When did Clash of Clans come out?

Supercell launched Clash of Clans back in August 2012 and has successfully created an ever-growing community of Clashers since. The developer has added plenty of new Heroes, Hero Pets, Troops, and a lot more over the last 13 years, forcing players to always look out for new strategies to increase their chances of winning.

The game has evolved so much from when it first came out that players who used to play the title back then may not recognize several current gameplay features. This article looks back at the journey of Clash of Clans, one of Supercell's most popular titles.

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Clash of Clans release date and how fans reacted to it during its early days

Clash of Clans was released on August 2, 2012. In its initial days, the title was only available on iOS devices, but Supercell released its Android version on October 7, 2013, after which the game reached a larger audience.

Also, read: Clash of Clans defense tier list

A Google Search about the Hay Day release date shows how successful Clash of Clans and Hay Day were for Supercell back in 2013 (Image via Google)

Once the title arrived on both Android and iOS devices, it soon became one of Supercell's most popular mobile strategy titles. According to a Google search, Supercell reportedly generated about $30 million a month from Hay Day and Clash of Clans combined after the titles debuted on Android in 2013.

In a 2012 game review published by the 148Apps website, the reviewer states that the game was already building a following with its mixture of solo and multiplayer hooks. Although the review does not quote any reaction from fans, this statement makes it evident that the players have been vocal enough about the title to catch the reviewer's attention within a few days of its release.

Moving on to a few fan reviews posted between 2012 and 2013 on the Clash of Clans Metacritic page, one can easily see the enthusiasm with which different users have talked about the title.

Metacritic user (dustyogd) posted a review on April 6, 2013, saying:

dustyogd found the game amazing for players who like tower defense and strategy titles (Image via Metacritic)

"If you are in to tower defense and strategy games then this is a good game for you. I'm on it all most every day playing it. and very sociable with the chat system that's built into the game were you can chat with people and build up your clan."

Another user called Natnat reviewed the game on July 30, 2013, where he said:

Natnat was extremely happy with Clash of Clans (Image via Metacritic)

"CLASH OF CLANS it is the best game recorded in the history of humanity it is great i would recommend it to any one It is packed with action and excitement if you don't have it GET IT."

Yet another user, Wiesy, added a review on January 17, 2013, stating:

Wiesy kept their review simple (Image via Metacritic)

"Nice game, love it."

These user reviews make it clear that players loved Clash of Clans from its initial days. Moreover, if you check the recent reviews, you will see that the community is still in love with the engaging mobile strategy title.

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How has Supercell shaped Clash of Clans with different updates over the years?

In the early days of Clash of Clans, Town Hall 9 was the ultimate Town Hall. There were no Clan Wars, and Gold and Elixir were the most prized possessions of players.

Clash of Clans received its first major update on August 30, 2012. The first few updates focused on matchmaking improvements, the inclusion of the Hidden Tesla, new decoration flags, features like boosting resource buildings, Barracks, and a lot more.

All Dark Elixir Troops in Clash of Clans (Image via Supercell)

However, by the first three updates of 2013, Supercell already introduced X-Bows and Dark Elixir Troops. Minions, Hog Riders, and Valkyries were the first troops you could train with Dark Elixir. It was around this time that the developer introduced the Barbarian King and Archer Queen, the first Heroes in the game. Supercell would go on to add three more Heroes to the roster by the beginning of 2025.

Supercell introduced Town Hall 10 with the COC May Update of 2013. It even added troops like Golem, defense buildings like Inferno Towers, and more during this time. Furthermore, the Witch was introduced as a new troop in one of 2013's updates. By this time, COC had come to Android devices, and a lot of new players started coming in. Therefore, 2013 was quite a happening year for the game.

In Clash of Clans version 5.172 update (launched on January 29, 2014), Supercell already introduced special abilities for the Heroes. The Barbarian King got Iron Fist, which enraged the King and the nearby Barbarians for a short time, helping them move faster and dealing extra damage to enemies during this time.

On the other hand, the Archer Queen got the Royal Cloak, which helped her become invisible to all enemy defenses for a short time. Players could activate these abilities only once per battle. These hero abilities turned into Hero Equipment after the December 2023 update, following which players were able to equip their heroes with any two of the Hero Equipment and use those abilities only once per battle.

Supercell introduced Clan Wars during the April 2014 update, which made the title even more engaging for the players. They also added War Base layouts and War Base Edit Mode within a month, attracting a lot of new players with these changes. 2014 also saw the inclusion of Lava Hound, Jump Spell, and Skeleton Trap in Clash of Clans.

