Introduction
The August 2026 Brawl Talk revealed another major update for Brawl Stars, with big changes coming to progression, two new Mythic Brawlers, a surprising Duolingo collaboration, new seasonal skins, game modes, and several quality-of-life improvements.
One of the biggest announcements is Brawler Blast, a completely new progression system that will replace Starr Road. Supercell also introduced Cosmo and Vince, two new Brawlers arriving in September and October respectively.
The update will also bring a special Duolingo event featuring Duo the Owl, the return of Brawl-o-ween, new Supercell Make skins, Hide & Seek, a Friendly Fire modifier, and a redesigned Brawler selection screen.
Brawler Blast: The New Brawler Progression System
One of the biggest changes announced in the August Brawl Talk is the removal of Starr Road.
It will be replaced by a new progression system called Brawler Blast, designed to change how players unlock Brawlers and use Credits.
When players collect enough Credits for a specific rarity, they will enter the Brawler Blast screen. Here, several Brawlers will appear as cutouts, and players can eliminate possible choices until they determine which Brawler they will unlock.
Eliminating Brawlers also rewards a new progression resource called Gem Fragments.
Gem Fragments can be used to improve different parts of a Brawler’s progression, including:
- Power Levels
- Gadgets
- Star Powers
- Gears
- Hypercharges
The system appears to give players more interaction with Brawler progression instead of simply following a predefined unlock path.
Free 1,500 Credits
Because Starr Road is being replaced, some existing progression will be affected when Brawler Blast arrives.
To compensate players during the transition, Supercell announced that everyone will be able to claim 1,500 free Credits from the in-game shop.
The new Brawler Blast system is scheduled to launch on September 1, 2026.
New Mythic Brawler: Cosmo
The first new Brawler revealed during the Brawl Talk is Cosmo, a Mythic Brawler scheduled to release in September.
Cosmo is described as an extremely intelligent robo scientist and is the host of the Starr Park Observatory.
His gameplay revolves around unusual projectile movement and manipulating attacks from both himself and his teammates.
Cosmo’s Main Attack
Cosmo fires projectiles that travel in an expanding circular orbit.
The farther the projectile expands during its trajectory, the more damage it can deal.
This gives Cosmo an unusual attack pattern where positioning and distance can significantly affect his damage output.
Cosmo’s Super
Cosmo’s Super launches a magnet that attaches to an enemy Brawler.
Once attached, the magnet attracts incoming projectiles fired by Cosmo and his teammates toward the affected enemy.
This means Cosmo can potentially make it considerably easier for his team to land attacks on an important target.
Cosmo is expected to arrive during September 2026.
New Mythic Brawler: Vince
The second new Brawler is Vince, another Mythic Brawler who will arrive in October.
Vince works as a spooky barista at the Cryptic Cafe, fitting perfectly with the Brawl-o-ween theme coming later in the update.
His gameplay centers around caterpillars and moths.
Caterpillar Mechanic
Vince can spawn caterpillars around the battlefield.
When a caterpillar is hit or stepped on, it transforms into a moth.
Vince can accumulate these moths and later use them with his Super.
Vince’s Main Attack
Vince throws a coffee mug at enemies.
The attack deals its normal base damage, but enemies affected by Vince’s Super can receive additional damage.
Vince’s Super
Vince releases the moths he has collected to attack enemies.
The strength of the Super increases depending on how many moths he has accumulated, with Vince able to store up to 20 moths.
This creates a gameplay loop where preparing the battlefield and collecting moths can make his Super considerably more dangerous.
Vince is scheduled to release in October 2026.
Brawl Stars × Duolingo Collaboration
One of the most unexpected announcements from the Brawl Talk is an official collaboration between Brawl Stars and Duolingo.
Duo the Owl will appear directly inside Brawl Stars as part of a special event.
Duo Boss Fight
The main Duolingo game mode is a massive Boss Fight featuring up to 20 players.
Players will fight Duo the Owl inside a classroom-themed environment.
