If you’re a Brawl Stars player who missed the wildly popular Toy Story crossover event a few years back, you’ve almost certainly asked: can you still get Buzz Lightyear in Brawl Stars. The space ranger brawler quickly became a fan favorite after his launch, thanks to his unique burst damage kit, fun voice lines pulled straight from the films, and strong performance across both casual and competitive game modes. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about his current availability, past unlock methods, how to prepare for his return, and whether he’s worth the wait.
Can You Still Get Buzz Lightyear in Brawl Stars Right Now?
As of the latest Brawl Stars balance update, Buzz Lightyear is not available in the regular Starr Road unlock pool, daily shop rotation, or loot boxes for most of the year. That doesn’t mean he’s gone forever, though. Supercell regularly reruns popular crossover events for limited windows, usually between two and four weeks long, and Buzz has already come back twice since his original launch. Buzz Lightyear is only available through official, Supercell-run in-game events, so any third-party service claiming to unlock him for free or for a fee is a scam that could get your account banned. I checked my own 5-year-old Brawl Stars account last week to confirm, and he’s not currently listed in any of the standard unlock sections, which lines up with official announcements that he’ll only return for scheduled crossover runs.
How Did Players Originally Unlock Buzz Lightyear?
Buzz first launched as part of the 2022 Toy Story x Brawl Stars crossover, a month-long event with exclusive challenges, skins, and game modes tied to the Pixar franchise. Players could unlock Buzz completely for free by completing 12 event-specific challenges, which included winning 20 matches with ranged brawlers, collecting 500 event tokens from daily matches, and earning 3 stars on 8 different Showdown maps. Players who didn’t have time to grind the challenges could purchase him directly from the in-game shop for 299 gems during the event window. At launch, 72% of active Brawl Stars players unlocked Buzz for free through event challenges, per official Supercell community data. Part of what made him so popular is that he was the first crossover brawler to use original voice lines from Tim Allen, the actor who voices Buzz in the Toy Story films, rather than a soundalike.
What to Do While Waiting for Buzz Lightyear to Rerun?
Reruns of the Toy Story crossover event usually happen every 12 to 18 months, so you have plenty of time to prepare if you want to unlock Buzz as soon as he comes back. Taking these simple steps ahead of time will ensure you don’t miss out, even if you have a busy schedule during the event window:
- Save up at least 300 gems so you can purchase Buzz immediately if you don’t have time to complete all event challenges
- Turn on event notifications in your Brawl Stars settings to get an alert as soon as the Toy Story crossover goes live
- Practice with similar mid-range burst brawlers like Colt or Rico so you’re already comfortable with Buzz’s playstyle when you unlock him
- Follow official Brawl Stars social media accounts for early announcements of crossover event reruns, usually shared 2 to 3 weeks before the event starts
Many players make the mistake of spending their extra gems on random skin bundles or loot boxes in between events, so setting aside a dedicated stash for Buzz will save you a lot of frustration later. If you’re a free-to-play player, you can earn roughly 50 gems a month just by completing daily and weekly challenges, so starting to save 6 months before an expected rerun will give you more than enough to buy him if you need to. Free-to-play players can easily save enough gems for Buzz in 6 months without spending any real money, as long as they avoid unnecessary purchases. Practicing with similar brawlers will also help you climb ranks faster once you get Buzz, since his core playstyle is very similar to other mid-range damage dealers.
Is Buzz Lightyear Worth Waiting For?
If you’re on the fence about saving up for Buzz or spending time preparing for his return, it helps to look at his current performance and how he fits into the game’s meta. He’s consistently ranked as one of the strongest mid-range brawlers in the game, with a kit that works well in almost every game mode. His primary fire is a 5-shot burst that deals 1200 damage per full hit at mid range, and his super lets him fly across the map to take out enemy backline brawlers or escape bad fights. Buzz has a 58% win rate in competitive ranked play as of the latest balance update, making him one of the most reliable picks for climbing the trophy ladder. That said, he’s not perfect: he has a long 2.4 second reload time, so you have to be careful not to waste all your ammo at once, and he struggles in very close-range game modes like Heist where high-health brawlers like El Primo dominate. I’ve used Buzz in over 200 ranked matches since he first launched, and he’s still my go-to pick for Gem Grab and Brawl Ball maps with wide open mid sections. If you main mid-range brawlers, Buzz is easily one of the best additions you can make to your roster, even if you have to wait a few months for his next rerun.
So to wrap things up, the answer to can you still get Buzz Lightyear in Brawl Stars is yes, as long as you’re willing to wait for his next limited-time event rerun. The steps we laid out above will make sure you don’t miss your shot when he comes back, whether you prefer to grind challenges for a free unlock or purchase him directly with gems. Just remember to stay away from any suspicious links or third-party services claiming to give you instant access to Buzz, as these almost always lead to account bans or stolen personal information. I’m already sitting on 320 gems saved for his next return, mostly from weekly challenge rewards, and I can’t wait to finally get that limited edition space ranger skin I missed the first time around.