage and hit speed as one with no stars. Matchmaking ignores them too.
- Costs are fixed for every rarity: 5,000 → 10,000 → 20,000 Star Points (35,000 per card), per the official Champions Update notes and the Clash Royale Wiki.
- Card-level gates: Star Level 1 needs card Level 7, Star Level 2 needs Level 10, Star Level 3 needs Level 13.
- Star Points unlock at Arena 5 (moved from King Level 9 in the May 26, 2026 update, per the official Collection Levels post).
- XP is gone. Card upgrades and donations no longer give XP. Donating Max Level cards gives Gold and Star Points.
- Since November 24, 2025, overflow copies of maxed (Level 16) cards become Crystals, a separate cosmetic currency (official Level 16 FAQ).
- Not every card has three Star Levels. Some stop at one or two, and Champion cards have none.
What does a Star Level actually do?
A Star Level changes how a card looks in battle. That's all it does. It never changes stats. The Clash Royale Wiki says it outright: "Star Levels do not have any effects on interactions; they are purely cosmetic."
Here's what each tier shows on the battlefield:
| Star Level | What changes visually | Star Points | Card level needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gold glow and sparkle effect when you deploy the card | 5,000 | Level 7+ |
| 2 | Gold skin details on the unit (armour, weapons, clothing) plus particles | 10,000 | Level 10+ |
| 3 | The fullest gold skin, on the cards that have one | 20,000 | Level 13+ |
| Total | 35,000 |
Most spells only get the Star Level 1 deploy glow. A few cards have famous higher-tier skins. P.E.K.K.A's Star Level 2 gives her a second sword that she never swings. The Goblins' Star Level 3 red mohawk also shows up on the Goblins from Goblin Barrel, Goblin Gang, Goblin Hut and Goblin Giant. Royal Giant's Star Level 2 cannon is a nod to the Clash of Clans Cannon. That's only a visual reference: nothing from Clash of Clans carries over to Clash Royale.
Your opponent sees your Star Levels in Trophy Road, Ranked, 2v2 and events. In capped modes like Global Tournaments and Challenges, cards drop to the cap level but keep their Star Level look, according to the wiki.
Do Star Levels make your cards stronger?
No. This is the single biggest myth in the topic, and it's worth killing clearly. Star Levels change zero stats: no hitpoints, damage, hit speed, range or Elixir cost. Card Level (1–16) is what changes stats. Star Level (0–3) is a skin.
The confusion comes from the naming. "Level 16" and "Star Level 3" sound like the same kind of progress, but they live in different menus and do different things:
- Card Level → upgraded with card copies + Gold → changes stats → explained in our card levels guide.
- Star Level → bought with Star Points → changes looks only.
If you're stuck on the same trophy count, gold skins won't fix it. Your deck or your card levels will. Our best Clash Royale decks for October 2026 page is the better place to spend that energy.
How do you get Star Points in Clash Royale?
The rules have changed three times, which is why guides contradict each other:
| Era | Unlock | How you earned Star Points |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2018 – Oct 2021 | King Level 13 (then the max) | Excess XP from upgrades and donations after reaching King Level 13 |
| Oct 2021 – May 2026 (Champions Update) | Spend from King Level 6* | Every point of XP from upgrades and donations, plus duplicate max-level cards (until Nov 2025, when they switched to Crystals) |
| May 26, 2026 – now (Collection Levels) | Arena 5 | Donating Max Level cards (Gold + Star Points) |
*The 2021 Champions Update notes say "Star Points now unlock at KL 6!" Supercell's May 2026 unlock table lists the requirement just before the change as "King Level 9".
Here's the official line from the May 2026 post: "XP will be making its way out of the game too. Card upgrades, Mastery rewards, and Clan donations will not award XP anymore, and Clan donations of Max Level cards will give you Gold and Star Points."
So in October 2026, the practical source is simple:
- Donate Max Level cards to your clan. This is the one ongoing source Supercell names. It pays Gold too, so it's worth doing anyway.
- Your existing balance. Everything you banked under the old XP system is still there. Supercell's FAQ: "Your Star Points aren't going anywhere. You'll still have them, and you can find them in the same place as before. Star Levels remain unchanged as well, keeping your troops as shiny as ever."
Upgrades aren't on the list anymore. Under the old system, Star Points came with the XP that upgrades gave, and Supercell's May 2026 post doesn't name upgrades as a source now.
Do overflow cards still give Star Points?
Not anymore, and many guides still get this wrong. Before the Level 16 update, extra copies of a max-level card turned into Star Points (the wiki lists 1 per Common, 10 per Rare, 100 per Epic, 1,000 per Legendary and 2,000 per Champion). That rule is gone.
Supercell's Level 16 FAQ (November 10, 2025) replaced it: "Overflow copies of maxed cards will now convert into Crystals! Crystals are a new currency that you'll be able to exchange for cosmetics in the Shop."
The live Supercell Support Crystals article gives the current rates:
| Overflow copy (card already maxed) | Crystals |
|---|---|
| 1 Common | 1 |
| 1 Rare | 6 |
| 1 Epic | 60 |
| 1 Legendary | 600 |
| 1 Champion | 1,200 |
| 1 Ruler card (Merge Tactics) | 480 |
Crystals are spent on cosmetics in the Shop, starting with exclusive emotes. Crystals are only for Shop cosmetics. They're a separate balance from Star Points, with their own holding cap, and you can check them in the Magic Items tab of your Collection.
Why am I not getting Star Points when I upgrade to max level?
