Overwatch 2 Summer Roadmap Unveiled by Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled an exciting roadmap for Overwatch 2's Stadium mode through 2025, detailing the heroes and features to be introduced in Season 17, Season 18, Season 19, and beyond. In a comprehensive Director’s Take blog post, game director Aaron Keller shared insights into the mode’s evolution, its current performance, and what players can expect in the upcoming seasons.

The rollout of Stadium mode will intensify with the introduction of new Damage hero Freja during a mid-season patch for Season 16. However, it's Season 17 in June that promises significant enhancements. Players can look forward to the addition of Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta to the roster, accompanied by the Esperança Push map and the Samoa Control map. Blizzard plans to enrich the mode further by introducing features such as Unranked Crossplay, new all-star rewards, custom games, example builds, and options to save and share builds. Although it's uncertain whether all these updates will launch simultaneously at the start of Season 17 or be staggered throughout the season, the anticipation is palpable.

Season 18 will see the inclusion of iconic hero Winston, alongside Sojourn and Brigitte, enhancing the playable characters list. The Route 66 and London maps will also be added, along with a new Payload Race game mode featuring two new maps and a Stadium trials feature. Players will also have the ability to Endorse their teammates, fostering a more collaborative environment.

Blizzard has assured fans that "multiple new heroes" will be added to Stadium each season, including both existing Overwatch 2 characters and new, unrevealed ones. For Season 19 and beyond, a new China map and a Draft Mode feature are in the works, along with consumables and item system tweaks, promising continuous evolution and excitement.

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

How has Stadium Performed so Far?

The Overwatch 2 team has shared impressive stats on Stadium's performance, revealing it as the game's most played mode. During its launch week, Stadium eclipsed Quick Play and Competitive with 2.3 million matches played over 7.8 million hours. This is more than double the engagement seen during Overwatch Classic’s launch week. Notably, Lucio boasts the highest win rate and the lowest pick rate, while players have spent a staggering 900 billion Stadium Cash on 206 million items for their builds.

In his Director’s Take, Aaron Keller clarified that Stadium's development began before Overwatch 2's launch, dispelling rumors that it was created to compete with Marvel Rivals, which debuted in December 2024. Keller also committed to ongoing communication with the community, promising more insights into Stadium next week.

Keller reaffirmed Blizzard's dedication 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." He teased that Season 18 will be particularly exciting, urging players to enjoy Stadium and contribute to the ongoing development of the 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 started with an all-encompassing Spotlight presentation in February, leading to the return of loot boxes and an improved Steam rating, with many fans proclaiming it as the best Overwatch experience in years.

While awaiting further updates, players can explore our guide on how Stadium works and check out our recommendations for the best Tank Builds, DPS Builds, and Support Builds to optimize their gameplay experience.