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Released in 2018, Supercell’s Brawl Stars is one of the top top-down shooters on mobile. In this hero shooter, you fight across rotating game modes through the title’s unique maps until your brawler is the last man standing. Ready to get to know Brawl Stars esports and find out how you can start betting on Supercell’s refreshing take on MOBAs.
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Brawl Stars has over 324 million lifetime downloads across the world. Back in 2020, it already exceeded a billion dollars in revenue. In 2021, it was Supercell’s most popular gaming app, topping titles such as Clash Royale and Clash of Clans. And although Supercell has not disclosed their daily average users (DAU), you can bet that it’s in the upwards of tens of millions since Pocket Gamer reported that between 15-20 million players take part in the game’s monthly challenge.
With its thriving player base and an esports scene that is continuously being supported by its own developer, there’s a lot to expect from the future of Brawl Stars esports. The Brawl Stars World Finals 2021 had a million dollars up for the taking with $400,000 going to Japan’s ZETA Division.
As such, we look forward to seeing what betting lines will open in the coming tournament seasons.
Before a tournament starts, you can place wagers on future outcomes that predict who will come out on top of the brawling. These can include the team to win the tournament outright, the teams to reach the finals, or the region of the championship team.
In the future, we could see even more complex bets, such as most picked brawlers, tournament MVP, and most kills. Although odds for futures are insanely high, it is equivalently hard to guess them right as more upsets than expected can happen in tournaments.
If you are just starting out, the simple yet dependable moneyline bets are your best friend. Here, you pick the team you think will win the match, and place your bet. Odds are straightforward with the underdogs having better odds than the favourites, which is why it is worth remembering to keep your wits about you as upsets happen more often than we would like to accept.
In contrast, total betting requires you to at least have a basic understanding of the game. Simply put, it follows the principles of over/under betting in traditional sports, where you predict whether a match will go over or under a set criterion.
In Brawl Stars, this is typically comes in the form of total maps played. Since matches are played out in series (Best-of-3 or 5), you predict whether a game goes over or under set intervals, depending on the series’ length. For instance, betting under 2.5 maps for a best-of-three series means a 2-0 sweep.
Meanwhile, handicap betting is given its name because of how teams are given a ‘handicap’ before heading onto a match. For now, Brawl Stars only has lines for map handicaps, where you can place bets on teams based on how you expect them to perform in a match. Understandably, favourites are given a disadvantage or a negative handicap, while underdogs are given an advantage in the form of a positive handicap.
So how does that translate in practice? As an example, you expect ZETA DIVISION ONE to completely obliterate STMN Esports in the upcoming Brawl Stars World Finals 2022. So, you place a -1.5-map handicap on ZETA expecting them to win 2-0. Meanwhile, let's say you expect Natus Vincere to put up a fight against the East Asian giant – so, you place a +1.5-map handicap which gets paid out if NAVI manages to pull out at least one win against ZETA.
Outside of which team wins or loses, you can still bet on specials, otherwise known as prop bets. Right now, Brawl Stars only has lines for predicting the correct map score and predicting whether the number of maps played will be odd or even.
MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2 have complex betting lines such as including objectives taken, first blood, and so on, and given time, Brawl Stars can add more lines to its prop bets as its esports further grows.
We have talked about the numbers, but what exactly is the game behind one of Supercell’s top-earning titles? To put it plainly, Brawl Stars is a third-person, top-down shooter which combines the elements of multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and battle royales – much like Overwatch. But in this hero shooter, you collect Brawl Stars characters called ‘Brawlers’ to send out to battle, where you fight in fast-paced 3v3 battles across varying game modes.
The esports game was released worldwide on iOS and Android in December of 2018, and has gotten much success since then. Brawl Stars was nominated for Mobile Game of the Year at the 15th British Academy Games Awards in 2019. That same year, Supercell launched its esports circuit with regional open tournaments across countries worldwide leading to the Brawl Stars World Championship in November of 2019. Of which still continues till today.
Last year, the game’s global downloads saw an increase in over 41% in the first six days of its partnership with MrBeast in one of his most popular videos. In it, the YouTuber held Squid Games in ‘real life’, with $456,000 for the taking. And although it cost Supercell $3.5 million to produce the video, they can say that it was worth every penny seeing the game’s continued rise in popularity in the past year.
