You queue up, fingers twitching, adrenaline kicking in. You’re ready to tear through Showdown or run a slick heist. And then bam! You’re thrown into a match where it feels like your teammates are sleepwalking while the enemy squad plays like a tournament roster. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Understanding how Brawl Stars matchmaking works is more important than you might think.
It’s not just about raw skill or trophy count. It’s counting on hidden variables, shifting priorities, and developer decisions that aim to balance challenges, fairness, and fun, often all at once. Let’s break it down.
The Basics: Trophies, Power Levels, and Why They Only Tell Half the Story
At first glance, matchmaking in Brawl Stars seems straightforward: the system looks at your brawler’s trophy count and finds players in a similar range. If you’re at 600 trophies with Colt, you’ll likely be queued with others around the same range.
But here’s the twist: trophy matchmaking is per brawler, not your total profile. That means even if you’re a seasoned veteran sitting at 20,000+ trophies overall, playing a fresh brawler at 0 trophies will still place you against players who might be brand-new or just smurfing.
Power Level Factors In
Your brawler’s power level (upgraded via coins and power points) matters, but not as much as you think. The system considers it slightly in certain game modes, especially in Power League and Club League, but in standard 3v3 or Showdown, a Level 11 doesn’t always match with another Level 11.
The result? You might go toe-to-toe with a gadget-spamming Edgar while still stuck at Power 6 without a Star Power. Fair? Not always. Intentional? Yes.
Is Skill-Based Matchmaking a Myth or Reality?
One of the most common debates in the Brawl Stars community: Is there skill-based matchmaking (SBMM)?
According to Supercell’s official communications, the game uses a basic skill filter at lower trophy ranges to help new players ease into the game. But once you cross that 500–600 trophy threshold, the algorithm loosens considerably.
Why? Because tight SBMM can suck the joy out of casual play. If every game feels like a finals match at a LAN tournament, where’s the room for chaotic fun?
So yes, there’s a light layer of SBMM, but it’s mostly early on. After that, it’s more Wild West than a curated chessboard.
Time Spent Waiting vs. Match Quality
Here’s where things get spicy.
Brawl Stars matchmaking has one key priority: quickly getting you into a match. The system lowers its standards if it can’t find a perfectly balanced team in a reasonable time (usually under 30 seconds).
The longer you wait, the looser the matchmaking becomes.
That’s why late-night queues or high-trophy games can get funky. You might end up playing against people leagues above or below your level, not because the system’s broken but because it’s designed to prioritize playtime over perfection.
This also applies to team modes like Duo Showdown, where your randomly assigned teammate may feel more like a liability than a partner. It’s not sabotage. It’s just matchmaking under pressure.
The “Hidden MMR” Theory and Why It Feels Real
Many seasoned players believe there’s a secret sauce: a hidden matchmaking rating (MMR) that tracks your real performance beyond just trophies.
You win too many games in a row? Suddenly the matches get harder. You lose a few? The system throws you a softball. It’s a dynamic rubber band intended to keep you playing, not quitting.
While Supercell hasn’t confirmed a hidden MMR outright, plenty of data-backed speculation from sites like Star List and analysis from top YouTubers supports the theory. And let’s be honest, it feels real, even if we don’t have the code.
Power League & Ranked Matchmaking
Power League is where matchmaking gets sharper. Unlike standard modes, Power League uses a more traditional ELO-style system. It matches you based on rank tiers, Bronze to Masters, and includes bans, drafts, and best-of-three formats.
This is where skill matters more than power level. It’s meant to be competitive. If you’re grinding here, expect the stakes (and the tilt) to be higher.
So, What’s the Strategy? How Do You Work the System?
Let’s be real: you can’t control matchmaking. But you can understand its patterns and use that knowledge to your advantage.
● Play with a squad when possible. Random teammates are a gamble; synced squads win more often.
● Push brawlers in the morning or during off-peak hours. Competition tends to be more chill.
● Mix up your game modes to avoid matching with the same sweaty players over and over.
● Don’t get too attached to win streaks. They’re often followed by tougher matches by design.
● You can always find a Brawl Stars account for sale with a high trophy count and many max-powered brawlers from a trusted marketplace. This way, you easily escape the ELO hell.
Conclusion
It’s not rigged, it’s designed to keep you hooked. Brawl Stars matchmaking isn’t out to get you. It’s designed to walk the tightrope between fairness and friction, keeping games spicy, unpredictable, and above all… Fun.
Is it perfect? No. But once you learn the rules behind the chaos, you can start to play smarter, not just harder.
