Supercell Faces Legal Trouble Over Sprout Design in Brawl Stars

Supercell could be forced to make significant changes to one of Brawl Stars' most recognizable characters following a long-running legal dispute involving Sprout. The conflict stems from claims made by French air purifier manufacturer Andrea, which has argued for years that the character’s design closely resembles one of its products.

The dispute reportedly began six years ago when Andrea asked Supercell to stop using the design. However, the developer rejected the accusation, maintaining that the air purifier's appearance was not original enough to warrant copyright protection. The disagreement eventually escalated into a lawsuit that may now have serious financial and creative consequences for the company.

Why Is Supercell Being Sued?

The lawsuit gained widespread attention after fans noticed that Supercell had quietly removed several promotional images featuring Sprout. Among the deleted artwork were the Bo x Charlie collaboration visuals and the game's 7th Anniversary illustrations.

It was later revealed that the removals were linked to legal action involving Andrea, a French company known for its distinctive air purifier design.

Court Ruling and Financial Penalties

According to reports shared by Brawl Stars content creator @DrieBananen, the court ruled in favor of Andrea and ordered Supercell to pay substantial damages.

The reported penalties include:

• €250,000 in patrimonial damages
• €80,000 in moral rights damages
• €40,000 in legal expenses

In addition, Supercell may be required to remove all publicly available visuals featuring Sprout's current design.

The court reportedly concluded that the resemblance between Sprout and Andrea's air purifier was significant enough to constitute copyright infringement rather than a coincidental similarity. Evidence presented during the case suggested that Sprout originally looked very different during its early development stages, which further influenced the court's decision.

The original designer also sought additional compensation related to unfair commercial use, though that particular request was ultimately rejected.

Restrictions on Sprout in France

As part of the ruling, Supercell has reportedly been ordered to stop using both Sprout and its mutant variant in France under their current designs.

The company could face additional penalties if it fails to comply:

• €1,000 per day if Sprout remains in the game or on official social media channels in France with its current appearance
• Mandatory disclosure of audited revenue reports related to Sprout-generated earnings in France, including:

1. In-game purchases
2. Merchandise sales
3. Commercial licensing deals

• €1,000 monthly fines for delays in providing the requested financial reports

The court also instructed both parties to enter mediation in an attempt to reach an agreement, although recent reports suggest no settlement has been reached so far.

Will Sprout Be Removed From Brawl Stars?

Despite the legal ruling, a complete removal of Sprout from Brawl Stars appears unlikely. Instead, the most probable outcome is a redesign of the character in future updates to ensure compliance with the court's decision while allowing Supercell to keep the brawler in the game.

For now, players will have to wait and see how Supercell responds to one of the most unusual legal challenges in the history of Brawl Stars.