If you’ve ever spent hours grinding matches on Brawl Stars’ official maps and thought, “I could make something way more fun than this,” you’re not alone. Thousands of players submit custom maps every week, and a lucky few get picked for global rotation, earning in-game rewards and bragging rights across the community. This guide breaks down exactly how to make a map in Brawl Stars that’s fun, balanced, and even has a shot at getting noticed by the Supercell team. I’ve submitted 12 maps over the past two years, with three making it to the community voting round, so I’ve learned all the dos and don’ts the hard way to save you time.
How to Make a Map in Brawl Stars: Basic Setup Walkthrough
The map maker tool is hidden in the main menu’s “More” tab, and it’s accessible to all players who have reached account level 10, so you don’t need any special unlocks to get started. The first choice you’ll make is which game mode your map is built for, not the theme or layout. That might feel counterintuitive at first, but each mode has unique win conditions and required elements that shape every other design choice you make. If you’re brand new to learning how to make a map in Brawl Stars, the in-game tutorial will walk you through the basic controls for placing and removing tiles, so don’t stress if you don’t get the hang of it right away.
Always place spawn points and objectives first before adding decorative terrain. I made the mistake of building a full, detailed desert map once before adding Gem Grab spawn points, only to realize I had blocked half the spawn zones with unbreakable walls and had to redo 80% of my work. The game will flag any missing required elements before you can save, but getting spawns, objectives, and core terrain out of the way first will save you tons of time later. You can choose from 8 different map themes, from wild west canyons to alien space stations, so pick one that fits the vibe of your chosen game mode.
Key Balancing Rules to Avoid Instant Rejection
Most maps get rejected within the first 24 hours of submission because they’re unbalanced, not because they’re boring. I’ve had two maps rejected right away for making one team’s spawn way closer to the objective than the other, which is a super common mistake for new creators. One of the most common mistakes new creators make when figuring out how to make a map in Brawl Stars is prioritizing fun over fairness, but you can have both if you test properly.
No team should have a 2+ second advantage to reach the main objective when the match starts. You can test this by using the in-game test feature: pick a fast brawler like Max, run from your team’s spawn to the objective, count the seconds, then repeat the process from the opposing team’s spawn. If there’s a gap bigger than 2 seconds, adjust your wall layout to even it out. Don’t create impossible chokepoints that can be locked down by one brawler either. A single 1-tile wide path leading to the Gem Grab spawn, for example, can be blocked indefinitely by a Sprout super, making the map unplayable for most team comps.
Stick to these non-negotiable balancing rules if you want your map to make it past initial moderation:
- Both team spawn zones have equal cover from long-range attacks at the start of the match
- No objectives are placed within 3 tiles of any team’s spawn area
- There are at least two separate paths to reach the main objective for all game modes
- Bushes are evenly distributed across both sides of the map, with no team getting exclusive access to more than 60% of total bush cover
Tips to Make Your Map Stand Out to Voters and Moderators
Even if your map is perfectly balanced, it’s still competing with thousands of other submissions every week, so you need to give people a reason to vote for it. First, pick a unique, cohesive theme that fits the game mode. A spooky haunted house theme works great for Showdown, where players are hiding in bushes and ambushing each other, but it feels out of place for a fast-paced Brawl Ball map. When you’re deciding how to make a map in Brawl Stars that people remember, try to tie your theme to a recent in-game event or character release to make it feel timely.
Add small, interactive details that reward players for exploring the map. For example, you can add a small bush behind the Brawl Ball goal that a defender can hide in to intercept shots, or a small breakable wall section that opens up a new path mid-match. Those small touches make players remember your map and vote for it over generic, plain layouts. Don’t overcrowd the map with decorative elements, though. I see a lot of new creators add every single tile and prop available, which makes the map look cluttered and hard to navigate during fast matches. Stick to 2-3 prop types max, and make sure all decorations don’t block visibility of objectives or brawlers.
Test your map with at least 5 different friends before submitting. Ask them what they liked, what felt unfair, and if they got confused about any layout choices. I once thought I made a perfect Siege map, but my friend pointed out that the siege bot’s path got blocked by a small wall I forgot to remove, so the bot couldn’t reach the enemy safe. Testing with other players catches those small mistakes you’d never notice on your own.
What to Do After Submitting Your Map
Once you hit submit, your map goes into a moderation queue first, where it’s checked for rule breaks, inappropriate content, and balancing issues. If it passes that step, it goes into the community voting pool, where random players can play it and give it a thumbs up or thumbs down. Most maps stay in the voting pool for 7 to 14 days, depending on how many players interact with it.
Aim for a 70% or higher positive vote rate to have a shot at making it to official rotation. Maps with lower vote rates get dropped from the pool within a week, while higher vote rates get passed to the Supercell content team for final review. Don’t spam your map link in community Discord servers or Reddit threads asking for upvotes, though. Supercell has systems in place to detect vote manipulation, and your map will get disqualified if you’re caught doing that. Instead, share it with your club members first, ask for honest feedback, and make adjustments if you get a lot of negative comments about the same issue.
If your map doesn’t make it past voting, don’t get discouraged. I submitted 7 maps before I got one to the final review round, and most top map creators have dozens of rejected maps under their belt. You can always edit your existing map, fix the issues players complained about, and resubmit it later for another chance.
Learning how to make a map in Brawl Stars is a fun way to put your own spin on the game you love, even if you never plan to submit it for official rotation. Messing around with custom layouts with your friends can lead to some of the most chaotic, fun matches you’ll ever play, and you might even stumble on a design that ends up being played by millions of people around the world. Take it slow, test often, and don’t be afraid to get creative with your themes as long as you stick to the basic balancing rules. You never know when your map might end up being the next fan favorite in the official rotation.