Since many players joined the game in 2015, and a lot of them started spamming dragon attacks, Supercell quickly introduced the Air Sweeper and also brought the Dark Spell Factory, which initially helped players to brew only three spells, i.e., the Poison Spell, the Earthquake Spell, and the Haste Spell.

However, the developer went on to add three more spells to that list in the future. Supercell even included Town Hall 11 by the end of 2015. Grand Warden, the third hero, was also introduced during this time.

All Heroes (excluding Minion Prince) and unlocked Hero Equipment in Clash of Clans (Image via Supercell)

In 2016, Star Bonus and a new Dark Elixir Troop called the Bowler were introduced to the game. Supercell also introduced Friendly Wars during this time, which allowed players to challenge their clanmates while practicing different attack strategies. The 2017 updates brought the Builder Base, Clan Games, and Magic Items.

In 2018, COC saw the inclusion of the Ice Golem, the Bat Spell, and lots more. This was the time when Siege Machines also started appearing in Multiplayer Battles and Clan Wars. Clan War Leagues also started to appear during this time, which meant constant Clan Wars and more loot. However, the June 2018 update will be remembered by most as the update that introduced Electro Dragons, a new Air Troop.

By 2019, Clash of Clans had introduced Town Hall levels 12 and 13. Our fourth hero, i.e., the Royal Champion, appeared by the end of 2019, along with the Siege Barracks and a new Troop called Yeti.

Supercell introduced the new Super Troops in 2020, along with Headhunter, the Log Launcher, and the Invisibility Spell. Town Hall 14 arrived in one of the 2021 updates, while another one introduced Flame Flinger and a few new Super Troops.

The 2022 update introduced Town Hall 15, along with Spell Tower and Monolith, two new defense buildings. In this update, the developer also added the Electro Titan and Battle Drill along with the Recall Spell and Hero Pets. Frosty, Diggy, Poison Lizzard, and Phoenix were the first four Hero Pets to appear in the game.

The 2023 updates were some of the biggest updates in Clash of Clans. Supercell introduced Town Hall 16 in one of the two big updates of 2023. This update also introduced the Merged Defenses feature, which allows players to merge two defense buildings into one.

2023 also witnessed the addition of Hero Equipment, ores, and a new building called the Blacksmith. Players had to use the Blacksmith to manage their Hero Equipment, while ores were used to upgrade them.

Ores arrived in Clash of Clans during one of the 2023 updates (Image via Supercell)

Interestingly, players had to upgrade their Heroes using Dark Elixir to get the most out of them before this update. However, following this update, popular COC content creators showed the community that they can three-star a base in a Multiplayer Battle using level-one heroes with maxed-out Hero Equipment.

This made it evident that the decade-old game was slowly starting to change and adapt. However, the biggest surprise was yet to arrive.

In 2024, Supercell launched Town Hall 17, which is currently the maximum Town Hall level in the game. They also launched the Giga Bomb, the Firespitter, two new Troops — Druid and Thrower — and more. Magic Snacks also became a part of the game during one of 2024's updates.

Clash of Clans has already received two updates in 2025. In the February update, the developer added a new Siege Machine, a new Hero called the Minion Prince, and more. However, the biggest surprise arrived during the COC March 2025 update, when the developer announced that they would be removing Troop Training Time in Clash of Clans. So, you don't have to wait several hours for your troops to be ready.

The latest update also brought a new pet called Sneezy along with Furnace — a Dark Elixir Troop — and the Noble Iron Dumble Hero Equipment for the Minion Prince.

If we follow the timeline of different Clash of Clans upgrades, it is evident that the game has evolved a lot from its first version released back in 2012. While upgrading Heroes was a crucial aspect of your gameplay back in the day, it is not required anymore as long as you have the maxed-out Hero Equipment and know the right strategy. Supercell has also decreased upgrade times and added different helpers for Builders so you don't have to wait long for Troop and Defense upgrades.

There was a time when players used to be afraid of Eagle Artillery. However, since even the Town Halls start working as a defensive unit after a certain level, it has become insanely tough to get three stars from high-level bases. Furthermore, with the Troop Training Time now removed, you won't have to waste time in between attacks during Clan Wars.

Due to these reasons, many veterans might feel that Supercell is making the game easier for new players. However, if you closely follow the Clash of Clans updates over the years, you will see that they were the demands of time.