Official Brawl Stars news

With the conclusion of the 2025 World Finals (congrats, Crazy Raccoon!), it’s time to take a peek at 2026!

You can expect a familiar roadmap, updated formats, and several quality-of-life improvements. 

2026 CALENDAR

Two splits, three LANs, one great year!

• Spring Split: Kicks off January 30 with the in-game Championship Challenge.

• February Monthly Finals Schedule: 

  • East Asia - February 14

  • EMEA - February 15

  • South America - February 22

  • North America - February 23

• Global Events: Brawl Cup is here to stay as a tentpole, mid-year event, with Last Chance Qualifier and World Finals closing out the year. We’ll also be touring three new countries this year (more details coming in late January)!

PATH TO WORLD FINALS

You can expect a familiar journey next year. If you’re new, check out our 25' guide to get started.

This year has taught us a lot, and we’re gearing up for a few major changes: 

Improving Strategy: 

• We saw an impressive comp diversity at World Finals, and we want to continue identifying the most well-rounded players.

• In 2026, a map pick system will be introduced, bans will be refined (adding global match bans and visible match bans), and new modes may be added in the future as we continue the exploration exercise. 

• Keep your eyes peeled for a pre-season invitational in January.  

Shifting LAN Focus: With Brawl Cup and World Finals serving as our tentpole events of the year, we’re rebalancing the priorities of each LAN:

• Brawl Cup features 12 teams, bringing global competition and team representation earlier in the season. Teams will also see an increased prize pool and BSC points on the line, rewarding early performance and increasing their chances of making it to the World Finals. 

• LCQ features 8 teams, making this more intense for those who qualify. Two teams advance to World Finals. 

• World Finals features 12 teams and remains the most prestigious event of the year. Our goal is to achieve higher-quality matches, a tighter match schedule, and to eliminate backstage matches. 

Southeast Asia/South Asia: These two subregions will have an alternative path to qualify in 2026 - more to be shared in a separate announcement. 

In summary, the slot allocation looks like this: 

Thanks to your feedback, we’ve identified a few areas for improvement. Here are our top priorities for 2026:

• Rewards for Competing: Players should be rewarded at every step. We’re looking to introduce rewards for competitors during the Monthly Qualifiers stage.

• Rewards for Engaging: Unique drops are returning to event.brawlstars.com. That means, Pins, Sprays, and Icons you can’t get anywhere else.

• Streamlining Qualification: Pro Rank qualification into Monthly Qualifiers will be sunset. Everyone will follow the same path into BSC.

• Points: Summer split BSC Points will go from 2x to 1.5x, which is in line with rewarding consistent performance. 

These are just a few initial highlights. Thanks for an amazing 2025 — catch you in the New Year!

Signed,
Mr. Brawl Esports

Buffies are collectible keychains sold in gift shops all over Starr Park! After a while, new stock stopped showing up and they eventually became sold out everywhere.

After doing some inventory, R-T discovered an entire underground warehouse FILLED with Buffies, and they have started to be seen around the Park again!

Buffies increase (buff) the power and abilities of Brawlers!

As their name suggests, they buff the Gadgets, Star Powers AND Hypercharges of any Brawler that has them.

In this update, Colt, Shelly, Spike, Mortis, Frank, and Emz!

Each Brawler has 3 Buffies available, a Gadget Buffie, a Super Buffie, and a Hyper Buffie!

Once unlocked, a Buffie will be activated permanently and will buff both Star Powers and both Gadgets.

You can equip all 3 Buffies at the same time!

Let’s take you through what each Buffie will do for each Brawler that is getting them!

Gadget: Speedloader

• Each hit steals 1 ammo.

Gadget: Silver Bullet

• Shoot a larger bullet that deals more damage.

Star Power: Slick Boots

• Gain movement speed when dealing damage.

Star Power: Magnum Special

• Deal increased damage to distant targets.

Hypercharge: Dual Wielding

• Fire bullets quicker during Hypercharge.

Gadget: Fast Forward

• Take no damage while dashing.

Gadget: Shell Shock

• Attacks slow enemies. Increases duration with each hit.

• Using patented Draco Dragonbreath shells, Shelly leaves a burning area with her Super.

Star Power: Band-Aid

• Gain movement speed for a short time.

Hypercharge: Double Barrel

• Main attack projectile speed is greatly increased during Hypercharge.

Gadget: Popping Pincushion

• Targets that are hit with 2 needles become rooted..

Gadget: Life Plant

• When destroyed, the plant also deals area damage that pushes enemies back.

Star Power: Fertilize

• Super projectile speed is faster.

Star Power: Curveball

• Curving spikes have extended range.

Hypercharge: Blooming Season

• Main attack needle grenades detonate twice!

Gadget: Combo Spinner

• Deals increased damage to low health enemies.

Gadget: Creature of the Night (previously Survival Shovel)

• Deals damage when passing through enemies and heals for the damage dealt.

Star Power: Creepy Harvest

• Gains additional max health until defeated (this stacks). 

Star Power: Coiled Snake

• Gains damage reduction during his long dash.

Hypercharge: Blood Boomerang

• After Mortis uses a main attack, a phantom attack hits the same area after a delay.

Gadget: Active Noise Canceling

• Soundwave also destroys enemy projectiles.

Gadget: Irresistible Attraction

• Enemies are slowed for a short time when hit.

Star Power: Power Grab

• Defeating a Brawler increases attack damage and heals for a short time.

Star Power: Sponge

• Take less damage when above 50% health. 

Hypercharge: Seismic Smash

• Main attack speed is increased to max while Frank is Hypercharged!

Gadget: Friendzoner

• Knocks enemies back further and stuns them for a short time if knocked into a wall.

Gadget: Acid Spray

• Slows enemies on hit.

Star Power: Bad Karma

• Reduce damage dealt by enemies hit by Emz' main attack for a short time.

Star Power: Hype

• Emz takes no damage for 1 sec when activating her Super.

Hypercharge: Overhyped Haze

• Sprays will poison enemies!

  ---

From the newly stocked Starr Park Claw Machine!

• Buffies unlock at 1000 Trophies and your first Buffie is FREE!

• Buffies cost 1000 Coins and 2000 Power Points from the Claw Machine

• A Claw Machine grab guarantees a Buffie. There will be 18 Buffies in total in this update, plus Bling Buffies - rare cosmetic-only Buffie Skins that are only available when you have all 18 Buffies unlocked!

• Buffies can also be purchased directly for Gems.

  • Gadget Buffie: 149 Gems

  • Star Buffie: 179 Gems

  • Hyper Buffie: 199 Gems

Brawler Reworks:

As you may have noticed above - the Brawlers that are getting Buffies are also getting quite a few reworks to their skills. This is to help with balancing and refreshing the Brawler’s gameplay alongside their Buffies!

COLT

Gadget: Speedloader

• This gadget used to reload 2 ammo, but now shoots 2 quick shots that slow targets when hit.

SPIKE:

Gadget: Popping Pincushion

• Used to fire 3 waves of needles, can now be aimed, and now fires 2.

Gadget: Life Plant

• You can now throw your potted healing cactus! It takes longer to deploy the further away you throw it, but it makes Spike have more utility in teamfights!

Star Power: Fertilize

• You can now throw your potted healing cactus! It takes longer to deploy the further away you throw it, but it makes Spike have more utility in teamfights!

MORTIS:

Gadget: Combo Spinner:

• Now aimable, Mortis can throw his shovel in any direction, or around himself

Gadget: Survival Shovel - new name - Creature of the Night

• This gadget used to increase reload speed, but now will be aimable and allow Mortis to become a CREATURE OF THE NIGHT and travel to a target location!

FRANK:

Gadget: Active Noise Canceling

• Instead of only becoming immune to crowd control, Frank now fires an aimable gadget soundwave AND becomes immune to crowd control.

Gadget: Irresistible Attraction

• This gadget used to deal extra damage and pull enemies closer, now you aim your gadget for a more accurate and further reaching pull.

EMZ:

Gadget: Acid Spray

• You can now aim a spray that goes through walls!

Gadget: Friendzoner

• Now aim a spray that will push enemies back!

Aimable Gadgets!

You will now be able to use Gadgets like a Super and aim them!

• Brawlers that receive Buffies will have this new gadget functionality: You can still tap the Gadget button to activate the gadget like normal, but you can also aim (many) of the new gadgets!

Removing Epic & Mythic Gears

• When a Brawler gets their Buffies released, we will be removing Epic & Mythic gears for those Brawlers.

• Brawlers will be rebalanced accordingly (if needed)

• Players will get a full refund for the purchased Gears

Floor indicator change

What the helly is a floor indicator?

