Skip to main content

Squad Busters mashes up Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, and more mobile hits

Key art for Squad Busters.
Supercell

Supercell’s Squad Busters will launch globally on May 29. That’s notable because it’s the first game from the Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars developer to get a global release in over five years.

Squad Busters is a mobile game that serves as a crossover game for Supercell’s franchises. In it, players control a squad of characters from Supercell’s other games and attempt to collect the most gems among a field of 10 different squads without being defeated. In a Squad Busters press roundtable I attended, Supercell likened its setup to that of Mario Kart, as it’s an approachable competitive game where players are free to do their own thing, but can push and pull the momentum of a match in their favor by playing well and using the right items and abilities.

The game was first teased in February 2023 and has had multiple rounds of testing since then. This global launch announcement follows a soft launch in certain regions that took place on April 23. While that might seem fairly standard, Squad Busters is actually the first Supercell game to make it to that point in some time. Games like Clash Quest, Everdale, and Floodrush were all announced and tested, but support ended for all three of them before they could get a worldwide release.

Gameplay from Squad Busters.
Supercell

Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen said he had mixed feelings about the company having a reputation for canceling and shutting down games, which is something players typically don’t like.

“Most people who know Supercell know we’re famous for killing a lot of games, and the reason why we, and by we, I mean the game teams, kill so many games is that our game teams hold themselves accountable for a very high bar of creating great games,” Paananen says. “Having such a high bar for quality explains why we haven’t actually released a new game in a very long time, and I actually have mixed feelings about it …On the other hand, I’m incredibly proud of our teams for holding themselves to a super high bar.”

He explains that Squad Busters had the wherewithal to survive because of its engaging gameplay and interesting development cycle. It was born “from the ashes” of a canceled Supercell IP project that originally was targeting the company’s 10th anniversary for release. After years of testing and feedback, as well as a new team lead taking over last year, Supercell deemed the game ready for global prime time and is now rolling it out like it did Brawl Stars in 2018.

We’ll see how players respond to it when Squad Busters has its worldwide launch on iOS and Android on May 29.

Editors' Recommendations

Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Dead by Daylight Mobile brings 4v1 asymmetrical horror to iOS, Android
Dead by Daylight player standing in front of a fire.

Dead by Daylight, the 4-on-1 asymmetrical horror game that was first released for the PC in 2016, has arrived to mobile devices as a free-to-play title.

Dead by Daylight Mobile Official Launch Trailer 2020

Read more
Apple Arcade vs. Google Play Pass: Which subscription is superior?
These are the huge differences between Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass
apple arcade vs google play pass closeup

Apple launched its new Apple Arcade gaming subscription service on September 19, giving members the opportunity to play dozens of games across several different devices for just $5 per month. It’s quite the deal when considering that several of the games included with a membership are exclusive to the service, but Apple is facing some stiff competition in the new realm of mobile gaming subscriptions: Google.

Google is launching its own Google Play Pass service, which hopes to win over members with a huge collection of games and apps. But when it comes down to Apple Arcade vs. Google Play Pass, which service is shaping up to be a better pick, and what are the major differences? We’ve outlined everything you need to know below so you can make the best decision.
Apple Arcade vs Google Play Pass
Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass are both subscription services, but they differ in what they are offering to paying members. These differences go beyond the titles you’ll be able to access with them.

Read more
Free-to-start mobile game Pokémon Rumble Rush is live in Australia
Pokemon Rumble Rush mobile game android ios

Pokémon Go is no longer your only high-profile way to play with the legendary creatures while on the move. Pokémon Rumble Rush has arrived on mobile gaming platforms and is offering a more intense experience compared to the focus on collecting creatures in Pokémon Go. Rumble Rush is an action-adventure that puts you in control of some favorite Pokémon while exploring uncharted islands. It not quite free-to-play like Pokémon Go, though but the developers are labeling it a free-to-start game.

While the collection isn’t the focus, it's still a big part of Pokémon Rumble Rush. In Rumble Rush, you will fight against wild Pokémon, and some will join your squad. As you collect similar specific species, you’ll encounter stronger Pokémon of that type and regularly build up the power level of your entire collection. Once you feel like your squad is capable enough, you can take on the various islands’ boss Pokémon.

Read more