This is the question behind a fresh r/ClashRoyale thread this week, titled "No star points when max lvl!" The replies are guesses ("It only goes until 14 I think"). A thread from November 2025 asked the same thing about Level 15 and 16 upgrades two days after the Level 16 update.
The answer is in two official changes:
- November 24, 2025 (Level 16 update): duplicate copies of a maxed card turn into Crystals instead of Star Points.
- May 26, 2026 (Collection Levels update): XP was removed. Upgrades stopped giving XP, which is how they used to pay Star Points.
Supercell hasn't published a line that says "upgrades give no Star Points". With XP gone, the only source the official post names is donating Max Level cards. Players in this week's thread report that max-level upgrades pay nothing, though some think upgrades up to Level 14 still do, so treat lower levels as unconfirmed. One reply said donating max-level cards pays "1 singular star point". That's a small trickle compared with the old XP system.
The good news: if you've played for a while, you probably banked plenty under the old rules. One veteran in the thread said they're sitting on "like 84k" with everything starred, which is common on mature accounts.
How do you upgrade a card's Star Level?
- Open the Cards tab and tap the card.
- On the card's screen, tap the star button next to the upgrade options (the wiki places it to the left of the Magic Items button). The Card Info screen also lets you preview Star Level skins, a feature added in the 2021 Champions Update.
- If the card meets the level gate (7 / 10 / 13) and you have enough points, confirm the upgrade.
- Star Levels are bought in order: 1, then 2, then 3.
According to RoyaleTracker's October 8, 2026 explainer, once you've bought a Star Level you can switch the card back to an older look from its info screen. You don't get the points back if you do.
How much do Star Levels cost? (the full math)
Supercell's own table (above) shows the 2021 price cut: Star Level 1 went from 10,000 to 5,000 and Star Level 2 from 15,000 to 10,000. Star Level 3 stays at 20,000, per the wiki. Rarity doesn't matter: a Common Skeletons and a Legendary Mega Knight cost the same.
| Goal | Star Points |
|---|---|
| One card to Star Level 1 | 5,000 |
| One card to Star Level 2 | 15,000 |
| One card to Star Level 3 | 35,000 |
| A full 8-card deck, every card at Star Level 1 | 40,000 |
| A full 8-card deck at max stars (if all 8 have three tiers) | up to 280,000 |
You can hold up to 5,000,000 Star Points (wiki), so there's no storage pressure that forces you to spend.
Which cards don't have Star Levels?
- Champions have no Star Levels at all.
- Spirit Empress has none either (wiki).
- Many cards stop at Star Level 1 or 2. Most spells only get the deploy glow. Supercell added Star Levels in waves through 2018–2019 and hasn't kept every new card in step.
The card info screen is the source of truth. If no Star Level button appears once the card meets the level gate, that card has no further tier.
Are Star Levels worth it?
Yes, spend them, but spend them smart. Star Points can't be used for anything else: not Gold, not cards, not Gems, not Crystals. Saving them gains you nothing. Here's the order we'd follow:
- Your main deck first. You see those eight cards every match, so that's where the gold shows.
- Star Level 1 across the deck before Star Level 3 on one card. 40,000 points gives all eight cards the gold deploy glow. That's the most visible upgrade per point.
- Then the iconic skins: P.E.K.K.A Star Level 2, Goblins Star Level 3 (the mohawk also shows on the Goblins from Goblin Gang, Goblin Cage, Goblin Hut, Goblin Giant and Goblin Barrel), Royal Giant Star Level 2.
- Donate your Max Level duplicates. It's the one ongoing Star Point source, and it pays Gold too.
More Clash Royale guides: progression explained without the outdated info. See the guides below, or browse all timesaver.gg guides.
- Clash Royale card levels explained: Level 16 and upgrade costs
- Clash Royale cards explained: every rarity
- How to get Gold fast in Clash Royale
- How to get Gems fast in Clash Royale
FAQ
What does star level do in Clash Royale? It changes only how a card looks. Star Level 1 adds a gold glow on deploy, and Star Levels 2–3 add gold skin details. It never changes hitpoints, damage, speed, range or Elixir cost, and it doesn't affect matchmaking.
How many Star Points do I need for Star Level 3? 20,000 for the third tier alone, or 35,000 total from zero (5,000 + 10,000 + 20,000). The card also has to be at least Level 13.
When do Star Points unlock? At Arena 5 (Builder's Workshop, 1,300 trophies). Before the May 26, 2026 update, the requirement was a King Level: King Level 6 under the 2021 rules, and King Level 9 in Supercell's May 2026 "before" table.
Why am I not getting Star Points from upgrades or Level 16 cards? Overflow copies of maxed cards turn into Crystals, per Supercell's Level 16 FAQ (November 2025). XP was removed in the May 26, 2026 update. Now the only Star Point source Supercell names is donating Max Level cards to your clan.
Can I convert Star Points into Gold, Gems or Crystals? No. Star Points have one use: buying Star Levels. Crystals are a separate currency fed by overflow copies of maxed cards, and you spend them on Shop cosmetics.
Do Star Levels work in Ranked and tournaments? Yes, as visuals. You'll see your gold skins in every mode, including level-capped ones, but they never change how a card plays.
Sources: Supercell, New Collection Levels & Mastery Changes (May 2026), Champions Update Info (October 25, 2021) and Coming in the Next Update (November 10, 2025); Supercell Support: Crystals; Clash Royale Wiki: Star Points; r/ClashRoyale player threads (October 2026 and November 2025). Checked October 25, 2026.