It’s the circle underneath Brawlers that shows what kit they have. It will now display:

• When a Gadget is ready and being aimed/used

• A simplified Star Power indicator in the middle

• A different visual for both when Buffied

• Hypercharge as normal

• Removed: Gears

  ---

The Brawl Pass is getting an upgrade! We are adding special new Brawl Pass Vaults for better rewards and ten new reward milestones! You unlock Brawl Pass Vaults with Vault Keys, which you can save or spend however you want - allowing you to get the rewards that you really want!

PRICE INCREASE

First things first - we will be increasing the price of the Brawl Pass and the Brawl Pass Plus.

• New Brawl Pass price: $8.99

• New Brawl Pass Plus price: $12.99

These prices are in USD. Prices may vary depending on what region you are in.

• It’s possible to buy up to 8 Brawl Passes in advance and until January 1, you’ll be able to buy them at their current, lower price if you want to save money.

Now that's out of the way...

More rewards + more choice! Both the paid and free Brawl Passes will have buffed and improved rewards.

The regular Brawl Pass now has all Skins, Chromas and titles!

The Brawl Pass now contains new CHAOS DROPS (more info in the next section)! Chaos Drops are more powerful than regular Starr Drops and contain better rewards.

Most importantly, we have now added…

Vaults have been added to the Brawl Pass, with a corresponding Vault Key that you can use to open them.

RESOURCE KEYS

• Unlock a Resource Vault!

• Get either 2000 Gold, 2000 Power Points, or 5000 Bling!

• Available on the FREE track of the Brawl Pass!

SKIN KEYS

• Unlock a Skin Vault!

• Get the current Season’s skins at a discount, or get skins from past Brawl Passes!

• Skin Vaults contain Skin Sets. Each Skin Set contains 1 Skin & 2 Chromas (skin variants).

• Available on the paid track of the Brawl Pass.

BRAWLER KEYS

• Unlock a Brawler Vault!

• Get ANY Brawler that you want!

• The amount of Brawler Keys needed to unlock a Brawler varies depending on its rarity.

• Available on the paid track of the Brawl Pass.

BUFFIE KEYS

• Unlock a Buffie Vault!

• Choose to unlock any Buffie!

• Available on the paid track of the Brawl Pass.

• Tail rewards are the rewards you get after completing your Brawl Pass, which are currently Starr Drops.

• Now, instead of always being a Starr Drop, you’ll get a random reward from the following... 

  • Demonic Drops

  • Angelic Drops

  • Sushi Rolls

  • Mecha Boxes

  • Boom Boxes

  • Chaos Drops

  • Coins

  • Power Points

  • Credits

• You get a new tail reward with every 2800XP.

• You can choose to upgrade these tail rewards with Gems, to get a better reward, which can even include VAULT KEYS!

  ---

Chaos Drops are a new, powerful variant of a Starr Drop. The lowest rarity of a Chaos Drop is Super Rare and the highest is Ultra - a new highest rarity of Starr Drop!

MORE REWARDS

Chaos Drops have a chance to split! They can split into 2, 4 or 8. When they split, all of the Chaos Drop splits are the same rarity, so it’s possible to get 8 Ultra Chaos Drops from one Chaos Drop!
Ultra Chaos Drops will always contain at least one of the following:

• Hypercharges

• Brawlers of Mythic, Legendary and Ultra Legendary rarity

• Skins (Epic, Mythic, Legendary and Hypercharge rarity)

• Buffies!

WHERE DO YOU GET THEM?

You can get Chaos Drops from your daily win rewards and the Brawl Pass as well as other places in the future!

You know pool lifeguards? Pierce is one of those. Except he shoots people instead of saving them. OK maybe he isn't like a lifeguard at all.

When Buzz decides there has been too much pee in the pool, he calls in Pierce to 'clean up'.

• Trait: Pierce only reloads by collecting a shell or using all ammo. The last shot in a clip deals extra damage.

• Attack: POOL SNIPER

  • Pierce fires a powerful long range shot. If the projectile hits an enemy, Pierce drops a shell next to himself. Collecting a shell fires a piercing shot automatically towards the nearest visible target. Pierce can only reload by collecting shells or depleting ammo. The last ammo in a clip deals extra damage.

• Super: FISH IN A BARREL

  • Pierce marks an area, then fires at any brawlers hit with a piercing shot. Each shot that hits will also drop a shell next to Pierce.

• Gadget: BOTTOMLESS MAGS

  • Reload ammo and drop a shell next to Pierce.

• Gadget: YOU ONLY BRAWL TWICE

  • Pierce will absorb all shells and gain shields for each one, while also pushing back nearby enemies.

• Star Power: MISSION: SWIMPOSSIBLE

  • Pierce's last ammo also slows enemies.

• Star Power: SLIP 'N SNIPE

  • When collecting a shell, Pierce gains a short burst of movement speed.

• Hypercharge: (Coming soon)

• Title: Peed in the pool

A marine biologist working at the Starr Park aquarium, Glowbert is obsessed with sea life, wanting to introduce it to as many visitors as he can. Although he might seem a bit creepy, he’s actually a nice guy! Maybe.

• Trait: Heal trait

• Attack: GLOWBEAM

  • Glowbert fires a glowbeam. If it hits, it creates a tether which damages enemies and heals teammates. Glowbert can be tethered to one enemy and one teammate at the same time. If the tethered target is too far away or out of Glowbert's line of sight, the tether breaks.

• Super: CREEP FROM THE DEEP

  • Glowbert reveals his face, causing any enemies facing him to become feared, and run away! He will also fire damaging and slowing projectiles.

• Gadget: SLIPPERY SAVIOR

  • Glowbert dashes in a target direction, healing himself and teammates on arrival.  

• Gadget: MORE LUMENS!

  • Glowbert supercharges his glowbeam tethers, doubling the damage/healing rate for a short time.

• Star Power: ABIOTIC ECOSYSTEM

  • If Glowbert is tethered to an enemy and a teammate at the same time, it will reduce the enemy damage and increase the teammate's damage.

• Star Power: PARASITISM

  • Tethering to an enemy also heals Glowbert for a percentage of the damage dealt.

• Hypercharge: (Coming soon)

• Title: Sleeps with the fishes

GIGI: PAS DE DEUX

• Gigi's Super deals damage when appearing at a target location, as well as returning to the original location.

  ---

SEASON: STEAMPUNK

BRAWL PASS SKIN SET

• STEAMPUNK STU | Epic | Brawl Pass

  • CRIME LORD STU | Epic |Chroma #1

  • ICED OUT STU | Epic |Chroma #2

BRAWL PASS SKIN SET

• STEAMPUNK GALE | Epic | Brawl Pass

  • FANCY MAN GALE | Epic |Chroma #1

  • DAPPER GALE | Epic |Chroma #2

SHOP SKINS

• CLOCKWORK KAZE | Legendary | 299 Gems

• BOSS BROCK | Mythic | 199 Gems

• PEAKY SAM | Epic | 149 Gems

SEASON: BRAWLENTINE'S

BRAWL PASS SKIN SET

• HEARTBROKEN RICO | Epic | Brawl Pass

  • BREAKUP RICO |  Epic | Chroma #1

  • REVENGE RICO |  Epic | Chroma #2

BRAWL PASS SKIN SET

• BRAWLENTINE’S ANGELO | Epic | Brawl Pass

  • ADONIS ANGELO | Epic | Chroma #1

  • SNATCHED ANGELO | Epic | Chroma #2

SHOP SKINS

• BRAWLENTINE’S BEAR SHADE | Legendary | 299 Gems

• LOVE POTION SQUEAK | Mythic | 199 Gems

• BADDIE ALLI | Epic | 149 Gems

NEW BRAWLER SKINS

• PIERCE: VAMPIRE HUNTER | Mythic | 199 Gems

  • EDGY PIERCE | Mythic | 199 Gems

  • HIGH STAKES PIERCE | Mythic | 199 Gems

MISC. SKINS

BRAWLIDAYS

• SNOWGLOBE NANI | Epic | 149 Gems

LUNAR NEW YEAR

• LUNAR LOTUS WILLOW | Epic | 149 Gems

ESPORTS!

• WORLD CHAMPION MAX | Epic | 149 Gems

TRUE GOLD/SILVER SKINS

• TRUE GOLD GIGI

• TRUE SILVER GIGI

• Larry & Lawrie

  • Hypercharge charge rate - 30 > 35 (+17%)

    • Trebor asked Adrian to buff these 

• Colt

  • Reload Speed: +8% (Epic Gear compensation buff)

• Spike

  • Super: Slow amount +15% (Mythic Gear compensation buff)

• Pearl

  • Reduced time to max Heat - 11 > 9 Sec (22%).

    • Let her cook

• Gigi

  • Damage: +20%

  • Main attack speed boost: 10% > 20% (+100%!)

    • Spin it to win it - now with actual winning!

