Brawl Stars quietly added the biggest new power system since Hypercharges, and a lot of players still aren't sure what it does. Buffies are permanent upgrades that make your existing Gadgets, Star Powers, and Hypercharges stronger — and Supercell is using them to delete the old Epic and Mythic Gears entirely. If you've unlocked a Brawler in the Royal Academy (Season 54) / Update 69 era and seen a keychain-covered "Claw Machine" pop up, that's the Buffie system. This guide breaks down exactly what Buffies are, how you get them, what they cost, which Brawlers have them so far, and whether they're worth chasing.
Quick answer (TLDR): Buffies are permanent per-Brawler upgrades that buff a Brawler's Gadgets, Star Powers, and Hypercharge. Each Brawler that has them gets three Buffies — one Gadget Buffie, one Star Power (Super) Buffie, and one Hyper Buffie — and you can equip all three at once. You unlock the feature at 1,000 Trophies, your first Buffie is free, and after that you pull random ones from the Claw Machine for 1,000 Coins + 2,000 Power Points each (or buy a specific one with Gems). Supercell is rolling Buffies out by trios of Brawlers, and as each Brawler gets them, that Brawler's Epic and Mythic Gears are removed and refunded. The eventual goal is for every Brawler to have Buffies.
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What are Buffies in Brawl Stars?
Buffies are a new permanent progression layer introduced in the December 2025 Brawl Talk and expanded through Update 69 "Brawler Blast" / Season 54 "Royal Academy." They are not a brand-new ability you fire in a match — instead, each Buffie enhances a piece of kit the Brawler already owns. In Supercell's own words:
"Buffies are buffs (get it?) to your Starr Powers, Gadgets, and Hypercharge!" — Brawl Stars official news post
Lore-wise they're framed as collectible keychains that were sold in gift shops all over Starr Park, which is why the Buffie interface looks like a toy claw machine. Mechanically, there are exactly three Buffie types per Brawler:
- Gadget Buffie — upgrades one of that Brawler's Gadgets.
- Star Power (Super) Buffie — upgrades the Star Power / Super.
- Hyper Buffie — upgrades the Hypercharge (very often adding roughly +2 seconds of Hypercharge duration, on top of a kit-specific effect).
The key detail most players miss: all three can be equipped simultaneously. A fully-Buffied Brawler is meaningfully stronger than the same Brawler pre-Buffies, which is exactly why they matter for the meta.
How do you unlock Buffies?
There are three ways to get Buffies, and the first one is free. Here's the full picture:
- Reach 1,000 Trophies to unlock the feature. Buffies are gated by total Trophies (1,000), not by Power Level — so don't confuse this with the Power 11 Hypercharge unlock. They're a separate track.
- Your first Buffie is free. Once the feature is unlocked, Supercell hands you one to try the system.
- Pull random Buffies from the Claw Machine for 1,000 Coins + 2,000 Power Points each. This is the main grind route and gives you a random Buffie for a random owned Brawler.
- Buy a specific Buffie with Gems if you want to target one: roughly 149 Gems (Gadget), ~179 Gems (Star Power), 199 Gems (Hyper) — treat these Gem prices as approximate and check the in-game shop, since they've shifted between patches.
- Earn them through Brawler Blast. When you unlock a Brawler through the new Brawler Blast mini-game, collecting 4 Gem Fragments in that opening can convert into a Buffie — capped at 1 Buffie per opening.
Because the Claw Machine is random, the cleanest way to get a Buffie for a specific Brawler you main is the Gem purchase; the Coins + Power Points route is better if you just want to accumulate Buffies broadly across your roster.
What happened to Epic and Mythic Gears?
This is the part that makes Buffies more than a bonus system — they are replacing gear tiers. As each Brawler receives Buffies, that Brawler's Epic and Mythic Gears are removed from the game and refunded. Straight from the official post:
"Epic and Mythic Gears are being removed and refunded (for the Brawlers that are receiving Buffies)." — Brawl Stars official news post
What this means in practice:
- On a Brawler that already has Buffies, your gear choices are now just the two universal Super Rare Gears (Speed, Health, Damage, Vision, Shield, Gadget Charge) — the Epic and Mythic slots are gone. (Our Brawl Stars gears guide covers which Super Rare Gears to run on Buffied Brawlers.)
- Some of what those old gears did has been folded into the base kit or into a Buffie, so the power didn't simply vanish.
- Supercell is deliberately sequencing the rollout to prioritize trios that had Epic/Mythic Gears to rework, so the two systems don't overlap for long on any one Brawler.
Supercell has not published a flat refund number, so don't assume an exact Coin figure — you're refunded for what you spent as each Brawler transitions.
Which Brawlers have Buffies so far?
Buffies are being released by trios, tied to Brawler "families" or themes, rather than all at once. The confirmed waves so far:
| Wave | Brawlers | When |
|---|---|---|
| First wave (6) | Colt, Shelly, Spike, Mortis, Frank, Emz | December 2025 |
| Follow-up trios | Bo, Leon, Nita ("Shaman Tribe") · Bibi, Crow, Bull ("Retropolis") | Early–mid 2026 |
| Update 69 wave (6) | Poco, El Primo, Amber · Gus, Chuck, Shade | September 2026 |
That puts the count at roughly a dozen-plus Brawlers with Buffies as of late September 2026, and the number keeps climbing with almost every update. Supercell's stated intent is for every Brawler to eventually get Buffies, so treat any specific total as a moving snapshot — the list you see in-game is the source of truth.
