If you’ve logged into Brawl Stars in the last few weeks, you’ve probably seen the iconic space ranger popping up in matches, loading screens, and the in-game shop. Many players are asking the same question right now: how long will Buzz Lightyear be in Brawl Stars, and is there enough time to unlock him before he’s gone? As a long-time Brawl Stars content creator who’s tracked every limited collab drop since 2020, I’ve pulled together all the official details, plus actionable tips to make sure you don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind brawler.
How Long Will Buzz Lightyear Be in Brawl Stars: Official Availability Window
Supercell has confirmed that Buzz Lightyear will be available for the full 6-week duration of the Toy Story themed season, aligning with their standard seasonal release schedule. The window starts on the day the season launches and ends exactly 6 weeks later on the first Tuesday of the next month, when the new seasonal update rolls out to all servers. Unlike original Brawl Stars characters that get added to the permanent loot pool after their launch season, collab characters like Buzz are only accessible for the length of their partnered event.
You can unlock Buzz two ways during this window: for free at tier 70 of the regular Brawl Pass, or instantly at tier 30 if you purchase the premium Brawl Pass. He also appears in special limited offers in the in-game shop for 249 gems for the full 6 weeks, if you’d rather skip the grind entirely. Supercell has not announced any plans for a Buzz Lightyear rerun as of now, so the initial availability window is the only guaranteed chance to unlock him for the foreseeable future.
Reruns for popular collab characters usually happen 12 to 18 months after their initial release, but there’s no guarantee every collab will get a second run. If you’re a Toy Story fan or you want to add a unique competitive brawler to your roster, it’s best to prioritize unlocking him during this first window.
Fastest Ways to Unlock Buzz Lightyear Before the Event Ends
If you’re starting the season at tier 1, you don’t have to spend 8 hours a day playing to hit tier 70 before the event wraps up. I used these exact tips to grind for the limited SpongeBob collab brawler last year, and I cut my total play time by almost 40% without skipping any real-life commitments. The key is to focus on high-reward activities that give you the most Brawl Pass tokens for the least amount of play time.
- Complete daily and seasonal quests first: Most seasonal quests give 100-500 pass tokens each, and you can refresh 1 low-reward quest per day for free to pick up higher payout options. Skip quests that require you to play modes you hate, as you’ll grind slower if you’re not enjoying the game.
- Play in event modes with double token weekends: Every weekend during the collab season has double token drops for selected modes, so prioritize those to cut your grind time in half. These modes rotate every 24 hours, so check the event tab first when you log in each day.
- Team up with friends for bonus tokens: You get a 10% token boost for every match you play with a friend on your friends list, stacking up to 30% for a full 3-person squad. You’ll also win more matches with a coordinated team, which gives you extra token rewards for wins.
- Avoid abandoning matches: Leaving a match before it ends forfeits all token rewards for that game, even if your team wins, so stick around until the final whistle no matter what. If you have to step away unexpectedly, try to queue for shorter modes like Showdown so you don’t waste a full match.
If you’re sitting at tier 40 or higher with 2 weeks left in the season, you can easily unlock the free Buzz Lightyear without spending any money, as long as you complete 2-3 quests per day. If you’re further behind, you can buy the Brawl Pass Plus for an extra 10 tier boost and 20% extra token rewards for all matches, which helps you catch up fast even if you only play a few matches per day. You don’t want to waste time on low-reward activities when every hour counts to get Buzz Lightyear before the event wraps up.
Is Buzz Lightyear Worth Grinding or Buying Before He Leaves?
Before you sink hours of grind or real money into unlocking Buzz, you probably want to know if he’s actually good to play, or if he’s just a novelty character with cool voice lines. I’ve been testing him in competitive ranked lobbies for the last two weeks, and he’s surprisingly well-balanced for both casual and competitive play. He’s a mid-range brawler with 4,800 base health, a bouncing laser main attack, and a rocket jump super that stuns enemies within 2 tiles of landing.
His biggest strengths are his ability to hit enemies hiding behind cover with his bounce attack, and his super that works for both diving enemy backlines and escaping bad situations. His gadget lets him deploy a 1,000 health shield for himself and nearby teammates, which is a game-changer for control modes like Gem Grab and Brawl Ball. His biggest downside is his slow 2.4 second reload speed, so you have to make every shot count, and you can’t spam attacks like you can with other ranged brawlers like Colt or Piper.
Buzz Lightyear is a top 15 brawler for competitive play right now, so if you participate in ranked matches or club wars, he’s absolutely worth the grind. Even casual players will get a lot of use out of Buzz Lightyear, especially if you play with friends who love Toy Story references. His voice lines include all the classic quotes like “To infinity and beyond!” which make matches way more fun, even if you’re losing. If you only play casually a few times a week, he’s still a fun addition to your collection that you’ll get plenty of use out of.
What Happens When Buzz Lightyear Leaves the Brawl Stars Shop?
A lot of new players worry that limited brawlers get taken away from their account after the event ends, but that’s not the case at all. If you unlock Buzz at any point during the 6-week window, he’s yours permanently, and you can play him, upgrade him, and use him in all game modes whenever you want. All progress you make on upgrading him, any skins you buy for him, and any associated rewards will stay in your account forever.
Once the event ends, he will no longer be available from Brawl Pass tiers, in-game shop offers, or regular loot boxes. All Toy Story collab skins, including the Space Ranger Buzz and Woody-themed Buzz skins, will also be removed from the shop, and you won’t be able to buy them even if you own the base character, until a possible rerun. If you don’t unlock him during this window, you won’t be able to access any of the collab content associated with him either, including the limited profile icon and spray.
Collab characters almost never get added to the permanent loot pool, so the only way to get him after the event ends is if Supercell runs a rerun of the Toy Story collab, which typically happens once every 1-2 years for popular collaborations. If you purchased the premium Brawl Pass, you’ll also keep all exclusive collab rewards you earned, including the special Buzz Lightyear profile icon and spray. You don’t have to rush to max him out before the event ends either, as his power points will still be available in the general power point pool and daily shop after the collab wraps up.
At the end of the day, the window to unlock this iconic space ranger is limited, so it's smart to plan your grind early if you want to add him to your collection. Now that you know how long will Buzz Lightyear be in Brawl Stars, you can adjust your play time to hit the required pass tiers, or decide if buying him directly from the shop is worth it for you. If you're on the fence, try out the free trial of Buzz that's available in the practice range or friendly matches for the rest of the event, so you can test his kit before you put time or money into unlocking him. Don't wait until the last day to grind, because unexpected delays like server maintenance or last-minute quest bugs can make you miss out on the limited drop. Even if you only play a couple times a week, you have more than enough time to unlock him for free if you start working on your quests today.