• Meeple

  • Reduced Hypercharge Charge Rate:50 > 40

    • Let's see how they cheat their way out of this one

• Pam

  • Hypercharge - Charge Rate - 40 > 30

    • BUT SHE JUST BECAME A GOOD BRA- Listen, she will still be plenty good even with this nerf, but the Hypercharge lifetime is too high for the amount of oppressive value it can provide in the right scenarios, so getting it deployed should take longer

• Juju

  • Hypercharge - Charge Rate - 50 > 40

    • Similar story to Pam, great value from a long lasting Hypered Gris-Gris, but she'll still be one of the premier thrower picks due to her versatility.

• Otis

  • Super - Charge Rate - 100 > 90

    • *underwater noises*

• Mina

  • Health: -3%

  • Both Gadgets Cooldown increased: +10% (2 sec)

    • A Bigger nerf than it might seem on paper, as we're increasing Brawler Health across the board. Along with this, her gadgets are extremely strong and tuning down their prevalence is a logical first step to balancing the B-girl.

EVERYONE IS GETTING A HEALTH BUFF! (Except Mina)

As we introduce new mechanics into the game (like Buffies!), they usually come with offensive as well as defensive power.

It can be tough to play against new abilities, so giving every brawler some more time to Brawl will help players ease into the new phase of Brawl Stars, by increasing the time it takes for a brawler to be defeated as a whole.

This makes the game less focused on burst damage and quick takedowns in nature, and allows for more strategic playstyles and Brawlers to shine.

We'll keep a close eye on how the meta shapes as we introduce more Buffies and more balance changes to fine tune.

New Seasonal Game Modes

December / Mechmas

• Bringing back Present Plunder, Paint Brawl

January / Steampunk

• Safe Destroyers:

  • 3v3 Heist variant. The first team to destroy their opponents safe wins.

  • Bombs can be picked up and thrown on the other team’s safe. This is the only way to destroy the safe.

• Line of Sight modifier

  • When this modifier is active, players can only see in a limited radius around themselves and teammates and their sight is blocked by walls.

February / Brawlentine’s

• Love Bombing:

  • 2v2 wipeout variant. First team to 6 takedowns wins the game.

  • Regular attacks stun opponents but do result in takedowns

  • Love bomb can be picked up and thrown on opposing brawlers for takedowns

• Duo Boss fights

  • Defeat Brawlentine’s Bosses to win Chocolate Boxes full of goodies!

Environments

• Removed

  • Stranger Things

  • Oddities Shop

  • Bizarre Circus

• Added:

  • Swamp of Love Showdown (NEW)

  • Sea Monsters Aquarium (NEW, Glowbert)

  • Candyland

  • Darryl's Ship

  • Starr Force

  • Velocirapids 

Maps

Knockout 5v5

+ Rastermind

- The Emptiness Machine

Wipeout

+ WALKING ON HOT SAND

+ Too Gimmicky 2

Hot Zone

+ Tax Evasion

+ The Seven Pillars of Humanity

-Ticket to Die

-Zone Splitting

Brawl Ball

+ Singed Earth

+ Nutmeg

-Grab the Moment

-Flute Chutes

Heist

+ Aridity

+ Quintillion

-All Things Wicked

-Plain Text

Gem Grab

+ Snake Pit

+ Fortress Fall

-Whisper Vale

-Extreme Nonchalance

Knockout

+ Konnakol

+ Pinned Down

-H for...

-A Ballad About Minced Cutlets

Duels

+ Paralysis Pen

-Monkey Maze

Bounty

+ Wall Hugging

+ Choral Chambers

-Don't turn around

-Side by Side

Air Hockey

+ H is for Holiday

+ Hyperspace

-Bouncy Bowl

-Below Zero

Ranked

Season 40

• Featured game mode: Knockout

  • Flowing Springs

  • Goldarm Gulch

• Maxed Brawlers:

  • Mandy

  • Melodie

  • Amber

Season 41

• Featured game mode: Heist

  • Pit Stop

  • Safe(r) Zone

• Maxed Brawlers:

  • Gale

  • Mico

  • Surge

Season 42

• Featured game mode: Gem Grab

  • Rustic Arcade

  • Crystal Arcade

• Maxed Brawlers:

  • Shade

  • Squeak

  • Kit

In the spirit of Buffies, we are also buffing the economy throughout the game!

• All of Trophy Road has been buffed! Mainly via the introduction of Chaos Drops throughout, but we’ve also buffed resource amounts in general

• 2 more Mega Quests added per Season and completion requirements lowered

• Chaos Drops added to Daily Wins (Lucky Days only in December and regular days in January)

• Better rewards from Community Events and other temporary events

NEW FAME LEVEL: STARR FORCE

• Takes 75000 credits to progress through each level.

• Includes a new Battle Card, Player Icon and Pin!

  ---

• Brawl Ball and Air Hockey matches continue after timer runs out while a ball/puck is on the move

• Super Rare skins added to Mythic Starr Drops

• Power Points are now twice as cheap to top up with Gems, and will cost less in offers

• Quests can now contain more game modes that are active/unlocked

• When Shadow Tiger Leon and its chromas use the Clone Projector gadget while Hypercharged, the skin now correctly displays the Hypercharge model.

• Color of ice hockey puck is now correct

• Quest icon for "Play 2 matches with a clubmate" is no longer missing in "Quest" menu

• The correct version of the Jake Ollie Profile Icon is now displayed

• "NEW" badge is now not always present for "Quests" menu while the "Rewards" menu is selected

Now that all the Hypercharges are out, it’s time to add the next permanent gameplay change to the game!

In the text below, you will find an overview of the changes and additions that will be made in Brawl Stars next month. We highly recommend reading the entire article, as it explains how all the incoming changes are connected.
We understand that progression can be a sensitive topic, but with the upcoming changes, we aim to introduce a new power that is both fun and will enhance the depth of the game, especially for veteran players. Additionally, we will buff main resource sources to make the journey more enjoyable and rewarding.
And REMEMBER! Everything is still under development, so some details may change when the content is out.

We’ll provide a summary of each change first, and then we’ll go into more detail below the bullet points.

GAMEPLAY CHANGES
Changes:

• We are not adding Power Level 12

• We are adding a new power called: Buffies

• Buffies are buffs (get it?) to your Starr Powers, Gadgets, and Hypercharge!

• Each Brawler gets 3 Buffies, one for both Starr Powers, one for both Gadgets, and another one for the Hypercharge

• Together with this new power, some Brawlers are getting reworks to their gameplay design/abilities

• Buffies can be purchased with 1000 Coins and 2000 Power Points from the Claw Machine

• A Claw Machine pull guarantees a Buffie. There will be 18 Buffies in total in this update, and we will be adding separate Claw Machines with new Buffies

• Buffies can also be purchased directly for Gems for around the Gem value of their soft-currency cost (1000 Coins and 2000 Power Points).
  Discount IAP or Gem offers will come in the future, but not for the release of the feature

• One Claw Machine pull is free once you unlock the feature

• Mythic and Epic Gears are being removed and refunded (for the Brawlers that are receiving Buffies). All Epic and Mythic Gears will be removed once all Brawlers who have those Gears get their Buffies

• Some Gadgets can now be aimed (work like the attack/super Joystick)

Goals:

• To increase depth in gameplay without making it more complicated (no new buttons added). Veterans get deeper gameplay. Casuals can still play like they used to

• To revisit previously released Brawlers and rework their kits if they don’t make sense anymore (no changes in case a Brawler’s kit still works fine)

• To deepen the progression of Brawlers and give a new meaningful and fun item for players to chase

NEW POWER ITEM - BUFFIES!

Buffies are a new power added to the game, and it will improve your Gadgets, Star Powers, Hypercharge, AND look good beside your Brawler! Each Brawler is getting 3 Buffies in total: one for (both) Gadgets, one for (both) Star Powers, and one for their Hypercharge. Buffies are pulled randomly from a Claw Machine.

And the names of the Buffies are… GADGET BUFFIE, STAR BUFFIE, and HYPER BUFFIE!

The Claw Machine

That’s the place where you will get your Buffies from! Each pull costs 1000 Coins and 2000 Power Points, and each Claw Machine contains the Buffies of a limited number of Brawlers.

They will also be available for direct purchase with Gems or IAP later on. Previously, with Hypercharges, we tried going with a Gems offer first, and then it became available in soft currency (Coins). Now we would like to test going with soft-currency (1000 Coins and 2000 Power Points) first, and Gems/IAP later. As this is a new approach, we’ll be looking at it closely and making changes if it doesn’t work (i.e., if it's not enjoyable for the players or doesn't feel worthy of playing or paying for it).

