After a balance patch: how fast rankings change and how to read them
Brawl Stars often adjusts brawler stats in updates and maintenance (buffs and nerfs). After a patch, everyone wants to know who's strong now, yet the rankings on patch day often look barely changed. Here's why, and how to read the data after a patch.
Why rankings don't change immediately
PickStudy combines the last 7 days of battles (fewer while history is building up). A single day has too few games and makes rankings swing wildly.
So the day after a patch, the rankings mix:
- six days of pre-patch battles, and
- one day of post-patch battles.
It takes several days for a patch to really show. Each morning the oldest day drops out and a new one comes in; after about a week, only post-patch data remains.
Reading the first few days
1. Buffed brawlers: pick rate rises first
When a buff is announced, lots of players try the brawler, so pick rate often rises before win rate. A sudden jump in pick rate is a good sign of patch impact.
2. Nerfed brawlers: watch game count, not just win rate
Fewer people play a nerfed brawler, so game count drops fast. The remaining games come from dedicated players, so win rate may not fall as much as you'd expect. Check whether game count dropped.
3. Wait two or three days
For irreversible choices like Power 11 upgrades, wait two or three days after a big patch for rankings to settle.
Where to read patch notes
Stat changes are published in the release notes on Supercell's official blog. Major patches will also be summarized in our guides, like the November 2026 Ranked rework.
Has the data caught up?
The "How we rank" box at the bottom of each page shows the period (last N days) and update time. Compare with the patch date:
- Period starts after the patch → rankings use only post-patch battles.
- Period starts before the patch → pre-patch battles are still mixed in.
Summary
Patch-day rankings still contain a lot of the pre-patch world. Watch pick rate and game count for the first few days, and recheck win-rate rankings after about a week. Irreversible decisions can wait a little.