If you’ve ever stared at your Brawl Stars profile wondering why you’re still stuck 10 levels away from that new brawler you’ve been craving, you’re not alone. A lot of players grind for hours without realizing they’re wasting energy on tasks that give barely any experience points. I’ve been playing Brawl Stars for four years, and I’ve tested every XP farming trick out there to find what actually works. In this post, I’ll break down exactly how to get XP in Brawl Stars without using exploits, wasting your time, or spending extra money you don’t need to.
Prioritize High-XP Game Modes First for Faster Gains
Not all Brawl Stars matches give the same XP payout, and picking the right mode is the easiest way to cut your grind time in half. You get XP based on how many trophies you earn in a match, plus a bonus for wins, but some modes have higher base payouts even if you don’t take first place. Solo and Duo Showdown are the highest-XP casual modes for most players, because you can earn trophies even if you finish in the top 4, not just first place. Even if you get eliminated early, you still walk away with more XP than you would from a losing match in Brawl Ball or Gem Grab.
That doesn’t mean you should ignore other modes entirely, though. Event-specific limited modes often have 2x or 3x XP bonuses for your first few wins each day. I always check the events tab first when I log in, because I can knock out three limited mode wins in 10 minutes and get twice the XP I would from a full hour of standard matches. You also get a small XP bonus for playing with friends, so queueing with a partner for Duo Showdown will get you even more points per match.
How to Get XP in Brawl Stars by Completing Daily and Seasonal Missions
Missions are the single biggest source of XP for most players, but a lot of people skip them entirely or only complete the easy ones without planning. Every day, you get three daily missions, plus weekly seasonal missions that reset every 70 days, and each of these gives far more XP than individual matches. You can stack mission progress across multiple matches, so you don’t have to drop everything to complete a single mission as soon as you get it. For example, if you have a mission to deal 10,000 damage with brawlers from the Mythic rarity, you can chip away at that across 5 or 6 matches while you also work on other missions at the same time.
Here’s a quick list of mission types you should always prioritize first:
One mistake I see new players make all the time is rerolling missions that seem hard right away. If you have a mission that requires you to win 3 matches with a brawler you don’t use very often, try it for one or two matches first. You might be surprised how easy it is, and you’ll save the reroll for missions that actually require you to spend coins or gems to complete. Never reroll a seasonal mission, because you can’t get those back once you discard them, and they’re the fastest way to level up your battle pass too.
Use XP Boosts Strategically to Double Your Earnings
XP boosts are one of the most underused resources in Brawl Stars, because a lot of players use them as soon as they get them, without planning when they’ll get the most value. You can get XP boosts from seasonal pass rewards, event challenges, and occasional login bonuses, and they double all XP you earn for a set amount of time, usually 1 or 2 hours. The best time to use an XP boost is when you have a full set of uncompleted daily and seasonal missions, not when you’re just playing casual matches for fun. If you use a 2-hour boost right before you sit down to knock out 10 missions, you’ll get double XP for all of those missions, plus double XP for every match you play during that window.
You also get a small XP boost for every first win of the day with each brawler, so you can stack that with your timed boost for even more gains. I usually save my XP boosts for weekends, when I have a couple of hours to play nonstop, and I make sure I have at least 8 uncompleted missions saved up before I activate one. That way, I don’t waste any of the boost time waiting for matches or scrolling through the shop. It’s also worth noting that XP boosts apply to all rewards you earn during the active window, including battle pass XP and event bonus payouts, so you’re getting double value across the board.
One thing to avoid: Don’t use XP boosts when you only have 20 or 30 minutes to play. You’ll waste half the boost time logging in, picking your brawlers, and waiting for matches, and you won’t get nearly as much value as you would if you saved it for a longer play session. If you only have a short time to play, stick to knocking out one or two daily missions instead of wasting your boost.
Avoid These Common XP-Wasting Mistakes
Even if you follow all the tips above, you could be slowing down your progress by making small mistakes that add up over time. The first mistake I see all the time is playing matches with brawlers you already have the first win of the day bonus for. Once you get that first win with a brawler, the XP payout for additional wins with that same brawler drops by 30% for the rest of the day, so you’re better off switching to a different brawler to get the full bonus again. Don’t throw matches to complete missions faster, either. A lot of players will intentionally lose matches to get through mission requirements faster, but you’ll end up earning less XP overall because you lose the win bonus and the trophy payout for each loss. It’s always better to play to win, even if it takes a little longer to complete a mission.
Another common mistake is ignoring free event rewards that come with XP. Every time there’s a special event, like a holiday event or a new brawler launch event, there are usually free XP rewards for logging in, playing one match, or completing a single simple task. I make a point to check the events tab every time I log in, even if I only have 5 minutes to play, because I can grab those free rewards without even finishing a full match. You also shouldn’t waste coins on upgrading brawlers you never use just for the small XP bonus you get for upgrades. The XP you get from upgrades is negligible compared to what you get from missions and matches, and you’re better off saving those coins for upgrading brawlers you actually play regularly.
At the end of the day, you don’t have to grind 8 hours a day to level up fast in Brawl Stars. All you need to do is prioritize the right tasks, use your resources strategically, and avoid wasting time on low-payout activities. I’ve used these exact tips to level up three accounts to level 150+ without spending any extra money, and they work for new and experienced players alike. If you put these tips into practice the next time you log in, you’ll be shocked how much faster you can progress when you know how to get XP in Brawl Stars the smart way.