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What do Buffies actually do? (Examples)
Effects are specific to each Brawler and get tuned by balance patches, so treat these as illustrative rather than permanent numbers:
- Colt (Hyper Buffie): fires bullets faster during Hypercharge. (His Gadget Buffie is the separate one that makes the Silver Bullet Gadget hit bigger and harder — a good example of how each of a Brawler's three Buffies touches a different piece of kit.)
- Mortis (Gadget Buffie): deals roughly 30% more damage to enemies below half health, sharpening his execute pressure.
- Spike (Hyper Buffie): his needle-grenade attacks detonate twice during Hypercharge.
- Bo (Buffie): fires a fourth arrow with a wider spread instead of the usual three.
- General rule for Hyper Buffies: most add about +2 seconds of Hypercharge uptime on top of a kit-specific bonus, which quietly raises the value of building Super charge.
The pattern is consistent: Buffies reward Brawlers you already invest in by making their signature moment — the Gadget play, the Super, the Hypercharge window — noticeably stronger. If you're deciding which pieces to Buffie first, our current best Gadgets and best Star Powers rankings show which kit pieces are already carrying the meta — those are the ones worth a Buffie. Because every effect is patch-sensitive, always confirm the current numbers on the Brawler's in-game Buffie screen before committing Gems.
Where do Buffies fit in the full upgrade order?
Buffies sit on top of the normal Power Level ladder, not inside it. For context, here's the standard progression a Brawler goes through:
| Power Level | Unlock |
|---|---|
| Power 7 | Gadget (1,000 Coins) |
| Power 8 | First Gear slot |
| Power 9 | Star Power (2,000 Coins) |
| Power 10 | Second Gear slot |
| Power 11 | Hypercharge (5,000 Coins, if the Brawler has one) |
Because Hyper Buffies key off the Hypercharge, they matter most on Brawlers whose Hypercharge is already strong — cross-reference our Hypercharge tier list before you sink a Buffie into one. Buffies are a parallel track gated by 1,000 Trophies, and each Buffie only does anything once you own the piece it modifies — a Hyper Buffie is dead weight until the Brawler actually has its Hypercharge. So the smart order is: max the Brawler's kit first (Gadget → Star Power → Hypercharge), then layer Buffies onto the pieces you use most.
Are Buffies pay-to-win?
Not really — but they do add another thing to grind. The feature is free to unlock, your first Buffie is free, and the main currency (Coins + Power Points) comes from normal play. The Gem shortcut lets paying players target a specific Buffie faster, which is a convenience-and-speed advantage, not an exclusive-power one — free players reach the same Buffies through the Claw Machine over time. Net effect: for most players Buffies are a power increase you earn, and because they replace the old Epic/Mythic Gears you were already grinding Coins for, they don't add as much new cost as they first appear.
FAQ
What are Buffies in Brawl Stars? Buffies are permanent per-Brawler upgrades introduced in Update 69 that buff a Brawler's Gadgets, Star Powers, and Hypercharge. Each Brawler that has them gets three Buffies — one for the Gadget, one for the Star Power/Super, and one for the Hypercharge — and all three can be equipped at the same time. Lore-wise they're collectible Starr Park keychains, which is why the menu looks like a claw machine.
How do you unlock Buffies in Brawl Stars? You unlock the feature at 1,000 total Trophies, and your first Buffie is free. After that, you pull random Buffies from the Claw Machine for 1,000 Coins + 2,000 Power Points each, buy a specific one with Gems (about 149–199 Gems depending on type), or earn one by collecting 4 Gem Fragments in a Brawler Blast opening (limit 1 per opening).
Are Epic and Mythic Gears being removed? Yes. As each Brawler receives its Buffies, that Brawler's Epic and Mythic Gears are removed from the game and refunded. Only the two universal Super Rare Gears remain as gear choices on a Buffied Brawler. Supercell is rolling this out trio by trio, prioritizing Brawlers that had those gears.
How many Brawlers have Buffies? They're released in trios, starting with Colt, Shelly, Spike, Mortis, Frank, and Emz in December 2025, with more trios added through 2026 (including Poco, El Primo, Amber, Gus, Chuck, and Shade in the September 2026 update). Roughly a dozen-plus Brawlers have Buffies by late September 2026, and the number grows every update — Supercell plans to give every Brawler Buffies eventually. Check the in-game menu for the current live list.
Should I spend Gems on Buffies? Only on Brawlers you actually main and have already maxed. A Buffie only works once you own the Gadget, Star Power, or Hypercharge it modifies, so max the Brawler's kit first, then buy the Buffie for the piece you use most. For everyone else, the free Claw Machine pulls (Coins + Power Points) will get you there over time without spending.
Do Buffies reset each season? No. Buffies are permanent once you have them — they don't reset with the Brawl Pass or a new season. Which Brawlers have Buffies available expands over time as Supercell rolls out new trios, but the Buffies you've equipped stay.