Before we let you start betting, you must understand how a game of Brawl Stars plays out, as a basic understanding of the game will allow you to have a more nuanced take on its gameplay. This will help you make better decisions when it comes to betting on the right team.
To start, every Brawler has an equivalent rarity that dictates how hard it is to obtain them. These are: Common, Rare, Super Rare, Epic, Mythic, Legendary, and Chromatic Brawlers. Each one of these Brawlers has their own Super Ability, up to two selectable Gadgets, a Gear, and two Star Powers, which can all be accessed as they level up. Brawlers have a max level of 11 and level up by using Power Points that can be purchased in the in-game shop.
Each Brawler has a role that they fulfill in-game due to the nature of their abilities. For example, Jessie is a Fighter considered as a damage dealer with her shock rifle that shoots energy orbs which bounce between enemies. Below are the commonly described roles in Brawl Stars:
Aside from these roles, we must remember that there are different Brawlers that are best suited for each map and game mode. Currently, there are eight main event types, with each event having its own differing main objective. The events are as following: Showdown, Duo Showdown, Gem Grab, Brawl Ball, Heist, Bounty, Hot Zone, and Knockout.
As of now, there are 60 playable Brawlers live on Brawl Stars. The reason that there are so many to choose to from is so that players can choose which Brawlers are best fit for the map and game mode to be played on. There are so many strategies that players and teams can use to win a game, and knowing which ones are the best will give teams an advantage in competitive play.
This drastically changes the Brawlers you choose and the way you want to play in each event. Say your team is competing in Gem Grab and must obtain 10 gems and hold them without dying for 15 seconds. A supportive Brawler like Pam can easily win Gem Grab because of how long she can keep her teammates alive with her healing abilities.
Although the optimal brawlers to play changes per event, we have put together a short list of Brawlers that are generally good no matter the map or event. But if you want to be up to date on the best Brawlers to play each event, you can head on to platforms like Brawlify or Dexerto, which have dedicated patch by patch rundowns.
Here’s our list:
Supercell hosts an official esports series for Brawl Stars named the Brawl Stars Championship. To compete, players qualify through the in-game championship challenges starting February and gather points to qualify for the World Finals at the end of the year.
To reach the World Finals, teams must first work their way from the ground up. Every month constitutes a new season, where teams can earn points to qualify for the finals. This runs from February all the way to October, with an invitational in the mid-season and a World Finals at the end. Only the follow modes are played during the series: Bounty, Brawl Ball, Gem Grab, Heist, Hot Zone, and Knockout.
Outside of the Brawl Stars Championship series, there have also been organisers hosting A-tier and B-tier tournaments such as the Queso Cup, the ESL Mobile Open, and even an all-football clubs esports league called the Master League. This just goes to show how Brawl Stars’ esports scene still has a lot of grassroots support, which should trickle over to talent on its biggest stages.
Of these tournaments in the past year, the Master League 2021 had the highest prize pool with $100,000 up for grabs, which is close in comparison to the recent Brawl Stars Mid-Season Invitational 2022. Meanwhile, we have the upcoming Snapdragon Pro Series Season 2: EU-MENA Challenge, offering a $50,000 in prizing for European teams to fight over from October to December.
Being a few seasons down the line, Brawl Stars’ esports scene has had a number of teams take the title of being the best team in the world. From Europe’s Nova Esports in 2019 to the shift in power to Asia Pacific from 2020 onwards, only the best of the best have come out of the Brawl Stars Championship series because of its intensely competitive format.
Below are but a few of the top teams heading into the Brawl Stars World Finals in 2022.
ZETA comes as one of the favorites for the upcoming Brawl Stars World Finals given their consistent showings in the past year. They almost swept NAVI in the World Finals 2021 with a 4-1 record to end their season. Coming into 2022, they have not let up, already winning the mid-season invitational against SK Gaming in a close 3-2 series.
