---
title: "Clash Royale Season 79 Fire and Ice: what's new in January 2026"
description: "Clash Royale Season 79 Fire and Ice opens January 2026 with two new heroes (Hero Wizard, Hero Ice Golem), January balance changes, the Hero Wizard Draft and Snowstorm events, and Crown Chase rewards."
url: https://after-strategy.com/en/clash-royale-season-79-fire-and-ice-whats-new-january-2026/
lang: en
published: 2026-01-06
updated: 2026-10-21
author: "Simon Dougnac"
author_url: https://after-strategy.com/en/auteur/simon/
game: "Clash Royale"
game_url: https://after-strategy.com/en/jeux/clash-royale/
categories: [mobile]
translations:
fr: https://after-strategy.com/fr/decouvrez-les-nouveautes-de-clash-royale-saison-79/
es: https://after-strategy.com/es/clash-royale-temporada-79-fuego-hielo-novedades-enero-2026/
publisher: "After Strategy"
---
# Clash Royale Season 79 Fire and Ice: what's new in January 2026
> Clash Royale Season 79 Fire and Ice opens January 2026 with two new heroes (Hero Wizard, Hero Ice Golem), January balance changes, the Hero Wizard Draft and Snowstorm events, and Crown Chase rewards.
## [Clash Royale](https://after-strategy.com/en/jeux/clash-royale/): Season 79 Fire and Ice — what's new in January 2026
- **Two new heroes** — Hero Wizard, Hero Ice Golem.
- **Balance changes** — main game and Merge Tactics.
- **Two limited events** — Hero Wizard Draft and Snowstorm.
- **Seasonal boosts** — Wizard, Tornado, Ice Golem, Skeletons.
- **Crown Chase** — Shards, Hero Boxes, Frostfire Lucky Chests.
### In this article
- [Introduction](#introduction)
- [Two new heroes, no new cards](#two-new-heroes-no-new-cards)
- [January balance changes](#january-balance-changes)
- [Events and challenges](#events-and-challenges)
- [Strategies for the season](#strategies-for-the-season)
- [Conclusion](#conclusion)
### Introduction
Clash Royale opened 2026 with Season 79, Fire and Ice, on Monday, January 5. The January update packs two new heroes, balance changes, events and cosmetics. What matters is the shape of the season: Supercell added heroes, not cards, so the meta moves through abilities rather than new troops.
_Estimated reading time: 5 minutes_
### Two new heroes, no new cards
Season 79 introduces two new Heroes and no new cards.
The Hero Wizard arrives with the season and fights from the air. His ability, Fiery Flight, gives him wings of fire: he becomes a flying unit and his attacks grow stronger. From above, he throws flaming tornadoes with splash damage. He is the season's Pass Royale hero from Arena 15 (5,000 trophies).
The Hero Ice Golem lands on January 16, 2026, and controls the ground. His ability, Snowstorm, surrounds him with a blizzard that damages and slows nearby enemies before freezing them. He arrives through Hero Summons and in-app offers instead.
The difference is the space each controls: the Wizard owns the air, the Ice Golem freezes the front line. For players, two new tools in the same meta.
### January balance changes
The January update ships two balance passes. The main game nerfs the Skeleton Barrel, the Skeleton Army and the Mini P.E.K.K.A. A partial revert of the June Spear Goblins buff also hits Goblin Gang and Goblin Giant, while the Goblin Demolisher gets a buff. Merge Tactics gets its own pass: a Clan Trait nerf, Assassin and P.E.K.K.A trait buffs, and tweaks to the Bandit, the Witch and the Golden Knight.
Four cards receive seasonal boosts: Wizard, Tornado, Ice Golem and Skeletons.
In practice, the nerfs target swarm and chip damage, the patterns that defined late 2025. The risk is a slower meta with fewer cheap cycles.
### Events and challenges
Two limited-time events anchor the month for players, each with its own challenge and rewards: a Battle Banner plus an emote, three losses and you're out.
The Hero Wizard Draft runs January 5-12, a supercharged Classic Draft around the new Hero. Its challenge runs January 9-12.
