Quick answer: Minion Academy (Season 87) starts September 7, 2026 and ends October 5, 2026. It introduces Minion Giant — a 4-elixir flying win condition that targets buildings, fires toxic projectiles, and cannot be knocked back — alongside Hero Ice Wizard, whose "Frosty Fella" ability freezes all nearby troops. Minion Giant is not in chests until Season 88; the free unlock path is the Academy Antics Album Event (up to 3 snippets per day, full completion = 1,750 Minion Giant cards). 5 events run across the season, including 2v2 League, Princess Gambit, and the new Royale Shuffle mode.
Minion Academy (Season 87) launches Sunday, September 7, 2026 with 1 new card (Minion Giant), 1 new Hero (Hero Ice Wizard), 5 timed events, and a new Royale Shuffle game mode — making it one of the most content-packed seasons of the year. The single most important fact for free-to-play players: Minion Giant is NOT in season chests; the only free unlock path is completing the Academy Antics Album (earn up to 3 snippets per day, trade 4 duplicates for 1 unique, full album = 1,750 Minion Giant cards + emote + tower skin).
What Is the Minion Academy Season (Season 87) in Clash Royale?
Minion Academy is Season 87, the September 2026 season. The theme centers on the Minions getting schooled — and their graduate, Minion Giant, is the season's headline card. Unlike recent seasons where the new Hero was the primary acquisition challenge, Season 87 splits your grinding attention: Minion Giant requires the Album grind, while Hero Ice Wizard unlocks via the Pass Royale track or 200 Hero Coins.
This guide covers the season content, events, and what to prioritize. For the accompanying September 2026 balance changes (if any ship with the season), check the linked balance guide once it goes live.
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What Are All the Minion Academy Season 87 Events?
Impact: significant. Five events run across Season 87, with a heavy second half — four of the five events start September 21 or later. Plan your schedule accordingly: the Album Event is the only one that runs the full season.
| Event | Dates | Type | What It Is | Headline Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Antics Album | Sept 7 – Oct 5 | Album Event | Collect snippets by battling; complete scenes to unlock rewards | 1,750 Minion Giant cards + emote + tower skin (full album) |
| 2v2 League | Sept 7 – 21 | Competitive League | Team-based league ladder with road and placement tracks | Up to 2 badges (road + top-10,000 placement) |
| Princess Gambit | Sept 21 – 26 | Global Tournament | Sudden-death battle with 2 Princess Towers, rotating 40-card deck, all cards Level 11 | Tournament Badge + top-10,000 Finisher Badge |
| Clashroom Community | Sept 22 – 26 | Community Event | Knowledge-based trivia across biology, physics, and history | Community Event rewards |
| Royale Shuffle | Sept 21 – Oct 5 | Random Game Mode | Spinning wheel selects from 12 classic variants; challenge period has a Battle Banner reward | Battle Banner (challenge, Sept 28 – Oct 5) |
How Do I Get Minion Giant for Free?
Impact: massive. Minion Giant will not appear in chests until Season 88 begins. The only in-season free path is the Academy Antics Album Event, which runs the full season (September 7 – October 5, 2026).
How the Album works:
- Earn snippets — up to 3 snippets per day from regular battles.
- Trade duplicates — 4 duplicate snippets exchange for 1 unique snippet you need.
- Complete scenes — collecting all snippets in a scene unlocks that scene's rewards.
- Full album completion = 1,750 Minion Giant cards, a themed emote, and a tower skin.
The duplicate-trade mechanic means consistent daily play (3 battles minimum per day, more if you want to push through duplicates faster) is the cadence to target. Miss a day and you can recover, but the full-album reward requires the complete set — start early and bank snippets rather than spending them on filler.
What Is the Minion Giant Card?
Impact: massive. Minion Giant is the brand-new 4-elixir win condition for Season 87 — a flying troop that targets buildings and towers, fires toxic projectiles, and cannot be knocked back. That last property is the design hook: every current flying threat in the game (Balloon, Minion Horde, Lava Hound pushes) can be displaced or slowed by knockback effects like Fireball and Rocket. Minion Giant ignores those physics entirely.
Key confirmed properties (from Supercell's official Season 87 announcement, September 7, 2026):
- Elixir cost: 4
- Target: buildings and towers only (like Balloon)
- Attack type: ranged toxic projectiles
- Knockback immunity: yes — no card can displace him mid-path
- Availability: NOT in chests until Season 88; free unlock via Academy Antics Album
Minion Giant's specific Level 11 HP, damage, and DPS will be live in-game from September 7 — check RoyaleAPI for the verified stat sheet once the season launches. The strategic implication is already clear: players will need to kill him on approach rather than stall or redirect him, which rewards swarm troops and point-damage spells over knockback-heavy counters.
What Does Hero Ice Wizard Do?
Impact: significant. Hero Ice Wizard brings the "Frosty Fella" ability to the Hero slot:
- When activated, the ability spawns a sneaker snowman behind any slowed troops in range.
- The snowman then freezes all troops in the area — a second, delayed freeze after the initial slowing effect.
The two-phase freeze (slow on hit → hard freeze on snowman spawn) makes Hero Ice Wizard a powerful defensive pivot on fast pushes. Pair him with any troop that applies an initial slow (Ice Golem, Ice Spirit, Ice Wizard — there is now a classic and a Hero version) and the double-slow chain becomes difficult to break through quickly.
