If you’ve spent any time playing Brawl Stars, you’ve probably accumulated a handful of XP doublers in your inventory without really knowing what to do with them. Maybe you used one once, played a few matches, and didn’t notice a huge jump in your progression, so you’ve been hoarding them ever since. This guide breaks down exactly how to use XP doublers in Brawl Stars to cut your grind time in half, unlock more brawlers, and get every upgrade you want way faster. I’ve been playing since the game’s global launch, and I’ve made every possible mistake with these items first-hand, so all these tips are tried and tested by actual players.
First: Understand How XP Doublers Work to Avoid Wasting Them
A lot of players skip this step and end up wasting dozens of doublers for no reason, so it’s worth covering the basics first. XP doublers are in-game items that double all base match XP and quest XP you earn for 2 hours of active in-match time. That means the timer only counts down when you’re actively playing a public match, not when you’re browsing the shop, adjusting your brawler loadouts, or sitting in the main menu. If you’ve ever wondered how to use XP doublers in Brawl Stars without wasting them, the first step is knowing exactly what they do and don’t do.
There are a ton of common myths floating around about these items that can cost you a lot of wasted effort. For example, XP doublers do not apply to trophy road rewards, brawler mastery XP, or seasonal pass tier skips. They also don’t stack with other personal XP doublers, but they do stack with official game-wide XP events. XP doublers never expire in your inventory, so you never have to use them before you’re fully prepared to get the most out of them. I wasted three doublers in my first year playing because I thought they expired after a week, so trust me when I say you can hold onto them as long as you want.
How to Use XP Doublers in Brawl Stars for Maximum Gain Per Match
Activating your doubler is the easiest part, but the prep work you do before you turn it on is what will make the biggest difference in your gains. The first thing you should do is stack as many uncompleted XP-heavy quests as possible. That means holding off on turning in daily quests, seasonal pass quests, and event-specific quests until you have at least 3-4 of them ready to complete in a single play session. A quest that gives 200 XP normally will give you 400 XP when your doubler is active, with no extra effort required on your part.
Next, pick game modes that you’re already good at, that have quick match times, and that give the highest base XP. Based on latest in-game data, winning a 5v5 Knockout match gives roughly 120 base XP per win, while winning a Solo Showdown match gives around 90 XP, and losing any match gives roughly half of the win XP. You don’t have to play meta brawlers if you don’t want to, but sticking to modes you already win 60%+ of your matches in will cut your grind time way down. Play with a full squad of friends who are also trying to grind XP if you can – you’ll get a small squad XP bonus, you’ll win more matches, and you can coordinate to complete shared quests in half the time.
You don’t have to grind nonstop the entire time your doubler is active, either. Since the timer only counts down when you’re in matches, you can take breaks between games to grab a snack or reply to texts without wasting any of your doubler time. It’s not a race, it’s just about making the time you do spend playing count for more.
The Best Times to Activate Your XP Doublers
You can use an XP doubler any time you want, but there are specific windows where you’ll get 2x to 4x more value out of them than normal. The absolute best time to use one is during an official Supercell double XP event, since the event bonus stacks with your personal doubler to give you 4x total XP on all matches and quests. I once used one during a double XP weekend and earned enough XP to unlock 3 new brawlers in 90 minutes, which would normally take me 2 weeks of casual play.
Other ideal times to activate your doubler are when you have a long list of quests ready to complete, or right after a new season drops when you have 10+ seasonal pass quests available to knock out. Avoid activating XP doublers right before you have to leave for something – I made this mistake once when I turned one on 10 minutes before I had to pick up my little sister from school, and I only got one full match in before I had to leave.
To make it easy, here’s a quick list of the best times to turn on your XP doubler:
You don’t have to wait for one of these moments to use a doubler, but you’ll get way more bang for your buck if you hold off for one of these windows if you can.
Mistakes to Avoid When Using XP Doublers
Even if you follow all the prep steps, small mistakes can wipe out most of the gains you’d get from your doubler. The most common mistake I see new players make is using their doublers during trophy push sessions. When you’re pushing trophies, you’re likely playing more cautiously, trying out new brawlers you’re not good at, or playing modes with longer match times, all of which give you less XP per minute of play. Save your doublers for dedicated XP grind sessions, not trophy push sessions – you can push trophies any time, but doublers give you the most value when you’re focused on fast, high-XP wins.
Another big mistake is playing friendly matches or custom games while your doubler is active. Friendly matches don’t give any XP at all, but the active match timer still counts down while you’re playing them, so you’re wasting your doubler time for zero gain. Never play friendly matches or custom games when your XP doubler is active, that’s just throwing resources down the drain. If you want to mess around with friends, do it before or after your grind session, not during.
If you’re still figuring out how to use XP doublers in Brawl Stars, don’t feel pressured to use them as soon as you get them. A lot of players feel like they have to use them immediately to not waste them, but since they never expire, you’re better off holding onto them until you’re prepared to get the most out of them. The only time you should use one without prep is if you’re already planning to play for a couple of hours anyway, and you don’t have any events coming up soon. It’s always better to get some extra XP than none at all.
At the end of the day, you don’t have to be a top 100 player to get the most out of your in-game items, and learning how to use XP doublers in Brawl Stars is one of the easiest ways to speed up your progression without spending any real money. You don’t have to hoard them forever, but taking 2 minutes to stack your quests and pick the right mode before you activate one will make a huge difference in how many brawlers and upgrades you unlock each month. I’ve used these exact tips to unlock 12 new brawlers in the last 6 months without spending a dime, so give them a try next time you’re ready to grind.