Overwatch 2 Stadium Summer Roadmap Revealed by Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled its exciting roadmap for Overwatch 2's Stadium mode in 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 not only shared a summer roadmap but also provided insights into the mode's past, present, and future.

The rollout for Stadium continues with the introduction of the new Damage hero, Freja, in a mid-season patch for Season 16. However, it's Season 17 in June that promises to elevate the experience. Heroes like Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta will join the fray, accompanied by the new Esperança Push map and Samoa Control map.

Blizzard plans to enhance the Stadium mode further by introducing features such as Unranked Crossplay, new all-star rewards, custom games, additional example builds, and the ability to save and share builds. While it's not clear if all these additions will be available at the start of Season 17 or rolled out throughout the season, the anticipation is palpable.

Season 18 will see the addition of Winston, Sojourn, and Brigitte as playable characters, along with the Route 66 and London maps. A new Payload Race game mode will be introduced, complete with two new maps, a Stadium trials feature, and the option to Endorse teammates.

Looking ahead to Season 19 and beyond, Blizzard has promised multiple new heroes, both from the existing Overwatch 2 roster and new characters yet to be revealed. A new China map, a Draft Mode feature, consumables, and item system tweaks are also 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 statistics on Stadium's performance. 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 the launch week of Overwatch Classic.

Notable stats include Lucio having the highest win rate yet the lowest pick rate, and players spending a staggering 900 billion Stadium Cash on 206 million items for their builds.

In his Director’s Take, Aaron Keller clarified that Stadium was in development before Overwatch 2 launched, dispelling rumors that it was created to compete with Marvel Rivals, which debuted in December 2024. Keller also promised continued communication about Stadium, with more insights to be shared in the following week.

Despite Stadium's popularity, Blizzard remains committed to its core modes. 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."

Season 18, in particular, is teased as a major highlight, with Keller stating, "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 feeling that this is the best Overwatch experience in years.

For those eager to dive deeper, our guide offers more information on how Stadium works, along with recommendations for the best Tank Builds, DPS Builds, and Support Builds.