How to unlock Hero Ice Wizard:
- Via the Pass Royale track (Season 87 track reward)
- Via 200 Hero Coins (premium currency)
Unlike Minion Giant, there is no free Album path for Hero Ice Wizard this season.
What Is the Royale Shuffle Mode?
Impact: small. Royale Shuffle is a new random game mode that replaces manual mode selection with a spinning wheel. On each entry, the wheel lands on one of 12 classic Clash Royale variants:
- Triple Elixir
- Sudden Death
- Heist
- And 9 additional classic modes
Each mode variant comes with a pre-made deck — you don't bring your own. The mode runs September 21 – October 5. A dedicated challenge period (September 28 – October 5) awards a Battle Banner for hitting the challenge's win threshold.
This is a lighter commitment than a full tournament — suited for players who want cosmetic rewards without a grind. Skip it if you're in the middle of the Album Event push.
Want this kind of analysis for your own deck?
TrophyCoach reads your battle log and writes a personalized action plan against the current meta — free to start.
What Is the 2v2 League (September 2026)?
Impact: significant. The 2v2 League runs September 7 – 21 — the first two weeks of the season. It's a team-based competitive format with two tracks:
- League road: complete the road to earn 1 badge.
- Placement: finish in the top 10,000 to earn a second badge.
With an early deadline (September 21), the 2v2 League overlaps only with the Album Event. Focus the first two weeks on League road completion while running your 3 daily Album battles — the two cadences are compatible.
What Is the Princess Gambit Tournament (September 2026)?
Impact: significant. Princess Gambit returns September 21 – 26 in its standard format:
- Sudden-death battle — lose your towers and the match ends immediately
- 2 Princess Towers flanking your King Tower (the battle's namesake)
- Rotating deck of 40 cards — you draft, not pick freely
- All cards are capped at Level 11 — no level advantage
Level 11 cap means skill and draft execution matter more than card level investment. The format consistently rewards players who know matchups across the 40-card rotating pool. Previous Princess Gambit winners ran high-control shells — expect similar meta pressure here.
What Bug Fixes Ship in Season 87?
The following fixes are confirmed in Supercell's Season 87 release notes:
| Fix | What Changed |
|---|---|
| Hero Tombstone crash | Fixed crashes triggered by specific Hero Tombstone interactions |
| Bandit dash immunity | Immunity window extended by +50ms (reduces edge-case hits at dash end) |
| Non-damaging AoE spells | Responsive behavior fixed for area-of-effect spells that deal no damage |
The Bandit change is worth noting for competitive players — 50ms added to dash immunity closes a window where hit-registration bugs could break her dash mechanic at exactly the wrong frame.
What Should I Do First in the Minion Academy Season?
If you want Minion Giant for free: start battling immediately on September 7 to bank snippets from day one. Three battles per day is the minimum consistent pace; more if you want to convert duplicate snippets faster and hit the full album before October 5.
If you want Hero Ice Wizard: unlock via Pass Royale track (included in the season pass) or spend 200 Hero Coins.
For competitive play: the 2v2 League deadline (September 21) is the first hard date — prioritize those games in the first two weeks alongside the Album grind.
For Royale Shuffle rewards: the Battle Banner challenge runs September 28 – October 5 — no urgency until late in the season.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Does Clash Royale Season 87 Start?
Season 87 (Minion Academy) starts September 7, 2026. The season runs until October 5, 2026 — the same date the Academy Antics Album Event closes.
How Do I Get Minion Giant in Clash Royale?
Minion Giant is unlockable through the Academy Antics Album Event (September 7 – October 5). Complete the full album by collecting snippets — up to 3 per day from battles, with 4 duplicates tradable for 1 unique — to earn 1,750 Minion Giant cards. Minion Giant is not available in chests until Season 88.
What Does Minion Giant Do in Clash Royale?
Minion Giant is a 4-elixir flying win condition that targets buildings and towers, fires toxic projectiles, and cannot be knocked back. The knockback immunity means cards like Fireball and Rocket cannot displace him mid-flight — players must kill him on approach or use aerial swarms and point-damage spells to stop him.
Is Minion Giant in Chests in Season 87?
No. Minion Giant is not available in chests during Season 87. Chest availability begins in Season 88. The only in-season unlock is the Academy Antics Album Event (free) or direct card purchase if offered.
How Do I Unlock Hero Ice Wizard in Clash Royale?
Hero Ice Wizard unlocks via the Season 87 Pass Royale track or by spending 200 Hero Coins. There is no free Album path for Hero Ice Wizard this season — unlike Minion Giant, the Hero is behind the pass or coin paywall.
What Is the Royale Shuffle in Clash Royale?
Royale Shuffle is a new September 2026 game mode where a spinning wheel randomly selects one of 12 classic Clash Royale variants (Triple Elixir, Sudden Death, Heist, and 9 others), each with a pre-made deck. It runs September 21 – October 5, with a Battle Banner reward available in the challenge period (September 28 – October 5).
What Is Princess Gambit in September 2026?
Princess Gambit runs September 21 – 26 in Season 87. It's a sudden-death Global Tournament with 2 Princess Towers, a rotating 40-card draft deck, and all cards capped at Level 11. The format rewards matchup knowledge over card investment.
What Season Is Clash Royale on in September 2026?
Clash Royale is on Season 87 ("Minion Academy") in September 2026. Season 87 starts September 7, 2026, following Season 86 ("K.H.A.O.S."), which ran August 3 – September 6, 2026.