As more Buffies are added, they will be distributed in different Claw Machines, so the pool of rewards is always the same regardless of how many Buffies are added in-game. Currently, we are aiming for 18 Buffies per Claw Machine (6 Brawlers in total).

The first Buffie pull you receive is always free once you unlock the feature at 1,000 trophies.

Once you collect all the Buffies for all the Brawlers in the Claw Machine, you will then be able to use your Bling to pull different Skins for your Buffie. These are purely cosmetic and have no impact on Buffie's functionality or power. THEY ARE JUST CUTE AND SHINY!

Each Bling pull from the Claw Machine costs 10,000 Bling.

The Buffies Design: Brawler Rework

Before we go into the Buffies’ design, we have to talk about Brawler reworks and why our approach to the new power progression is an improvement to existing items as opposed to something brand new. There are actually multiple reasons, but we can summarize them in 3:

1 - We want to add more depth to competitive matches, but we don’t want to overcomplicate the core just for the sake of complexity.
Improving something you already know is a lot easier to understand and get used to, as opposed to learning a completely new power (especially if it's in a new button). We expect to see competitive players adding a new level of depth to their every match, and casuals to experience the novelty, without having to learn something entirely new or change their way of playing the game.

2 - As we approach the release of 100 Brawlers, we feel this is the right time to go back to every Brawler we ever released and improve/change their kit if it feels outdated (but of course, without changing the core fantasy/concept of the Brawler).

3 - We want to focus more on utility and skill expressionl as opposed to raw strength (like Hypercharge was). Focusing on the kit that Brawlers already have could be a more elegant way to add power. Some Buffies will make your ability “bigger and stronger,” as sometimes it makes sense, but it shouldn’t be the case for all of them.

We are also removing (and refunding) Epic and Mythic Gears of Brawlers who are getting Buffies. Unfortunately, those Gears didn’t drive enough excitement to justify continuing the development of more of them. This is something we already wanted to do some time ago, and with the introduction of Buffies, it seems a good opportunity to do so.

With this said, we are also making Gadgets an aimable Joystick (if it makes sense for the Gadget in question). This might sound like something small, but it’ll definitely elevate the skill ceiling in Brawl. But don’t worry if you take some time to learn… even if a Gadget gets the aiming functionality, it can still be used just by tapping (like it works in the game now)

THE BUFFIES DESIGN: NOW THE REAL DEAL

Now let’s go through the new reworked Colt and Spike and their Buffie power!

For clarity, the Buffie effect is something added on top of the current Gadget, Star Power, or Hypercharge:

Colt:

Gadget 1: Colt shoots 2 bullets that slow the target on hit
Gadget 1 + Buffie: if it hits, steals one ammo from the target (target loses 1 ammo, Colt reloads 1 ammo)
Gadget 2: A bullet that destroys walls/bushes and consumes ammo (unchanged)
Gadget 2 + Buffie: The bullet is wider and deals more damage on hit

Star Power 1: Increases Colt’s movement speed (unchanged)
Star Power 1 + Buffie: Colt gains a burst in movement if hits the target
Star Power 2: Increases Colt’s range and bullet speed
Star Power 2 + Buffie: Deals more damage if the target is far away

Hypercharge: Double Bullets line on Super (unchanged)
Hypercharge + Buffie: Colt’s unloads his main attack faster (so it’s easier to hit more shots), and the Hypercharge lasts 2 seconds longer

Spike:

Gadget 1: Fires 2 waves of 3 needles that deal damage and slow
Gadget 1 + Buffie: Roots for a short while if 3 hits on a target
Gadget 2: Drops a cactus that heals its surrounding area if destroyed
Gadget 2 + Buffie: It also explodes when destroyed and it knockback and deal damage on enemies around it

Star Power 1: Any damage caused by the Super automatically heals Spike (he doesn’t need to be inside the Super to heal anymore)
Star Power 1 + Buffie: Spike’s Super gets deployed faster
Star Power 2: The needles of Spike’s attack curves/rotates
Star Power 2 + Buffie: The needles curve further

Hypercharge: Spike’s Super is now bigger (unchanged)
Hypercharge + Buffie: Spike’s main attack explodes twice and the Hypercharge state lasts 2 seconds longer

ALSO, Buffies look like these cute key chains that can briefly be seen in a match, but always with you on the main screen. The plan is to release Buffies for 6 Brawlers in the upcoming update and make this the baseline. Buffies do take more time to implement than a Hypercharge, so there might be updates where we might release less than 6.

BRAWL PASS
Changes:

• Both the free track and the paid track in the Brawl Pass/Brawl Pass Plus will be buffed and improved

• As the Brawl Pass is increasing in value, we are also adjusting its price

• New Brawl Pass price is: $8,99*, and Brawl Pass Plus is: $12,99*

• The normal Brawl Pass now has the Brawl Pass Skins, their Chromas, and Titles!

• Brawl Passes now have KEYS and a VAULT!

• Keys allow you to open a specific Vault and pick the reward you want. There are currently four keys, each one opening a Vault with a specific set of rewards. The different kinds of keys are: Resources, Brawlers, Skins, and Buffies.

• Tail Rewards now cost 2800 XP and give different Boxes/Starr Drops that are always better than a normal Starr Drop

*Prices may vary according to the player’s region.Goals:

• To make it more valuable than it currently is

• To give more freedom on how players want to progress their Brawlers and accounts

• Hope to spark interest in the Brawl Pass again by giving players more available reward options

• To improve monetization by relying on more people buying the Brawl Pass overall, as opposed to fewer people buying more offers

NEW BRAWL PASS DETAILS

The Brawl Pass is getting a buff, 10 more tiers, new items, and more value in general. With the increase in value, it’s also getting a price increase: $8.99* for the normal Brawl Pass and $12.99* for the Brawl Pass Plus, which is still the best offer in the game.
Titles and the Chroma Skins have now moved to the Normal Brawl Pass. The advantage of buying the Brawl Pass Plus now is that you get a lot more Keys.
Now every Season will also contain 2 Brawl Pass Skins (+ the Chromas).

*Prices may vary according to the player’s region.

IMPORTANT: The price change will happen only in the January Season. But you can still buy the Brawl Pass and Brawl Pass Plus for the current price (and store some of them in your account for future seasons).

Here’s a comparison between all the tracks from old to new Brawl Pass

FREE TRACK

We're buffing the rewards with an extra 1000 coins and a resource key, which can be exchanged for 2000 powerpoints, so we've added the equivalent of a free Buffie. This is in addition to the Chaos Drops and Extra Bling, and Credits.

BRAWL PASS

Titles, Brawl Pass Skins, and their Chromas are now part of the normal Brawl Pass. Plus, more freedom on how you progress your account with some Resource, Skin, and Brawler Keys!

BRAWL PASS PLUS

MORE KEYS! Enough to buy both Brawl Pass Skins (and their Chromas) that we are now releasing every season, starting in January. And Gems, because Gems are cool.

TOTAL (FREE + BRAWL PASS PLUS)

New Brawl Pass Item: Keys!

Keys are used to open a Brawl Pass Vault! There you will be able to find Resources, Skins, Brawlers, and Buffies. There are 4 different keys (each one for a different category of reward), and you will be able to use them however you like. Each offer inside the vault costs 1 Key (except for the Vintage Skin Sets that cost 2 keys), so you will be able to focus on the rewards you want the most.

The purpose of Keys is to give players more freedom in how they want to progress. Especially now that Buffies cost more Power Points than coins, if that’s what you need, you will be able to use your resource Key on Power Points and so on. The same goes for Skins; if you are not a fan of the current Skin of the season, you can just save your Key for a previous Brawl Pass Skin.

Note about the Skin Keys: The Skins of the newly released Brawl Pass will always use 1 key, so you can either get the new ones from the new season right away or collect 1 more key to get a Skin from a previous season. All the Brawl Pass Skins (from the January 2024 Starrforce Season and on - and that are not a Collab Skin) will be in the Skin Vault.
IMPORTANT! Buying a Brawl Pass Skin with Keys will give you both the Skin of the Season and both Chromas!

Here is what you can get with your Keys

Brawl Pass End Reward (Tail Reward)

Tail Rewards now cost 2800 XP and give a different reward every time, like a Demon Drop, a Sushi Roll or (more rarely), a Chaos Drop, and so on. The things you can get from the Tail Reward are always going to be better than one random Starr Drop.

You will also get the option to use Gems to “upgrade” your tail reward if you want to do so. If you don’t collect your tail rewards before the season ends, the standard reward (not upgraded) will be delivered to your account.

OTHER:

Changes:

The Entire Economy is getting buffed!

• New kind of Starr Drop (Chaos Drop). Can upgrade in rarity, and can also split like the Sushi. All splits will have the same rarity. The lowest rarity of a Chaos Drop is Super Rare and the highest rarity is Ultra (a new rarity that is only available only in Chaos Drops)

• Daily Wins (you’ll have a chance of getting a Chaos Drop in December if you have a Lucky Day, and normal days will have a Chaos Drop starting in January!)