⚡️OUR VOYAGE HAS NEVER END – Brawl Stars Div. – “ZETA DIVISION ZERO” “ZETA DIVISION ONE” Read: https://t.co/L2ySSscQri pic.twitter.com/hnh9JStYrF — ZETA DIVISION (@zetadivision) February 3, 2022
⚡️OUR VOYAGE HAS NEVER END – Brawl Stars Div. –
“ZETA DIVISION ZERO” “ZETA DIVISION ONE”
Read: https://t.co/L2ySSscQri pic.twitter.com/hnh9JStYrF
— ZETA DIVISION (@zetadivision) February 3, 2022
Of their roster, sitetampo remains the veteran leader, showing up to see the team through the finish line. And if one squad of ZETA DIVISION was not enough, try two! ZETA Division even has a sister team called ZETA DIVISION ZERO, who also qualified for the World Finals. Talk about consistency!
Despite coming into the World Finals as EMEA’s 3rd seed, bettors should not underestimate the name of SK Gaming. The European team has closely been trailing the coattails of ZETA in the past season. After a decimating early elimination in the World Finals last year, SK’s Symantec resolved to change their fate in the 2022 season and rebuilt their roster.
Follow our @BrawlStars team: 🏀 @YdeGaming ⛑️ @SkYRiiKZz 👽 @TwistiTwik_BS 🪕 @Achille_BS_ and coach 👴 @B4YU77 👉 Full announcement: https://t.co/WOAvfow16V#SKWIN #BRAWLSKG — SK Gaming (@SKGaming) March 4, 2020
Follow our @BrawlStars team:
🏀 @YdeGaming ⛑️ @SkYRiiKZz 👽 @TwistiTwik_BS 🪕 @Achille_BS_ and coach 👴 @B4YU77
👉 Full announcement: https://t.co/WOAvfow16V#SKWIN #BRAWLSKG
— SK Gaming (@SKGaming) March 4, 2020
Now, as they were in the Mid Season Invitational, they are the underdogs hoping to make a name for themselves in the World Finals. Time will tell if they can redeem themselves after their close loss against Zeta in the Grand Finals.
Lastly, we have another regular in the World Finals, having made it to every single world championship since 2019. Not only that, but North America’s Tribe Gaming almost always places around 3rd-4th every single year, which is impressive to say the least.
A new team is rising.#RiseRED pic.twitter.com/W5gYpNJOUr — Tribe Gaming 🚩 (@TribeGaming) October 10, 2022
A new team is rising.#RiseRED pic.twitter.com/W5gYpNJOUr
— Tribe Gaming 🚩 (@TribeGaming) October 10, 2022
Every year, this roster of Cori, Zoulan, and TyrantStar get taken down by either SK Gaming or LAS’ INTZ in the quarter or semifinals. But this time, with the addition of Ezlivi to the starting roster, Tribe Gaming hopes to go further than they ever have in the team’s history.
Since the beginning of Brawl Stars esports, a few key teams and players have been at the center of the competition. All these players have earned the highest across the years from their time in teams like ZETA Division, NAVI, and SK Gaming. With the esports getting bigger every year, it’s only a matter of time that these players’ earnings go even higher.
Supercell’s Brawl Stars continues to be one of the top mobile esports games in 2022. Despite only being released in 2018, it has come far with hundreds of millions of active users and millions in prize money being given out every competitive season. With its seven competing regions worldwide and a passionate community backing it, Brawl Stars will only keep growing as Supercell continues to support the game from behind the scenes. And with it, a thriving betting scene will follow, which you can jump into and perhaps win a dime or two.
Heading into the Brawl Stars World Finals 2022, ZETA DIVISION ONE is the undisputed best team in the world as they won the mid-season invitational just months back.
Free-to-play players can get free gems by leveling the Brawl Pass. Players can get brawl boxes, coins, power points, pin packs, and up to 90 gems if they fully upgrade the brawl pass.
Sam, the Chromatic damage dealer, and Gus, the Super Rare support, were released live on Brawl Stars last September 5, 2022.
There is no universally best Brawler in Brawl Stars, as the best one changes per meta across events and game modes. However, there are general S-tier Brawlers like Buzz and Leon.
While Supercell does not release their daily active users, estimates go from as low as 15-20 million to around a hundred million daily active users.
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