Overwatch 2 Stadium Summer Roadmap Revealed by Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment has recently unveiled its exciting roadmap for Overwatch 2 Stadium, detailing the heroes and features set to be introduced in Season 17, Season 18, Season 19, and beyond. In a comprehensive Director’s Take blog post, game director Aaron Keller provided insights into the past, present, and future of this new mode, which has been available for just over a week. The roadmap not only outlines the summer plans but also sheds light on the mode's origins and its performance since launch.

The Stadium mode is set to expand with the addition of new Damage hero Freja in a mid-season patch for Season 16. However, it's in Season 17, launching in June, that the mode will truly flourish. Heroes such as Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta will join the fray, accompanied by the new Esperança Push map and Samoa Control map. Blizzard plans to enhance the mode further by introducing Unranked Crossplay, new rewards, custom games, example builds, and the ability to save and share builds. Although it's not clear if all these features will be available from the start of Season 17, the anticipation is high.

Season 18 will see the introduction of Winston, Sojourn, and Brigitte as playable characters. The Route 66 and London maps will also be added, along with a new Payload Race game mode, which will come with two new maps, a Stadium trials feature, and the option to Endorse teammates. Blizzard has committed to adding multiple new heroes, both from the existing Overwatch 2 roster and new characters, to the mode each season. Looking further ahead, Season 19 and beyond will feature a new China map, a Draft Mode, consumables, and item system tweaks.

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

How has Stadium Performed so Far?

The Overwatch 2 team has shared impressive statistics on Stadium's performance, indicating its popularity among players. Since its launch, Stadium has surpassed Quick Play and Competitive modes, becoming the most played mode with 2.3 million matches played over 7.8 million hours in its first week alone. This is more than double the engagement seen during Overwatch Classic’s launch week. Notably, Lucio has the highest win rate yet the lowest pick rate, and players have spent a staggering 900 billion Stadium Cash on 206 million items for their builds.

Aaron Keller's Director’s Take also addresses the development timeline of Stadium, confirming that it was in the works before Overwatch 2's launch. This clarification dispels fan theories that Stadium was developed in response to Marvel Rivals, which launched in December 2024. Keller promises continued communication and more insights into Stadium in the upcoming Director’s Take next week. Despite Stadium's success, Blizzard remains dedicated to maintaining the core experiences of Quick Play and Competitive modes, ensuring they receive the same level of attention and resources.

Keller emphasizes 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, especially in 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 as part of Blizzard’s broader strategy to reinvigorate its player base. This initiative started with an all-encompassing Spotlight presentation in February, leading to the return of loot boxes and an improved Steam rating, which many fans consider to be the best Overwatch experience in years.

As we await further 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.