• Mega quests (2 more Mega Quests added per Season, and one of them is an Omega)

• Trophy Road (early Trophy Road buff up to 25k trophies for new players so they can catch up better)

• Events and Community Events

• We're making Power Points twice as cheap to buy. From this new update on, the base price to directly buy Power Points with Gems will be 10 Power Points for 1 gem instead of 5 Power Points for 1 Gem (same converstion from Coins to Gems), and shop offers will be changed to reflect this.

Goals:

• With fewer Hypercharges coming from now on, we still want to have meaningful chase items for Players

• Give more freedom and pre-determined resources so players can have more freedom on how to upgrade their accounts

• Buff the economy in a way that makes playing Brawl a lot more rewarding while still helping casual/new players to catch up

In the current update, we’ve recently buffed some of the progression with Mega Quests and the new Daily Wins. But we are buffing MORE!

We are adding more resources to multiple sources, including early Trophy Road for players who have just started the game and in different places for end-game players (such as Brawl Pass tail rewards and Mega Quests). This should reward all players more, while also giving newcomers a chance to catch up.

Additionally, we are introducing a new Starr Drop called Chaos Drop, which is worth an average of 4x more! It can give everything that a normal Starr Drop gives, but can also split (max 8 times) like Sushi. Whatever rarity it lands, it will be the one that will multiply. This means that you have the chance (very tiny, but still!) of getting 8 Legendary Drops all at once, or even 8 ULTRAS, which is the new rarity you will find only in Chaos Drops.

Chaos Drops will be in the new Brawl Pass, randomly in Daily Wins, and sometimes distributed in events as well.

Here are all the items you can get in an ULTRA CHAOS DROP!

Here are all the items you can get in an ULTRA CHAOS DROP!
(In case you have all the items of a certain category, there’ll be a fallback reward instead Coins, Bling, or Credits)

So there’s a chance you can get the rewards above EIGHT TIMES if you manage to get your Ultra Rarity Drop split in 8!

AND LASTLY

Nothing more! Thank you so much for reading, and make sure to drop your opinion on any social media!
See you in Brawl Talk on the 13th of December!

Maintenance incoming for Stranger Things balance changes, BUT FIRST, let’s dive into what's happening with the Card Packs and the Stranger Things Skins exploit! ⚠️

Stranger Pack Bug:
• Players have found a way to see what’s inside the Stranger Packs before opening them
• Unfortunately, fixing this issue would require a new client update, so we’ll keep it as it is until the end of the event

We would also like to clarify the discussions around how the probabilities work for the Stranger Packs:
• The rewards in the Stranger Packs are decided once you open the game (and not when you open a Stranger Pack). This means that if you don’t open the game at all, the chances are not rolled
• Once the game is opened and the Stranger Packs’ content is rolled, it follows the drop rates available on our Support page
• Offers are refreshed every hour, so if you are online when the offer is refreshed, the system will re-roll the chances of the Stranger Packs’ content
• In the intended scenario, where you cannot “see what’s inside” the packs before opening them, it doesn’t really matter when the chances are rolled, as the end result would be the same when you open a pack
• A similar comparison is any Mystery Box item from a retail store. All these boxes have already been “rolled” beforehand, and you pay to open them. The same goes for trading card games and so on
• Because of the bug, it might seem that you must log in during “your lucky hour,” but in reality, the odds are only rolled once you open the game. They do not constantly change every hour if you are not logged in
• The Stranger Packs are designed this way for various reasons, such as server load and game optimization, but also to avoid other kinds of exploits, such as closing the app upon Stranger Pack opening, which could alter the result of your packs every time you open them. There are, of course, other ways to avoid these problems, but this one should suffice if it weren’t for the bug found later in the event
• The system works as advertised and it's an equal chance for every player at every hour they login

⚖️ Stranger Things Balance Changes ⚖️

🔺 Fireballs surround:
• damage 500 → 1000

🔺 Damage gives temp shield:
• rate 35/30% → 40/35%
• active time 2sec → 5sec
• cap: 2000 → 4000

🔺 Shield:
• 10% → 15%
• 5% → 10%

🔺 Healing:
• 80/50/30% → 100/60/40%
• 50/30/20% → 90/50/30%

🔺 Attack damage heals:
• 30% → 35%

🔺 Gadget cooldown (in some Decks):
• 50/30/10% → 60/30/10%

🔺Regenerate health earlier:
• 50% → 80%

🔺 Bullet bounce (Rico):
• bounce rate: 50/100/200% → 80/150/250%
• bounce max time: 5 → 6

🔺 Piper:
• Gadget cooldown 50% faster → Damage +35%
• Gadget cooldown (Super Rare Card) replaced by Projectile speed (Super Rare Card)
• Gadget cooldown (Epic Card) replaced by Projectile Speed (Epic Card)

🔺 Colt:
• Attack Range +2 → Damage +35%

🔺 Mandy:
• Gadget cooldown Cards replaced by Movement speed Cards

🔺 Chuck, Buzz, Fang:
• Damage gives temp shield → Shield (no longer decays over time, only when receiving damage)
• Chuck: Damage gives temp shield 35% -> 30% shield
• Fang/Buzz: Damage gives temp shield 30% -> 25% shield

🔻 Projectile home in:
• Rate -20%

BALANCE CHANGES ⚖️

Ollie
• Damage reduced from 2000 → 1800
• Gadget “All Eyez on Me” cooldown increased from 15s → 18s

Mina
• Health reduced from 8200 → 7400
• Second shot damage reduced from 2800 → 2000

Cordelius
• During Super: movement speed bonus reduced from 20% → 10%
• Reload speed reduced from 30% → 20%

Byron
• Hypercharge number of darts reduced from 12 → 6
• Projectile speed slightly reduced

Kaze
• Gadget Invisibility duration 2s → 1.5s (base value)
• Ninja Super "Fist of the Brawl Star" starting damage from 3000 → 2720 & Dash speed reduced to 20%

Meeple
• Hypercharge Super duration reduced from 12s → 10s

Moe
• Hypercharge Super now starts using ammo immediately when activated

BRAWL ARENA Balance Changes ⚖️

BUFFS 🔺
Eve
• Health increased from 450 → 600
• Reload Speed from 1.5% → 2%

Lumi
• Health increased from 300 → 400

Jae
• Health increased from 450 → 550

Willow
• Damage increased from 2% → 3%

NERFS 🔻
Meeple
• Health reduced from 650 → 600
• Damage reduced 6% → 5%

Nani
• Health reduced from 600 → 500

Trunk
• Damage reduced from 4% → 3%

UPSIDE SHOWDOWN Balance Changes ⚖️

NERFS 🔻
Hank
• Bubble size reduced from 35/25/15% → 25/15/10%
• Movement speed reduced from 15/20/25% → 10/15/20%
• Super rate reduced from 30/60%100% → 25/50/75%

Shelly
• Shield reduced from 15/25% → 5/10%
• Super rate reduced from 30/60% → 25/50%
• More Health (legendary reduced from 2000 → 1500
• Projectile range → remove less spread

Lily
• Gadget cooldown (legendary) reduced from 50% → 40%

Belle/Ziggy/Gale
• Slow down Card rate reduced -20%

BUFFS 🔺
Pet card general buff
• Pet Health increased from 20/40/60% → 40/60/80%
• Pet Movement Speed increased from 20/35% → 30/50%
• Passively charge Super speed increased +20%

Deck fixing
• Meg: replaced the charge Hypercharge Card with the speed Card
• Moe: replaced the charge Hypercharge Card with shield Card
• Kaze: replaced the charge Hypercharge card with bush vision
• Mr. P: Projectile size+ Card also makes the damage area from the projectile bigger
Attack range Cards changed to charge Super cards
• Colette: replaced the duplicated epic range Card to +25% damage to the enemy above 50% health
• Colt: fixed legendary range Card stats from +1 → +2

BUG FIXES
🐛 Players on different stages of the Hawkins Hunt had their wins count as losses if they teamed up
🐛 Ball in Brawl Ball was colliding with an invisible wall if any of the players destroyed a wall at the same time
🐛 Team invite mute caused a loading Issue (players got stuck at 87% on the loading screen) after expiration
🐛 If a player joined a Friendly Battle with a non maxed Brawler, that Brawler’s Gears wouldn't work
🐛 Server 44 Error appeared when Pam's Hypercharged turret was placed just before Pam was defeated
🐛 Bots in Brawl Arena were stuck
🐛 Moe wasn't able to use ammo during the Hypercharge Super attack
🐛 In Brawl Ball, the red indicators for the enemy controlling the ball outside of the borders of the players' view were missing
🐛 Some brawlers in secondary forms had old Hypercharge boost values

An Optional Update is available on iOS and Android that fixes the following issues:
🪲 The Mega Quest icon on a Brawler not disappearing even after completing that Brawler’s Mega Quest
🪲 Crashes when creating a Bounty mode map in Map Maker
🪲 The Subway Surfers button still present in the training cave
🪲 Game crashes when claiming items in the Shop
🪲 The unclaimed rewards counter not appearing on the Brawl Pass button if the player had unclaimed bonus rewards

Also, the Legendary Starr Drops will no longer drop Super Rare Skins, only Epic Skins!

