‘Overwatch 2’ Stadium Mode Gets Big Summer Update Roadmap
Blizzard is keeping fans excited with a new summer roadmap for Overwatch 2’s Stadium mode. In a new Director’s Take blog post, game director Aaron Keller shared what’s coming in Seasons 17, 18, 19, and beyond. The update talks about new heroes, maps, and features, and even how Stadium got started.
Right now, Stadium has a small group of heroes to pick from, but that’s about to change. A new Damage hero named Freja will be added during a mid-season patch in Season 16. Then, in June when Season 17 begins, even more characters will join the lineup.
Heroes like Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta will be added, along with two maps: Esperança (Push) and Samoa (Control). This season will also bring new ways to play and enjoy Stadium mode, including:
- Unranked Crossplay
- Custom games
- New all-star rewards
- Example builds
- A way to save and share your own builds
Blizzard hasn’t confirmed if all these features will arrive at the start of Season 17 or be spread out during the season.
In Season 18, Winston will swing into action. He’ll be joined by Sojourn and Brigitte. Two more maps, Route 66 and London, will be added, and a brand-new game mode called Payload Race will launch. It comes with two new maps and new features like:
- Stadium Trials
- A teammate Endorsement system
Blizzard also promises to add “multiple new heroes” to Stadium each season. These will include both current Overwatch 2 characters and some that haven’t been revealed yet.
The roadmap doesn’t stop there. In Season 19 and later, fans can expect even more updates:
- A brand-new China map
- Draft Mode
- Consumables
- Item system changes
Stadium mode is already a huge hit. Blizzard says it’s now the most played mode in Overwatch 2, even more popular than Quick Play and Competitive. In the first week alone, players:
- Played 2.3 million matches
- Spent 7.8 million hours in the mode
- Bought 206 million items
- Spent 900 billion Stadium Cash
Lucio currently has the highest win rate but also the lowest pick rate — an interesting combo!
Aaron Keller also shared a behind-the-scenes detail: Stadium has been in development since before Overwatch 2 launched. This confirms that it wasn’t created as a reaction to Marvel Rivals, which launched in December 2024.
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