The Snowstorm event runs January 19-26 and freezes every troop on the arena. The counter is the Warmth spell, a 1-Elixir common with area damage on air targets that heals troops. Its challenge is open January 23-26.
Alongside these, Clan Voyage returns twice and Crown Chase events stack track rewards — x3 Baby Dragon Evolution Shards, Hero Boxes, Frostfire Lucky Chests and Season 79 cosmetics.
### Strategies for the season
For players, two new heroes and a fresh Season 79 balance pass mean re-evaluating your deck before the first ranked run. Three habits pay off.
1. **Run the draft challenges early.** Both close inside January: the draft challenge ends January 12, the Snowstorm one January 26. Three losses and you're out, so waiting costs runs.
2. **Build around the boosted cards.** The four boosted cards are stronger for the season; the Hero Wizard fits air-control decks, the Hero Ice Golem fits defensive anchors.
3. **Keep a Warmth answer ready during Snowstorm.** The 1-Elixir spell thaws your troops and hits air targets; one slot changes the event.
### Conclusion
Season 79 Fire and Ice is a hero-and-events season: two new heroes, two headline events, balance changes in the main game and Merge Tactics. No new cards means the collection stays put; the meta moves through abilities instead. The schedule is front-loaded: the first draft closes January 12, the Snowstorm challenge January 26. For players, the plan is simple: run the drafts while they last, join a clan for the voyages.
### FAQ
#### What's new in Season 79?
Two heroes (Hero Wizard, Hero Ice Golem), balance changes, two events, seasonal boosts — no new cards.
#### When is the Hero Ice Golem available?
From January 16, 2026. Hero Wizard arrived with the season on January 5.
#### How do I unlock the new heroes?
Hero Wizard is the premium Pass Royale hero, unlocked from Arena 15 (5,000 trophies). Hero Ice Golem arrives via Hero Summons and in-app offers.
#### What events run in January 2026?
Hero Wizard Draft (January 5-12), Snowstorm (January 19-26), two Clan Voyage voyages, Crown Chase events.
#### What rewards can I earn in January 2026?
Battle Banners, exclusive emotes, Evolution Shards, Hero Boxes, the Frostfire Lucky Chest and Season 79 cosmetics.
## See also
- [Clash Royale game hub](https://after-strategy.com/en/jeux/clash-royale/)
- [Season 85 Honor & Exile](https://after-strategy.com/en/clash-royale-season-85-ronin-honor-exile-july-2026/)
- [Season 84 Stone Cold](https://after-strategy.com/en/clash-royale-season-84-stone-cold-june-2026/)
- [Frostfire Lucky Chest guide](https://after-strategy.com/en/clash-royale-frostfire-lucky-chest-guide/)
- [All mobile games](https://after-strategy.com/en/categorie/mobile/)
## Sources
- [Supercell — Fire & Ice season](https://supercell.com/en/games/clashroyale/blog/news/new-season-fire-and-ice/)
- [Supercell — January balance](https://supercell.com/en/games/clashroyale/blog/release-notes/january-balance-changes-2/)
- [Supercell — Merge Tactics balance](https://supercell.com/en/games/clashroyale/blog/news/merge-tactics-january-balance/)
- [EGW.News — January kickoff](https://egw.news/gaming/news/31643/clash-royale-kicks-off-january-2026-with-fire-ice--ZgjRjz-JE)
- [GamingOnPhone — January events](https://gamingonphone.com/news/clash-royale-january-2026-heroes-events-challenges-tournaments-and-rewards/)
- [RoyaleAPI — Season 79](https://royaleapi.com/blog/fire-and-ice-january-2026-season-79?lang=en)
- [Google Play — Clash Royale](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.supercell.clashroyale)
- [Supercell — official site](https://supercell.com/en/games/clashroyale/)
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Source : [Clash Royale Season 79 Fire and Ice: what's new in January 2026](https://after-strategy.com/en/clash-royale-season-79-fire-and-ice-whats-new-january-2026/) — After Strategy