Stranger Things collab, Gigi, the ballerina Brawler, Hypercharge changes, new Mecha skins & more!

• Eleven Lumi | Brawl Pass | Epic

• Retro Eleven Lumi | Brawl Pass | Chroma #1

• Thrilled Eleven Lumi | Brawl Pass | Chroma #2

• Eddie Draco | Mythic

• Hopper Bull | Epic

• Will Gus | Epic

• Scoops Ahoy Berry | Epic

• Dustin Nita | Hypercharged

  • 80’s Dustin Nita | Chroma #1

  • Future Dustin Nita | Chroma #2

Venture into the Upside Showdown

• New Rogue-lite game mode! Collect and build a unique deck of powers to win a Run!

• Choose a Brawler to start a Run with. 

• Each Stage has 10 players in a Free For All Upside Showdown.

• Each Stage, choose 1 of 3 unique Powers to equip until the end of the Run.

  • Each Brawler Deck features Power cards of different rarities: Epic, Mythic, Legendary. Higher rarities grant even better powers.

• The top 4 players on each Stage advance to the next Stage.

  • Ranking higher in the Top 4 means getting 1 card of higher rarity for your next Stage. 2nd gets 1 card Mythic or higher guaranteed, and 1st gets 1 Legendary card guaranteed.

• Winning each Stage rewards Waffles until the cap is reached for the current stage.

• Once a Run is started, it has to be finished (win or lose).

• Losing a Stage ends your Run, and you can start another.

• Upside Down stage opens and lasts for 3 days. You can attempt Runs for this stage until it closes, at which point any ongoing Run will be over.

• After winning 5 Stages you escape the Upside Down with your rewards! Collect your Trophies and Waffles after each Run.

Brawler Decks & Waffles

• Earn Waffles and spend them in the Event Shop to open Card Packs.

  • Waffles can be earned through the Upside Showdown, Hawkins Hunt (Boss Fight), Mega Quests, Daily Wins & Freebies.

• Free Waffles are available to claim daily during the event!

• New Card Packs are available in the Event Shop every day.

• Each Card Pack contains a whole Deck of Power Cards for a certain Brawler, and some can also contain progression and cosmetics.

  • The Stranger Pack offers 1 Brawler deck, no other rewards.

  • The Strangest Pack offers 1 Brawler deck and can also contain currencies and cosmetics.

• Once you unlock a certain Brawler’s Deck, you can enter the Upside Down game modes with that Brawler.

Hawkins Hunt (Boss Fight)

• 3 players fight against an NPC Boss in 5 increasingly difficult stages.

• Winning each Stage awards Waffles until the cap is reached.

• Bosses: Vecna and Demogorgon! … And Spirit Knight Frank.

Event Hub

• Players can see all decks & the ones they have unlocked. The Brawler currently in a run is also indicated.

  • Each Brawler also features the number of runs successfully completed with them.

  • Collecting a minimum of 60 Card Packs will reward the Dustin Nita Skin

• Collection of all event skins

  • Completing the collection rewards a unique event Spray

Gigi: Mythic Assassin

A cursed puppet who brings an unsettling vibe, Gigi and her bonded magician's glove are never found apart. You can find her in the Oddities Shop, dancing between the bookshelves.

• Trait (NEW): This Brawler charges their Super from staying close to opponent projectiles and melee attacks.

• Attack: PIROUETTE POWER-UP

  • Gigi spins, dealing damage to all enemies around her, and gains movement speed while spinning.

• Super: SHADOW PUPPET

  • Gigi charges up, then appears at the targeted area. Gigi can charge up again to return to her starting position, dealing area damage when she leaves.

• Gadget: LONGER STRINGS

  • Super charging area is bigger.

• Gadget: DISAPPEARING ACT

  • Gigi creates a temporary area on the ground that makes her (and allies) invisible while inside.

• Star Power: PLIÉ PROTECTION

  • Increases Super charge rate if no damage has been received for a certain time.

• Star Power: A HELPING HAND

  • Super now heals when teleporting.

• Title: Strung Up

Hypercharges

Hypercharge stat global change for all Brawlers:

• Attack: +5%

• Shield +5%

• Movement Speed +20%

Explanation: Hypercharges provide slightly too high value to a point that it can feel frustrating to face. Reducing the overall bonuses provided should allow for more ample counterplay throughout the game.

World finals are just around the corner and our data show healthy meta of course with some exceptions that we have tried to address alongside big Hypercharge changes idea was to bring even more Brawlers closer to 45% - 55% Win Rates, make more Star Powers & Gadgets relevant rather than just ‘Hypercharge = win’ gameplay.

• Pam: MAMA’S LOVE

  • Pam’s turret heals on deploy. It continues to heal Brawlers over their max health by providing them with a decaying shield.

• Alli: SWAMP SNACKING

  • Alli heals for 20% of damage dealt during her Hypercharge, and her main attack does max percent health instead of current percent health damage

• Mina: TRIPLECANE

  • Super now fires 3 hurricanes in a cone shape, which can bounce. (Note: Gadget to refresh Super does not synergize with Hypercharged Super)

• Ziggy: THE GRAND VORTEX

  • The Hypercharged Super returns to the position that Ziggy is at after reaching its max range/lifetime (not homing).

More Skins

Season: Mechmas

• Mecha Mandy | Brawl Pass | Epic

  • Wasp Mecha Mandy | Brawl Pass | Chroma #1

  • Shade Mecha Mandy | Brawl Pass | Chroma #2

• Mecha Piper

• Lotus Mecha Piper | Hypercharged

  • Petal Mecha Piper | Hypercharged | Chroma #1

  • Rose Mecha Piper | Hypercharged | Chroma #2

• Mecha Jessie | Legendary

  • Bubblegum Mecha Jessie | Chroma #1

  • Shining Mecha Jessie | Chroma #2

Miscellaneous skins

• Gym Rat Mr. P | Super Rare

• Pump It Melodie | Epic

• Workout Charlie | Epic

• Archer Queen Penny | Supercell ID Rewards | Epic

Pro Pass Skin

• Tiger Leon | Stage 1

• Shadow Tiger Leon | Stage 2 (Hypercharge)

• White Tiger Leon | Hypercharge | Chroma #1

• Stalking Tiger Leon | Hypercharge | Chroma #2

199 Gem Skins

• Scarecrow Gigi | Mythic

  • Autumn Scarecrow Gigi | Mythic | Chroma #1

  • Winter Scarecrow Gigi | Mythic | Chroma #2

Maps, Game Modes & Rotation Changes

OTHER NEW GAME MODES

Trio Wipeout

Wipeout with 4 teams competing against each other for the most takedowns.

• 4 teams of 3 players (blue, red, orange, yellow)

• First team to reach 10 takedowns wins

• Leading team members are marked with a crown

Trio Gem Grab

Gem Grab variation with 4 teams competing against each other.

• 4 teams of 3 players (blue, red, orange, yellow)

• Game starts with gems spread around the map

• Each map has varied amount of gem mines

• When the winning countdown is active, the winning team’s Brawler holding the most gems is marked with an offscreen indicator, visible to all enemy players.

Environments

• REMOVED:

  • Beach Ball

  • Katana Kingdom

  • Enchanted Forest

  • Subway Surfers

• ADDED:

  • Oddities Shop (Gigi)

  • Bizarre Circus (Brawl-O-Ween)

  • Love Swamp (Brawl-O-Ween)

• SWAP:

  • Tropical Island --> Ice Island (Brawl Arena & 5v5 modes)

Maps

• Wipeout 4x3

  • Slay Bay

  • Overpower Outpost

  • Nippy Narrows

  • Permafrost Bayou

• Gem Grab 4x3

  • Polar Payoff

  • Mine, All Mine

  • Treasure Pressure

  • Cold Cash

• Upside Showdown

  • Kroket

  • Lotus

  • Gated Community

• Mega Boss

  • Frank

  • Vecna

Community slot

• Showdown

  • Kroket

  • Lotus

  • Gated Community

  • Makeshift Scaffolding

• Gem Grab

  • Railroad Robbery

• Hot Zone

  • Zone Splitting

  • Ticket to Die

• Knockout

  • Chivalry

Ranked

Season 1

• Featured game mode: Brawl Ball

  • Spiralling out

  • Grass Knot

• Free Brawler Rotation:

  • Nani

  • Buzz

  • Draco

Season 2

• Featured game mode: Hotzone

• Free Brawler Rotation:

  • Berry

  • Lumi

  • Leon

Permanent Improvements & Quality of Life

Daily Wins

• Every day, you’ll get a different set of rewards to earn!

