A Surprisingly Quiet Year for Brawl Stars Esports
The Brawl Stars World Finals 2025 have wrapped up in Stockholm, but this year’s event looked very different from the explosive numbers the game enjoyed in 2024. According to Esports Charts, the tournament reached a peak of just over 211,000 viewers, a dramatic fall from last year’s record-breaking 1.1 million peak.
Image Credit: Esports Charts
For a title that once sat at the centre of Supercell’s esports push, the sudden drop has raised eyebrows across the community, with many fans and analysts calling it the lowest point the competitive scene has seen in years.
From Stadium Crowds to a Standalone Event
Last year’s World Finals were hosted in Helsinki alongside the Clash of Clans and Clash Royale World Finals, creating a massive shared audience. In contrast, the 2025 event took place as a standalone tournament at DreamHack Stockholm, and that change appears to have had a big impact on reach and visibility.
Despite running nearly twice as long as the 2024 broadcast, the average viewership sat at just 119,035 compared to last year’s 639,209. Even with more airtime, fewer people tuned in, which signals a deeper issue than scheduling alone.
Image Credit: Esports Chart
Crazy Raccoon Claim the Trophy
Inside the arena, at least, the action delivered. Japanese powerhouse Crazy Raccoon secured the championship after a dominant win over Italian squad HMBLE. The victory also served as payback for their 2024 defeat, and the team walked away with 40 percent of the 1 million dollar prize pool.
Both CR and HMBLE started their run in the same group, with CR winning the first showdown. Other favourites like SK Gaming and Totem Esports also made it through, setting the stage for what could have been a blockbuster playoff run.
But the knockout bracket didn’t quite live up to expectations. Six of the eight playoff series ended in clean 3-0 sweeps, leaving only two tightly contested 3-2 series. Unsurprisingly, those close matches ranked among the most-watched games of the entire tournament.
YouTube Surges Ahead While Twitch Falls Behind
One of the most surprising trends this year was a complete switch in preferred viewing platforms. YouTube dominated with 147,974 peak viewers, beating Twitch by more than 90,000 users. This is a major reversal from 2024, where Twitch sat comfortably on top with over 900,000 peak viewers.
English and Spanish broadcasts brought in around 50,000 viewers each, while Portuguese reached 39,959 and Japanese streams pulled 35,506, showing a wide spread of interest across regions despite the overall decline.
Why Did Viewership Fall So Hard?
Across community discussions, fans have been vocal about what they believe caused the downturn. Many longtime players argue that Brawl Stars’ focus on frequent collaborations, monetised events, and short-term content has slowly chipped away at the game’s identity. Others blame the lack of bug fixes and quality-of-life updates, claiming the competitive scene has been neglected for years.
There were also complaints about production issues. Streams lagged, matches were interrupted, and at one point officials resorted to showing a player’s iPad feed. These problems piled onto already cooled-off enthusiasm.
Some fans also brought up earlier esports controversies, including the disqualification of pro player Zhar during the March Monthly Finals, which many saw as mishandled and harmful to the scene.
A Wider Issue With Esports Engagement
The decline isn’t unique to Brawl Stars. Industry analysts have pointed out that esports viewership across several titles has plateaued, with oversaturation, changing audience behaviour, and competing entertainment platforms contributing to falling numbers.
Still, the drop in Brawl Stars is among the sharpest this year, especially compared to the hype the title carried in 2024.
Can the Competitive Scene Recover?
Supercell and tournament organisers will need to recalibrate if they want to recover the interest and energy the game once commanded. Fresh formats, better broadcast stability, direct community engagement, and a renewed focus on gameplay polish are all areas fans are calling for.
The Brawl Stars World Finals 2025 delivered strong gameplay from the top teams, but the audience simply wasn’t there. Whether the scene can bounce back in 2026 will depend on how Supercell adapts to a shifting esports landscape and addresses growing player concerns.