Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled its exciting Overwatch 2 Stadium roadmap for 2025, revealing the heroes and features set to enhance Seasons 17, 18, 19, and beyond.
In a detailed Director's Take blog post, game director Aaron Keller delves into the past, present, and future of this new mode, which has been available for just over a week. The post not only surprises fans with a summer roadmap but also sheds light on the mode's origins and its impressive performance since launch.
Stadium Welcomes 7 New Heroes This Summer -----------------------------------------The Stadium mode will expand with the introduction of new Damage hero Freja in a mid-season patch for Season 16. However, it's Season 17 in June that promises a significant boost with the addition of Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta to the roster. Alongside these heroes, the Esperança Push map and Samoa Control map will be introduced, enhancing the strategic gameplay.
Blizzard plans to enrich the Stadium experience further by implementing Unranked Crossplay, new all-star rewards, custom games, additional example builds, and the ability to save and share builds. It remains uncertain whether all these features will be available at the start of Season 17 or rolled out progressively throughout the season.
Season 18 will introduce Overwatch's iconic gorilla hero, Winston, along with Sojourn and Brigitte. This season will also see the addition of Route 66 and London maps, and the exciting new Payload Race game mode, complete with two new maps and a Stadium trials feature. Players will also gain the ability to Endorse their teammates, fostering a positive community environment.
Looking ahead, Blizzard assures fans that "multiple new heroes" will be added to Stadium each season, including both existing Overwatch 2 characters and new heroes yet to be revealed. For Season 19 and beyond, a new China map, Draft Mode, consumables, and item system tweaks are on the horizon.
Overwatch 2 Stadium summer 2025 roadmap. Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.How has Stadium Performed so Far?
The Overwatch 2 team has shared impressive stats for Stadium, which has quickly become the most played mode in the game. During its launch week, Stadium saw 2.3 million matches played across 7.8 million hours, eclipsing both Quick Play and Competitive modes. This represents more than double the engagement seen during Overwatch Classic's launch week.
Notably, Lucio has emerged as the hero with both the highest win rate and the lowest pick rate, while players have spent a staggering 900 billion Stadium Cash and chosen 206 million items for their builds.
In his Director's Take, Keller clarifies that Stadium's development predates Overwatch 2's launch, dispelling rumors that it was a response to Marvel Rivals, which debuted in December 2024.
AnswerSee ResultsKeller emphasizes Blizzard's ongoing commitment to transparency, promising further insights into Stadium next week. He also reaffirms the team's dedication to maintaining core experiences like Quick Play and Competitive modes, stating, "Stadium isn't competing for those resources: it’s giving us more opportunities to deliver Overwatch in a new, exciting way."As we look forward to Season 18, Keller teases, "It's going to be a banger! Have fun with Stadium and, as always, let’s make a great game."
Stadium was introduced with the launch of Season 16 last week, as part of Blizzard's efforts to reinvigorate its player base. This initiative began with a comprehensive Spotlight presentation in February, leading to the return of loot boxes and an improved Steam rating, with many players celebrating what some feel is the best Overwatch experience fans have seen in years.
While we await more updates, you can explore our guide to learn more about how Stadium works and check out our recommendations for the best Tank Builds, DPS Builds, and Support Builds.
