Blizzard reveals Overwatch 2 Stadium development plans: new heroes, maps, and modes are on the way
Just a few weeks after the launch of the new Stadium mode, Blizzard has shared a detailed roadmap for its development in Overwatch 2. Players can look forward to new heroes in the limited Stadium roster, fresh maps and modes, as well as interesting statistics about the first weeks of the mode.
Here's What We Know
Already in the middle of the current season, around 20 May, a new Damage heroine, Freya, will join Stadium. And with the start of the 17th season in June, Sigma, Rat, and Zenyatta will join the roster. As a reminder, only 17 heroes were available at the start of Stadium, as the unique items and abilities of the mode used to create custom builds require additional balancing.
That's why Blizzard will gradually add the full roster of Overwatch characters to Stadium. The Season 17 update will also bring two new maps - Esperanza and Samoa - as well as the ability to save and share custom builds. In addition, this season will finally feature cross-play in Stadium, which has been unavailable since the mode's launch due to separate ranked lobbies for console and PC players.
The 18th season, which starts in August, will add Winston, Sojourner and Brigitta to the roster, as well as a brand new mode - Cargo Race. This mode will be introduced on two new maps - Route 66 and London - although Blizzard has not yet revealed any details on how it differs from the regular cargo matches. The roadmap currently reaches Season 19, which only states that the mode will continue to be updated with new maps, heroes, and items.
Blizzard also shared some interesting statistics, saying that Stadium is now the most popular mode in Overwatch 2, eclipsing both Quick Play and Ranked Matches, which were previously the main modes. In the first weeks, players played 2.3 million matches for a total of 7.8 million hours. This is more than double the launch figures for Overwatch Classic, the previous most popular new mode.
Stadium roadmap. Illustration: Blizzard
Source: Blizzard