• The new system grants a reward for the first 6 wins each day.

• Daily win rewards will be random each day, possible rewards below:

  • Starr Drops (most common reward)

  • Hypercharge Starr Drops

  • Angelic Starr Drops

  • Demonic Starr Drops

  • Sushi Rolls

  • Mega Boxes

  • Presents (seasonal availability)

  • Mecha Boxes (very limited release)

There is a chance each day that you’ll get a 'Lucky Day' draw, where you get better Daily Win rewards like more Megaboxes, or a Hypercharge Starr Drop!

Team Up

• Team Up changes

  • Team Up button changed position (closer to a Brawler) to make more sense

  • Team Up list will show players you’ve recently won with that you can invite

  • Additional settings for controlling and muting invites

  • Renamed ‘Search for Team’ to “Quick Join” a team

• The Play Again button is now displayed earlier after the battle so you can Team Up faster!

Mega Quests

• New Chain Quests with Mega rewards!

• Mega Quests have 2 rewards: one reward varies, and the other reward is a lot of Brawl Pass XP.

• Two Types of Quests: Mega Quests and Omega Quests

  • Omega Quest rewards are twice as good!

• Each Brawl Pass season comes with a Mega Quest Chain containing 7 Mega Quests. The final Mega Quest is Brawl Pass exclusive. Uncompleted Mega Quests expire at the end of the Brawl Pass Season.

• Mega Quest requirements vary - they can be game mode specific, Brawler specific, or global (like gain Trophies, deal damage, take down Brawlers). 

• If you don’t like your current Mega Quest requirement, there’s an option to reroll different requirements.

• When you reroll your current Mega Quest, you’ll lose your current progress.

XP CHANGES

• We’re removing Battle XP. Instead, we’ll be giving more XP through the new Mega Quests.

• We’re buffing XP Doublers: They used to only double Battle XP, but now they double Quest XP, which is a much larger source of XP!

Mecha Box

• Starting in December, the Mecha Box will appear! This is a juicy box that can contain  Mecha skins, plus other progression like Star Powers, Hypercharge Starr Drops, Gadgets, and more! 

• See the Supercell support portal for exact details of contents.

Matchmaking Changes

In Oct 2024 we switched from account based global Trophies to Brawler Trophies [simplified]. This improved the matchmaking speed drastically. But we did notice quality decreased in some trophy ranges. During the previous update we have been experimenting with different queues and saw a positive effect with the changes so we switched them on for all game regular game modes by the end of 63.

Matchmaking now considers both:

• Your Brawler skill, based on your selected Brawler’s Trophies

• Your overall skill, based on the average Trophies of your Top Brawlers

How it works:

• The higher your Brawler’s Trophies, the more matchmaking is based on that Brawler.

• The lower your Brawler’s Trophies, the more your overall skill influences matchmaking.

Why we’re doing this:

• More consistent match difficulty

• Better protection for newer players (no more getting stomped on your first day by pro players)

• This helps experienced players try new Brawlers without dominating early matches, and protects new players from facing higher skill opponents too soon.

• Encourages Brawler variety without hurting fairness

Balance changes

BUFFS

• Ziggy

  • Attack damage: 1760 -> 1900
    It turns out, he was a bit less of a powerhouse than he thought. BUT, let's see how this buff works out! We might still need to tweak his main attack to make it slightly easier to hit.

• Pearl

  • Trait: damage will increase faster over time → 8%
    
    Although she has been somewhat used in higher ranks in specific game modes, there are some clear signs of weakness, especially in lower-ranked games. With this change, we have tried to provide more flexibility by increasing heat regeneration, more damage output, more frequent Supers, more presence in the map AND hopefully allow both of her Star Powers to become relevant.

• Maisie

  • Health: 7200 → 7400
    Ironically, snipers are the ones being under fire in the current meta, but Maisie is not just your ordinary sniper. Her shots are trickier to hit due to the delay, so we have tried to give her more breathing room to survive and get closer to her opponents. Would 3% extra health make a difference? Maybe! But the bigger impact comes if you stop using auto-aim with her.

• Surge

  • "Power Surge" Gadget cooldown: 15sec → 13sec
    Surge has been consistently used in lower-ranked matches, but he needs more presence at higher ranks. His strength lies in upgrading levels and keeping them (AKA not dying), which can be hard… so a faster cooldown to get extra ammo could help!

• Pam

  • Turret health increase: 5600 → 6080
    This is gonna be a BIG update for Pam. Not only is she finally going to Hypercharge, she is getting quite a buff for her healer turret. We hope these changes allow her to support better than ever and become especially relevant in Gem Grab maps where control of the middle is so important.

• Max

  • Hypercharge rate: 35 → 45 (30 shots instead of 40)

  • "Sneaky Sneakers" Gadget cooldown: 10sec → 8sec
    After Jae-Yong was released, we noticed that Max has been less used across competitive modes. Her Gadget Sneaky Sneakers should also be an appealing choice as it is now one of the shortest gadget cooldowns in the game! GOTTA GO FAST!
    

• Poco

  • Health: 7400 → 7600

  • "Da Capo!" Star Power healing: 962 -> 988
    
    Very simple: Poco should support his teammates, but for that, he first needs to be able to survive a TINY bit longer.

• Penny

  • Cannon Attack Speed +6%

Penny hasn’t been changed that much recently and we wanted to add some speed to her Old Lobber to add a bit more pressure and boost her role as controller!

• Melodie

  • Health +3%

This allows her to stand out amongst other assassins and make her a bit less squishy.

• Colette

  • Health +3%

This buff hopefully gives her enough time to get an extra hit in and survive a one-on-one battle with a Tank.

• Sam

  • Main attack damage without knuckles: +25%

  • Super charge rate increased: +25% (10 -> 8 shots)

Yes, we sympathise with Sam mains (all 3 of you) and after his Hypercharge release we wanted to get him to his Super faster. We wanted to make his knuckle-less form a bit more potent so that you aren’t instantly trying to get his knuckles back after throwing them.

• Edgar

  • Star Power: Fisticuffs - increased healing from damage 25% -> 30%

  • Star Power: Hard Landing - Damage buff +10% increase (1350 -> 1490)

Oh boy, it’s a big day for all you Edgar mains out there as we are buffing both of his Star Powers. We know that this Brawler is played and loved by many of our players, but he can also take his own team down when played incorrectly. Hope these changes will help Edgar mains to be more good randoms than bad.

• Rosa

  • Star Power: Plant Life - Healing inside bushes 300HP -> 400HP per second

In synergy with her Gadget, Rosa will now be even more with nature and get an extra boost from her own created bushes and maps where she can spend more time in the greenery!

• Ash

  • Health +4%

  • Gadget: Chill Pill Health recovered 3240 -> 3360

With this buff Ash will be among the top Brawlers in terms of Health. He has been depending quite a lot on his Hypercharge, and now with little bit more Health, you can choose between his Gadgets to suit your playstyle.

• Nani:

  • Damage +8%

  • Star Power: Autofocus - Damage +8%

Landing a hit with Nani can be tricky, so Nani mains will feel the benefit right away. But we also hope that this change will encourage more people to give her a try.

• Trunk

  • Damage +7%

We saw some really nice Trunk plays at the recent esports Last Chance Qualifiers, but for ‘regular’ players, we feel that he needed a better damage output to really make a difference.

• Stu

  • Hypercharge charge rate+16% (38 shots -> 32 shots)

With the Hypercharge changes, it’s still quite important for Stu to have additional mobility and getting a more frequent Hypercharge will help with this.

• Gale

  • Super Charge rate increased: +20% (18 hits -> 15 hits)
    Gale has always been tricky to balance, due to his wide shots individually not being able to hit with all projectiles. This change should make it easier to get a Super and blast those enemies away!

NERFS

• Mina

  • Gadgets Cooldowns: 18sec -> 20sec

  • 3rd Attack Damage: 4400 -> 4000

  • Super charge rate: 5 -> 7
    MINA WAS OP

• Lumi

  • Projectile Unload Speed reduction - around 9% effectively (recall is still fast

    to have more power close range)
    Lumi was good overall, but she was really impactful in the hands of a good player. With this nerf it shouldn’t affect casuals so much and should make her more of a niche pick in higher ranks.

