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TOURNAMENTS · Jul 13, 2026 · 5 MIN READ
Blocade Royale: The Free Nightly Knockout Tournament
A free nightly knockout tournament: up to 128 players, single-elimination, a champion in about half an hour. Here’s how the daily Blocade cup works.
F
Francis
Creator of Blocade
★ Follow on Google
Every night, everyone who's online gets dropped into the same bracket at the same time. You win a match, you advance. You lose, you're out. Half an hour later, one player is holding the trophy. That's Blocade Royale — a free, single-elimination cup that runs once a day, and it's the same game you already play, just with a whole room knocked out one round at a time.
The 20-second version
One cup a night, free to enter, up to 128 players. Single-elimination: win and you move up the bracket, lose and you're done. Reach the final and the trophy is yours, with a champion badge on your profile to prove it. You can't lose rating by playing, and every game you win on the board adds +5.
What Blocade Royale is
Ranked is a ladder you climb over weeks. Royale is a knockout you can win in one sitting. 128 players (or however many show up) get seeded into a bracket, and the field halves every round until only the final pair is left. 2 to 7 rounds, start to champion, in the time it takes to drink a coffee.
Every match is a normal timed game of Blocade. If you already know the rules, you're ready — if you don't, they take about a minute to learn in our how to play guide. The bracket is the only new part, and it's the fun part: you can watch the names on the other side of the draw thin out while you fight through yours.
When it runs
One featured cup a day, at a fixed time: 12:00 UTC. Same time every day, on purpose — a daily cup only becomes a habit if you always know when it is. The slot is early evening across Southeast Asia, afternoon across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and morning in the Americas:
| Region | Local start time |
|---|---|
| Vietnam · Indonesia | 7:00 PM |
| India | 5:30 PM |
| Turkey · Saudi Arabia | 3:00 PM |
| Nigeria · Algeria · UK | 1:00 PM |
| UTC | 12:00 |
| Brazil (São Paulo) | 9:00 AM |
| US Eastern | 8:00 AM |
How the bracket works
•
Up to 128 seats. If a full 128 show up, that's a 7-round cup. If fewer join, the bracket shrinks to the nearest size that fits, so a quiet night simply runs a smaller cup. It always runs as long as at least four people are in.
•
Single-elimination. Win your match, advance to the next round. Lose one, and your night's over. No second chances, which is what makes every match feel like it matters.
•
Empty slots are byes, never bots. If the field doesn't divide evenly, top seeds skip the first round instead of playing a filler. Royale is humans only — you'll never be quietly matched against a computer.
•
Nothing to lose. A loss never costs you rating, and every game you win on the board adds +5. The real prize is the trophy — so you can throw yourself at it with nothing on the line.
The bracket closes in on the trophy. Win your side, and you meet whoever survived the other.
One night, start to finish
You don't have to hunt for the cup — it comes to you. Here's a full night from the app:
1.
The Home card flips to live. When the doors open, the Royale card at the top of Home turns on and the button reads "Your match is ready!" Tap it to drop into round one.
2.
The bracket closes on the trophy. Between matches you watch the draw fill in — your name climbing one side, the other half narrowing down to the player you'll eventually meet.
3.
Tap Play, and you're on the board. Each round is a quick timed match. Win it and you're pushed up the bracket automatically; the next opponent is waiting by the time you look up.
What you win
The champion gets the trophy, a champion badge on their profile, and a shoutout on the leaderboard. Along the way, every game you win on the board adds +5 to your rating. That's the whole prize list, and it's deliberate: no cash, and nothing that can wreck your ranked climb on an off night.
Free, and nothing to lose
There's no entry fee and no rating to lose. If you're online when the cup starts, you're in. Bust out in round one and it costs you nothing; go all the way and you wear the badge until someone takes it from you.
Royale vs. the other ways to play
| Blocade Royale | Ranked | Play a Friend | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Nightly knockout cup | Ongoing ladder | Private one-off |
| Opponents | Up to 128 humans | One matched human | Someone you invite |
| Affects rating | Wins add +5 | Yes | No |
| Costs anything | Free | Free | Free |
| You win | Trophy + Champion badge | Ladder rank | Bragging rights |
Blocade Royale: frequently asked questions
Is Blocade Royale free?
Yes. There's no entry fee and no in-app purchase to join. If you're online when the nightly cup starts, you can enter.
What time is the Blocade Royale tournament?
Once a day at 12:00 UTC — 7:00 PM in Vietnam, 1:00 PM in Lagos, 9:00 AM in Brazil, 8:00 AM US Eastern. Same time every day.
How many players are in a cup?
Up to 128, in a single-elimination bracket. If fewer join, the bracket shrinks to the nearest fitting size, and it runs as long as at least four players are in.
Do I play against bots in Royale?
No. Royale is humans only. When the field doesn't divide evenly, empty slots become byes — top seeds skip a round — instead of being filled with a computer opponent.
Does losing in Royale hurt my ranked rating?
No. Losing in Royale costs nothing, and every Royale game you win on the board adds +5 to your ladder rating. A no-show win adds +5 too, as long as you were in the app when your match began. Byes add nothing.
What do you get for winning?
The trophy, a champion badge on your profile, a leaderboard shoutout, and +5 rating for every game you won on the board along the way. There's no cash or real-money reward.
Where do I find the cup?
In the Blocade app. When the cup goes live, a Royale card lights up at the top of your Home screen. Royale is an online mode, so it runs in the app rather than the browser.
Get in tonight
New to Blocade? Learn the game first — one round against a gentle bot and the move-or-wall rhythm clicks. You can start in your browser right now with no download, then take it to the app, where the nightly Royale is waiting on your Home screen.
Play Blocade free
F
Francis
CREATOR OF BLOCADE
Francis is the solo developer who designed and built Blocade — its bots, ranked ladder, and daily puzzles. These guides come straight from the person who made the game.
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Ready to play?
Start a game against a bot right in your browser — free, no sign-up. Then take your streak with you on the app.