Overwatch 2 Team Says Stadium Mode Is Very Popular, Outlines Future Roadmap
Today, Blizzard provided an updated Overwatch 2 roadmap when it comes to the new Stadium Mode. According to the studio, this is currently the most played game mode by far, eclipsing Competitive and Quick Play modes. There were 2.3 million matches played across 7.8 million hours of Stadium during the mode’s launch week, and that’s apparently more than twice as much as the previous most popular game mode’s launch week (when OW Classic was added to Overwatch 2). In the mode’s first week, 900 billion in Stadium cash were collectively earned, and 206 million items were chosen by players during rounds. Ironically, the most successful and yet also the least popular hero was Lucio.
Given the strong interest expressed by fans, Blizzard also took a step back to reveal its development history. Stadium was initially set up as an eight-team tournament that should have been as varied as possible. Each round, players would choose from random upgrades to use in PvP Team Deathmatch or PvE against the AI, losing health if they lost the round. However, it was challenging to develop a coherent strategy or build to counter opponents when decisions were made at random. Now, Blizzard still wants there to be variety from match to match, but it is no longer the top priority. The goal has shifted towards delivering a balanced and competitive mode, while at the same time allowing players to create epic builds through strategic decisions based on the performance and hero combinations of everyone in the match.
Stadium mode will have its builds and Hero balance tweaked in an upcoming mid-season balance patch after Blizzard has collected all the data and feedback. When it comes to new content, the latest hero (Freya) will also be the next to be available in the mode when the midseason patch goes live in Overwatch 2. That’s just the beginning, as Blizzard wants to release new heroes on a regular basis to Stadium. Season 17, slated to debut next month, will introduce Sigma, Junkrat, and Zenyatta, in addition to the new maps of Esperanca and Samoa, Custom Games, the ability to save and share builds, and crossplay. It’s important to note that this is still a Competitive game mode, which means PC and console players will be in separate groups. However, the developers are looking into coming up with an Unranked mode which could bring everyone together without harming the competitive scene.
Season 18 will land in August, adding Winston, Sojourn, and Brigitte as new Stadium heroes. Players will also find two new maps (New Route 66 and London), the new game mode Payload race, new All-Star Rewards, and the Stadium Trials feature. From Season 19 onward, Overwatch 2 will get a New China map, new heroes with every season, Draft Mode, new consumables, and item upgrades. With Payload race, Blizzard is also adding a new mechanic called Quests, where players will select a random quest that will provide rewards when completed.
Just a couple of months ago, the developers experimented with adding in-game perks. It seems like they’re finally willing to shake up the game’s core after a highly underwhelming launch.
