Overwatch 2 Summer Roadmap Revealed by Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment has revealed an exciting roadmap for Overwatch 2's Stadium mode, outlining the heroes and features slated for Seasons 17, 18, 19, and beyond in 2025. This roadmap promises to enhance the strategic gameplay of Stadium, a mode that has been a pivotal part of the hero shooter's evolution.

In a detailed Director’s Take blog post, game director Aaron Keller shared insights into the mode's history and its promising future. The post, which accompanied a surprise summer roadmap, has shed light on the mode's performance since its launch just over a week ago, as well as its development journey.

The rollout of Stadium continues with the introduction of new Damage hero Freja during a mid-season patch in Season 16. However, it's Season 17 in June that promises to elevate the mode significantly. Heroes like Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta will join the fray, alongside the addition of the Esperança Push map and the Samoa Control map. This season will also introduce features such as Unranked Crossplay, new all-star rewards, custom games, additional example builds, and the ability to save and share builds. Although it's unclear whether all these additions will launch simultaneously at the start of Season 17 or be rolled out throughout the season, the updates are set to enrich the Stadium experience.

In Season 18, Overwatch's beloved gorilla hero, Winston, will become playable, joined by Sojourn and Brigitte. The Route 66 and London maps will enter the rotation, and 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 further ahead, Blizzard has committed to adding "multiple new heroes" to Stadium each season, both from the existing Overwatch 2 roster and new characters yet to be revealed. Season 19 and beyond will see the introduction of a new China map, a Draft Mode feature, consumables, and tweaks to the item system, ensuring continuous evolution and excitement for players.

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

The performance of Stadium has been remarkable, with the mode surpassing Quick Play and Competitive to become Overwatch 2's most played mode. During its launch week, Stadium saw 2.3 million matches played across 7.8 million hours. This is more than double the engagement seen during Overwatch Classic's launch week. Notably, Lucio has emerged as the hero with the highest win rate but the lowest pick rate, and players have spent 900 billion Stadium Cash on 206 million items for their builds.

Keller clarified that Stadium's development began before Overwatch 2's launch, dispelling rumors that it was a response to Marvel Rivals, which debuted in December 2024. He emphasized Blizzard's ongoing commitment to transparent communication, promising more insights into Stadium's future in the coming weeks.

Despite Stadium's popularity, Keller reiterated Blizzard's dedication to the core modes of Overwatch, ensuring that Quick Play and Competitive remain a priority. He described Stadium as an opportunity to offer a fresh take on Overwatch gameplay, looking forward to the excitement Season 18 will bring.

Stadium was introduced with the launch of Season 16 last week as part of Blizzard's broader efforts to revitalize its player base. This initiative, which kicked off with an all-encompassing Spotlight presentation in February, has also seen the return of loot boxes and an improved Steam rating, with many players feeling that Overwatch 2 is delivering its best experience yet.

As we eagerly await further updates, you can explore our comprehensive guide to learn more about how Stadium works. Additionally, check out our recommendations for the best Tank Builds, DPS Builds, and Support Builds to optimize your gameplay experience.