Overwatch 2 Stadium Summer Roadmap Unveiled by Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled an exciting roadmap for Overwatch 2's Stadium mode for 2025, detailing the heroes and features set to be introduced in Season 17, Season 18, Season 19, and beyond. In a detailed Director's Take blog post, game director Aaron Keller shared insights into the mode's past, present, and future, along with a surprise summer roadmap following its recent launch.

The rollout of Stadium will continue with the addition of the new Damage hero, Freja, in a mid-season patch for Season 16. However, it's Season 17 in June that promises significant enhancements. Heroes like Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta will join the mode, alongside the introduction of the Esperança Push map and the Samoa Control map. Blizzard plans to enrich Stadium with features such as Unranked Crossplay, new all-star rewards, custom games, example builds, and the ability to save and share builds. It remains to be seen if these heroes and features will all be available at the start of Season 17 or staggered throughout the season.

Season 18 will see the iconic gorilla hero, Winston, become playable, accompanied by Sojourn and Brigitte. The Route 66 and London maps will also be added, along with a new Payload Race game mode, two new maps, a Stadium trials feature, and the option to Endorse teammates.

Blizzard has assured fans that "multiple new heroes," including both existing and unrevealed characters, will be added to Stadium every season. Looking ahead to Season 19 and beyond, a new China map and a Draft Mode feature are on the horizon, alongside consumables, item system tweaks, and more.

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

How has Stadium Performed so Far?

The Overwatch 2 team has revealed impressive statistics for Stadium, which has quickly become the most played mode in the game, surpassing Quick Play and Competitive. In its launch week, Stadium saw 2.3 million matches played over 7.8 million hours. This represents more than double the engagement seen during the launch week of Overwatch Classic. Notably, Lucio has emerged as the hero with both the highest win rate and the lowest pick rate, while players have spent 900 billion Stadium Cash to choose 206 million items for their builds.

Keller's Director's Take also clarifies that Stadium was in development before the launch of Overwatch 2, dispelling theories that it was created to compete with Marvel Rivals, which launched in December 2024. He promises continued communication and more insights into Stadium next week, while reaffirming Blizzard's commitment to maintaining core experiences like Quick Play and Competitive.

“Before signing off, I'd like to reiterate the team’s commitment to the Core modes of Overwatch," Keller emphasized. "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.”

Overwatch 2 introduced Stadium with the launch of Season 16 last week, as part of Blizzard’s efforts to reinvigorate its player base. This initiative began with an all-encompassing 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 awaiting further updates, players can explore our comprehensive guide on how Stadium works, as well as our recommendations for the best Tank Builds, DPS Builds, and Support Builds.