Overwatch 2 Stadium Summer Roadmap Revealed by Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment has exciting plans for Overwatch 2 in 2025, unveiling its Stadium roadmap that promises an array of new heroes and features across Season 17, Season 18, Season 19, and beyond. The game's director, Aaron Keller, shared detailed insights into the mode's development and future in a Director’s Take blog post, offering a comprehensive summer roadmap just over a week after its launch.

The Stadium mode is set to expand with the introduction of new heroes starting with Freja, a Damage hero, in a mid-season patch for Season 16. However, it's Season 17 in June that will truly elevate the experience. Fans can look forward to the addition of Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta, along with the new Esperança Push map and Samoa Control map. Blizzard aims to enhance the mode further with Unranked Crossplay, new all-star rewards, custom games, example builds, and the ability to save and share builds. It remains to be seen whether all these features will be available at the start of Season 17 or rolled out throughout the season.

Season 18 will introduce Winston, the beloved gorilla hero, alongside Sojourn and Brigitte. The Route 66 and London maps will join the rotation, and a new Payload Race game mode will be introduced with two additional maps. Players will also enjoy Stadium trials and the ability to Endorse teammates, enhancing the social aspect of the game.

Looking further ahead, Season 19 and beyond will bring a new China map and a Draft Mode feature, along with consumables and tweaks to the item system. Blizzard's commitment to adding "multiple new heroes" each season, both from the existing roster and new characters, ensures a dynamic and evolving gameplay experience.

Overwatch 2 Stadium summer 2025 roadmap. Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.

How has Stadium Performed so Far?

The performance of Stadium since its launch has been stellar, quickly becoming the most played mode in Overwatch 2. With 2.3 million matches played and 7.8 million hours logged during its launch week, it has surpassed both Quick Play and Competitive modes. The mode's popularity is underscored by stats showing it has more than doubled the engagement seen during Overwatch Classic's launch week. Interestingly, Lucio stands out with the highest win rate yet the lowest pick rate, while players have spent a staggering 900 billion Stadium Cash on 206 million item selections for their builds.

Aaron Keller's Director’s Take also clarifies the timeline of Stadium's development, confirming it predates the launch of Overwatch 2. This dispels any notions that Stadium was a response to the launch of Marvel Rivals in December 2024. Keller promises continued transparency, with more insights to be shared next week. Despite Stadium's success, Blizzard remains dedicated to the core modes of Quick Play and Competitive, ensuring they receive the same attention and passion.

Keller emphasized Blizzard's ongoing commitment to the core modes of Overwatch, stating, "We’re still pouring as much time, energy and passion into these as we always have. Stadium isn't competing for those resources: it’s giving us more opportunities to deliver Overwatch in a new, exciting way. We can't wait for you to see what's coming there, especially Season 18. 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, part of Blizzard’s broader initiative to revitalize its player base. This effort started with an all-encompassing Spotlight presentation in February, leading to the reintroduction of loot boxes and an improved Steam rating, with many players hailing it as the best Overwatch experience in years.

As we await further updates, you can explore our comprehensive guide to learn more about how Stadium works and check out our recommendations for the best Tank Builds, DPS Builds, and Support Builds.