Internal Decay and Frustrating Progression
It’s not hard to see that Brawl Stars is currently going through a major internal decline. And no — players aren’t exactly leaving the game en masse, but it’s becoming more frustrating to play, especially when it comes to progression. Have you noticed that you’re getting fewer resources, that matchmaking feels unfair, or that the game increasingly relies on randomness and luck? This is what we call internal decay — and Brawl Stars is suffering from one of the worst periods of it in its entire history.
The Controversial Wasabi Event
While this decline arguably started over a year ago, it wasn’t until the most recent “Wasabi Event” that the backlash exploded. The event was plagued with controversy, especially regarding the imbalance of the Wasabi powers. It’s understandable that different Wasabi powers vary in strength and rarity — that’s expected. But the most overpowered abilities were somehow in the most basic tier, not the highest. And after three weeks of complaints, Supercell only nerfed them during the final week of the event — far too late.
What made things worse was that during those weeks, the in-game shop pushed skins for Brawlers with the strongest Wasabi powers, clearly encouraging players to spend. Every shop offer is strategically placed to maximize spending — this was no accident.
Pay-to-Win Frustrations and Broken Promises
This event also frustrated players due to its “play-to-win” format. Many were unable to unlock the hyped Kenji Hypercharged skin, even though all rewards were initially promised to be free. Supercell later changed that, which understandably angered the community. I was lucky enough to get all the skins — including Hypercharged Kenji — but don’t worry, they’ll likely return to the shop at some point like all other skins do.
The Resource Economy Is Broken
We’ve been dealing with an imbalance in resources for years now. You might have 20,000 Power Points but only 2,000 coins — because coins are now needed for everything: gadgets, star powers, gears, hypercharges, power upgrades, even skins. And yet, Supercell rarely gives us enough gold. Just look at the pitiful amounts given in free daily offers — it’s not even enough for a single gadget.
No one is asking for 2,000 gold for free, but a slight increase in rewards wouldn’t hurt. Power Points are nearly useless after a point, while gold remains essential.
The Rise and Fall of Masteries
Supercell tried to fix this by introducing Masteries — and honestly, that was one of the best features added to the game. You could earn rewards faster, including valuable resources and exclusive titles for your favorite Brawlers.
But recently, Supercell announced they’ll be removing Masteries. Why? According to them, not enough people care about titles. But I have another theory: Masteries gave too many free resources — especially credits. For example, I unlocked Case with 5,500 credits entirely thanks to Masteries. So did many others. Supercell likely noticed that early access and paid Brawlers were selling less, which hurt their revenue. Removing Masteries means fewer free credits and more incentive to spend money.
Yes, Supercell claimed they’d improve Trophy Road rewards, but I doubt it’ll be balanced. In the end, I believe we’ll lose more than we gain. At least there’s a new community event to help boost your Masteries and resources one last time.
Stagnant Content and Community Burnout
On top of all this, Brawl Stars content has become incredibly repetitive. There’s little originality in the community now. Very few content creators bring something truly new to the table. And while I’d love to include myself among the unique ones, many of us cover the same topics out of necessity — there’s not much else to talk about.
Because of this, some well-known content creators have quit. Why? Because the game doesn’t inspire fresh content anymore. Many remaining creators are also voicing their complaints, but so far Supercell hasn’t responded.
Absurd Pricing Models
Another huge issue is pricing. The cost of the new Brawler Case shocked everyone. Even those who bought him complained — €60 for a single Brawler is absurd. And he doesn’t even come maxed out! All you get are 100,000 cringe-worthy emojis that you’ll never use.
Just think about it — €60 for a mobile Brawler vs. a full AAA game like Spider-Man 2 that costs less. It’s insane. The in-game shop constantly bombards players with offers, discounts, and “last chance” sales. Supercell, with all due respect, I couldn’t care less about Case’s Hypercharge or your 250 gold bundles.
A Crucial Moment for Brawl Stars
Without a doubt, Brawl Stars is in one of its most serious periods of decline. If Supercell doesn’t act soon, they’re going to lose even more players — and perhaps even some of their most important creators.