It’s safe to say that Overwatch 2 Stadium may just have saved Blizzard’s troubled FPS. Still clocking in as one of Steam’s worst-rated games, recent reviews have risen to mixed: 45% of players who have rated Overwatch 2 in the last 30 days say they like it, compared to the game’s damning 23% positive score overall. Most of those reviews cite Stadium as the shooter’s saving grace, with many claiming that the Overwatch sequel has finally earned its ‘2.’ But, as announced on Thursday May 1, Stadium’s about to go from strength to strength, with Season 17 and 18 adding some fan-favorite heroes to the roster, as well as new maps, the Payload Race game mode, and, of course, crossplay.
So let’s start with the stats. According to Blizzard’s latest Stadium-focused blog post, Overwatch 2’s new mode has surpassed both Quickplay and Competitive in terms of popularity. In launch week alone, there were “2.3 million matches played across 7.8 million hours” – double that of the FPS game’s second most popular mode, Overwatch Classic.
Stadium’s most “winningest” Overwatch 2 character is, oddly enough, Lucio, who also happens to be the mode’s least-picked character. In a sea of Mercys and Moiras, pick Lucio, folks. But, coming into Season 17 and beyond, the Brazilian bass dropper may just see his reign slip, as various new heroes are set to enter the fray.
Season 17, slated for June, adds Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta to the pool, with Season 18 adding Brigitte, Sojourn, and Winston in August, as well as the new, water-based hero currently codenamed ‘Aqua.’ Further down the line, we’ll see new heroes added every season – I’m holding out for Sombra, my OTP, or Widowmaker, because some heads just need to be popped.
There are various new locales on the cards, too, with Esperanca (Push map) and Samoa (Control map) dropping in Season 17, London and Route 66 in Season 18, and China in Season 19. Notably, Season 18 also adds “Payload Race,” a brand-new Stadium mode that has its own two unique maps.
In addition to all of this, crossplay, custom games, and build saving and sharing features will be added in Season 17, with new all-star rewards and the Stadium Trials feature dropping in August, then Season 19 adds draft mode so that you can lock in the best comp for the job.
There’s a lot in the pipeline, then, and honestly, it’s exciting. As someone who’s fallen in and out of love with Overwatch since the sequel’s release, this really does feel like a game-changer. Ahead of Stadium’s launch, game director Aaron Keller told me the team wanted to “take big risks,” and do things differently, and so far, it’s working.
If you’re planning on taking Stadium for a spin, check out our list of the best Overwatch 2 Stadium support builds, as well as the best Overwatch 2 Stadium DPS builds to help you take down the enemy team in style.
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