• Cordelius

  • "Comboshrooms" Star Power damage: 30% -> 20%

  • 2nd mushroom damage: 2080 -> 1920
    We buffed his attack recently, and it just got a bit too strong in combination with his Star Power. A Star Power nerf should still allow for some counterplay if you are expecting his attack or just react fast enough with a crowd-control ability.

• Bonnie

  • Super charge rate: 4 -> 6 shots (with Epic Gear 3 -> 5)

  • Hypercharge charge rate: 10 -> 12 shots (that's 11 shots with Gear)
    Especially with her Gadget, she was getting her Super too fast. It shouldn't keep her away from the meta though, so don't be worried, Bonnie-mains.

• Mr. P

  • Super charge rate (from attack): 6 -> 8 Shots
    Does it feel personal? It does. Is it? OBVIOUSLY NOT. Mr.P is the nightmare of sharpshooters on Bounty/Knockout matches, so now you have to feed him a little bit in order to deserve his penguin oppression.

• Draco

  • Super Damage: 2560 -> 2240 (per second)

  • Movement Speed: 20% -> 15%
    Purple-win-game-button no more! The master of Starr Park is still strong, but more counterable, or so we hope!

• Kit

  • Hypercharge charge rate: 40 -> 30

  • "Cardboard box" Gadget cooldown: 20sec -> 23sec

  • Super charge rate: 4 -> 5 attacks
    Kit, which, BY THE WAY, is meant to be a support Brawler, was too aggressive. Especially with his constant invisibility due to his Gadget. We hope to put this cat back where it belongs (supporting his teammates more).

• Finx

  • Hypercharge charge rate: 35 -> 30

  • "Hieroglyph Halt" Star Power: 30% -> 25%
    Finx needs some TIME off, hehe, get it? He was getting his Hypercharge too fast! On top of that, his Star Power was a bit too punishing towards Brawlers who were really dependent on their ammo.

• Byron

  • Hypercharge charge rate: 40 -> 30

• Kaze

  • Hypercharge charge rate: 45 -> 30
    Both Byron and Kaze are pretty much on the same spot, a good pick for competitive players, but charging their Hypercharges too many times per match, meanwhile being an unpopular pick among the casuals. The nerf on their Hypercharge charge rate should make them more balanced in competitive and not affect the casuals that much.
    

REWORKS

• El Primo

  • Buff

    • Super Charge rate from attack: 12 -> 11 shots

  • Nerf

    • Small nerf to Super charge rate from Super Attack
      The last time we added the Tank Trait to tanks, El Primo WAS the meta. We want to push him more towards the meta again, but we are being more cautious with his buff and nerf. Hopefully, he manages to JUMP (what a great pun) right into the competitive games again.

• Tara

  • Nerf

    • Super charge rate nerf from main attack: 10 -> 12 shots

  • Buff

    • Super charge rate from buff Super: 17% -> 25%
      Tara is all about her Black Hole. And since this is such an important moment of the match, we wanted to double down on rewarding players who manage to get her Super right. Consequently, it makes missing the Super a bit more punitive... but it feels right when we take in considerion how strong is her Super.
      

• Ollie

  • Nerf

    • Hypercharge charge rate: 30 -> 25

    • "Renegade" Star Power decaying shield: 4000 -> 3000

    • Ollie, in his Hypercharge, no longer jumps. Instead, he dashes just like the Super.
      Ollie was already strong and, of course, his Hypercharge didn't help the meta. Now, you can still prevent him to taunt you the same way you would be able to escape his Super. A Hypercharged Ollie is still really scary though.

• Kenji

  • Remove Hypercharge Teleport
    We removed the insta-kill button from Kenji.

• Jae-yong

  • Nerf

    • "Weekend Warrior" Gadget damage: 2300 -> 2100

    • Decrease attack unload speed slightly

    • "Time for a Slow Song" Gadget: increase in slowness % from 20 -> 30% & 0.75sec -> 1.25sec
      Jae was probably one of the best supports of the previous meta. NOT ANYMORE! We didn't fully nerf him, just tried to give some options by buffing his "Time for a Slow Song" Gadget, which wasn't as popular. Pam would still be proud of him.
      

Bug Fixes & Improvements

• Fixed: Reload Speed Gear effect not being applied to Lola’s Ego

• Fixed: Hypercharge Tokens in ‘Hypercharge Unleashed’ mode not fully charging Stu's Hypercharge

• Fixed: Mico's Super targeting not being smooth when going over obstacles and water

• Fixed: Colt's Star Power "Slick Boots" doesn't increase Movement Speed

• Fixed: If you use Mina’s ‘Capo-what’ Gadget and are defeated before using your Super, you will respawn without Super

• Fixed: Cripple Effect doesn't get applied to Crow's and Trunk's Super

• Fixed: After destroying walls, if a projectile hits that same place just after it is destroyed, the projectiles will behave like the wall is still there

• Fixed: Certain Brawler abilities are unable to cause damage to a Brawler Hexed by Willow’s Super

• Optimized Club Chat for low-end devices

Here’s what you need to know about World Finals 2025, DreamHack Stockholm edition!

• Location: DreamHack Stockholm at the Stockholmsmässan

• Dates: November 28-30

• Broadcast Start Time - Day 1: 12:45 PM CET (11:45 AM UTC)

• Broadcast Start Time - Day 2: 11:45 AM CET (10:45 AM UTC)

• Broadcast Start Time - Day 3: 12:45 PM CET (11:45 AM UTC)

• What to Expect: The 16 best teams in the WORLD battle it out for the Champion title and their cut of $1,000,000! It’s going to be a PACKED weekend, join us for all the fun!

• Make Your Predictions: Submit your Day 1 predictions NOW, and remember to predict before each show day (Day 2, 3) to earn Pro Pass XP! And to make it super special… we’re giving away 10K GEMS if you get all your match predictions correct.
  Use the hashtag #BSWF25 on social media to share your predictions (or steal someone else's!).

• Who should I vote for?  Check out the team profiles to help make your choice!

• Visitor Rewards: For those attending in person, we are giving away an exclusive Pin! You can redeem this in person by checking out the activations. 

• Tune In: Watch the broadcast and snag daily goodies like Starr Drops, Waffles, and PPXP…And you just might score a special Gigi Box and exclusive broadcast Pin. 

Meet and Greets: Get ready to meet your favorite community managers, creators, and teams, and soak in the hype before they hit the stage!

On-site Activities: Inspired by the action? Hit up the Showdown station, challenge your friends, and unleash your best plays. Or, hop over to the Chill Zone for a time out. There’s something for everyone. 

Merchandise: We’ll have a pop-up with EXCLUSIVE Brawl Stars swag that you can only get at the World Finals, and this is just the beginning. Expect merch drops at all our live events moving forward!

• X: @Brawl_Esports

• Instagram: @Brawlstars_Esports

• YouTube: @BrawlStarsEsports

• Twitch: Brawlstars

There are 20 doors and 20 hidden rewards behind each door!

But you can only get 10 doors!

Each day, the community has until the end of the day to complete 80 Million Quests to earn a key that opens a door. To help achieve this goal, extra Quests and special Mega Quests will be added to the game regularly!

To decide which door will be opened, the community must vote in-game in the news tab! If you're reading this, then you know how to get there! (or here?)

The door opening and reward reveals will be shown with pre-recorded videos on Brawl’s social media channels each day at 8:00 am UTC.

Only one door can be opened each day, except for the last day, when the community will get to open three doors at the same time!

REWARDS:

• 1 Hypercharge Starr Drop

• 10 Sushi Rolls

• 10 Random Starr Drops

• 1 Random Starr Drop

• 3 Pumpkin Boxes

• Manga Kenji Hypercharge Skin

• 2 Mega Boxes

• 1 Ultra Trophy Box

• 20 Gems

• 1 Gem

• Lumi (fallback = 1000 Credits)

• 1000 Power Points

• 500 Power Points

• 200 Power Points

• 1000 Coins

• 200 Coins

• 1 Coin

• 500 Credits

• Brawl-O-Ween Spray

• Mortis deleted from the game for two whole days!

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY

10 players can get 1 MILLION GEMS!

All you have to do is share a screenshot of the door you're voting for each day on social media and use the hashtags #ScaryDoors and #BrawlStars! The more days you share your vote, the higher the chances of getting picked!

FAQ:

When am I getting the rewards of the day?
At 8:00 AM UTC every day of the event if the key was unlocked, even if the bar has been completed earlier.

Can we get the same rewards multiple times?
No, once a door is opened, it is removed from the voting pool.

I have completed all my Quests. How can I help more?
Tell your friends to do the same!

I don't have Kenji. How can I claim the Manga Kenji Hypercharge Skin?
If you don't own Kenji, the Manga Kenji Hypercharge Skin will be added to the Skin Bank!