Blizzard Updates Fans on Overwatch 2 Summer Plans

Blizzard Entertainment has officially released the Overwatch 2 Stadium roadmap for 2025, offering a detailed look at the heroes, maps, and features planned for Seasons 17, 18, 19, and beyond. This update arrives alongside a Director’s Take blog post from game director Aaron Keller, who dives into the evolution of the popular new mode and shares insights on its future direction.

The introduction of Damage hero Freja is set to arrive in a mid-season patch for Season 16, marking an early step in expanding Stadium’s limited hero pool. However, the real momentum begins with Season 17 in June, where players can expect the addition of Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta to the mode.

Alongside these new playable characters come two fresh maps: Esperança (Push) and Samoa (Control). Blizzard also plans to enhance the Stadium experience by introducing:

• Unranked Crossplay
• New All-Star Rewards
• Custom Games
• Additional Example Builds
• Option to Save and Share Builds

It remains unclear whether all these additions will debut simultaneously with Season 17 or roll out gradually throughout the season.

Season 18 continues the momentum with the arrival of Overwatch’s fan-favorite primate, Winston, followed closely by Sojourn and Brigitte. The map pool will expand further with the inclusion of Route 66 and London, while a brand-new Payload Race game mode makes its debut—complete with two exclusive maps.

This season will also introduce:

• Stadium Trials Feature
• Teammate Endorsements

Looking ahead to Season 19 and beyond, Blizzard has confirmed plans for:

• A new map set in China
• Introduction of Draft Mode
• Addition of Consumables
• Various Item System Tweaks

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

How Has Stadium Performed So Far?

Since its launch alongside Season 16, Stadium has become the most played mode in Overwatch 2, surpassing both Quick Play and Competitive. During its first week alone, players participated in 2.3 million matches across 7.8 million gameplay hours, more than double the numbers recorded during Overwatch Classic’s initial release.

Other notable stats include:

• Lucio leading in highest win rate despite having the lowest pick rate
• Players spending a staggering 900 billion Stadium Cash to purchase 206 million items for custom builds

Game director Aaron Keller also shared that the concept for Stadium predates the launch of Overwatch 2. This clarification aims to dispel rumors suggesting the mode was developed as a direct response to titles like Marvel Rivals, which launched in December 2024.

Blizzard plans to maintain transparency moving forward, with another Director’s Take post scheduled for next week. Keller emphasized that while Stadium is seeing massive success, the team remains fully committed to evolving and maintaining core modes such as Quick Play and Competitive.

“Before signing off, I'd like to reiterate the team’s commitment to the Core modes of Overwatch,” Keller stated. “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 concluded with excitement about what's ahead: “We can't wait for you to see what's coming there, especially Season 18. It's going to be a banger!”

A Fresh Chapter for Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 introduced Stadium as part of its broader effort to revitalize the franchise. Since February’s comprehensive Spotlight presentation, the game has seen major updates including the return of loot boxes, improved Steam ratings, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from fans who believe this may be the best Overwatch experience in years.

As the Stadium mode continues to evolve, players are encouraged to explore our in-depth guides on how the mode works, along with expert recommendations for the best Tank Builds, DPS Builds, and Support Builds.

Stay tuned for more updates and keep an eye out for the next Director’s Take dropping soon.