However, this Boss Fight includes an unusual educational mechanic.
During the battle, Duo will present questions and players will need to move toward the correct answer by entering different areas of the map.
Choosing the correct answer can provide useful buffs.
Choosing an incorrect answer will instead cause the player to take damage.
This combines traditional Brawl Stars combat with trivia-style mechanics.
Duolingo Community Event
A larger community event connected to the collaboration will begin on September 19, 2026.
Players will be able to work toward different event rewards and exclusive cosmetics.
Supercell also revealed that players will have an opportunity to obtain Spike for free through the event.
September Season: Royal Academy vs. Monster Academy
The September season will feature a school-themed battle between Royal Academy and Monster Academy.
Several new skins were revealed for the season.
September Skins
- Principal Nanny
- Drum Major Najma
- Academy Ollie
- Academy Mandy
- Head Coach Hank
- Trash Goblin Darryl
The skins combine traditional school themes with the exaggerated fantasy style commonly seen in Brawl Stars seasonal cosmetics.
October Season: Brawl-o-ween
October will bring back Brawl-o-ween, introducing another collection of Halloween-inspired skins.
Brawl-o-ween Skins
- Fortune Teller P
- Earth Shade
- Dr. Bellenstein
- Piper’s Monster
- Flame Rider Chuck
- Terranaut Damian
The season will also coincide with Vince’s release, whose Cryptic Cafe theme fits naturally with the Halloween update.
New Supercell Make Skins
Supercell also revealed several community-created skins selected through Supercell Make.
The winning skins coming to the game include:
- Retro Kit
- Jörmungandr Doug
- Bone Collector Ollie
- Twilight Queen Lily
- Gravestone Grief
These skins cover several different themes, from retro designs to fantasy and darker supernatural concepts.
New Hide & Seek Mode
A new Hide & Seek mode is also coming to Brawl Stars.
The mode features a special Prop Hunt modifier, allowing players to disguise themselves as objects from the environment.
When a player remains stationary, their Brawler can transform into an environmental prop.
This introduces a completely different style of gameplay focused more heavily on hiding, observation, and deception rather than direct combat.
Friendly Fire Modifier
Supercell is also experimenting with a new Friendly Fire modifier.
When active, attacks can damage teammates.
Friendly Fire could dramatically change how players approach positioning and attacks, especially in modes where several Brawlers are fighting inside small areas.
Because it was presented as an experimental modifier, it may primarily appear in specific events or limited game modes rather than becoming part of normal matchmaking.
Spawn Shield Changes
The respawn protection system is also being adjusted.
Currently, players receive temporary invincibility after respawning.
With the new system, the shield will disappear early whenever the player performs an action.
This should prevent players from aggressively attacking enemies while still protected by their respawn shield.
Redesigned Brawler Selection Screen
The Brawler selection interface is receiving a visual and functional update.
One of the most useful additions is a proper search bar, making it easier to find individual Brawlers.
This should become increasingly useful as the Brawl Stars roster continues to grow.
The redesigned interface also aims to make navigating the Brawler collection faster and more organized.
Conclusion
The August 2026 Brawl Talk introduces several major changes that will affect both progression and gameplay in Brawl Stars.
The biggest change is undoubtedly Brawler Blast, which replaces Starr Road and introduces a completely new way of unlocking Brawlers and earning Gem Fragments.
Cosmo and Vince also bring two unusual gameplay mechanics to the roster. Cosmo focuses on manipulating projectile trajectories with his magnet, while Vince builds up moths around the battlefield before releasing them with his Super.
Meanwhile, the Duolingo collaboration is one of the most unusual crossovers Brawl Stars has received so far, combining a 20-player Boss Fight with question-based mechanics and a community event where players can potentially unlock Spike for free.
With new September and Brawl-o-ween seasons, Supercell Make skins, Hide & Seek, Friendly Fire, interface improvements, and progression changes all arriving over the next few months, the August 2026 update looks set to significantly change Brawl Stars heading into the final part of the year.
