Overwatch 2’s latest and potentially most innovative game mode is set to arrive on April 22, with Stadium being a 5v5 game mode debuting alongsideOverwatch 2Season 16. As a competitive-only mode, two teams battle in a best-of-7 format. Throughout each match, players can earn Stadium Cash based on their team and individual performance, which is valuable when purchasing Items and Powers to upgrade their hero in the Armory.
However, Stadium isn’t just a new game mode forOverwatch 2; it’s a bold step forward forBlizzard’s hero shooter. Introduced as the “third pillar” ofOverwatch, Stadium is a mode that game director Aaron Keller said Team 4 had high hopes for from the very beginning. In a recent roundtable interview with Game Rant, he revealed that development for Stadium began even before the launch ofOverwatch 2, meaning the mode has been in the works for over two years.
Overwatch’s Stadium Mode Is a Significantly New Experience
Overwatch’s Newest Game Mode Strikes a Balance Between Innovation and Familiarity
Stadium is putting a fresh twist on the way players engage withOverwatchas a whole. With new gameplay mechanics, selectable abilities, and a carefully crafted hero pool, the community should find thatStadium is a compelling newOverwatchexperiencethat feels quite a bit like core 5v5 modes, while also diverging from that more traditional gameplay. In the interview, Keller mentioned that “Stadium is a significantly new experience,” but “at the same time, it utilizes many elements that already exist in the game.”
At launch, there will be 17 playable heroes; more heroes are expected to be added with each season. At the start, players will also find that they can play on nine maps, which include repurposed versions of Control, Push, and Clash maps, as well as brand-new ones.
Stadium Maps
Stadium is developed by its own sub-team on Team 4, allowing ongoing updates and balance changes to continue for other modes.
Interestingly, perhaps one of the most significant aspects of Stadium is the lack of hero-swapping. Because players are locked into their hero for the duration of the game, they are encouraged to use the Armory to find Items and Powers that will aid not only themselves, but their teammates. In this manner, counter-swapping can only be effectively done through the build they create for their hero. If, for instance, a player finds themselves beinghard-countered on D.Va into Zarya, they may select Anti-Beam and Anti-Barrier builds.
These pre-game and late-game decisions elevate the importance of working with one’s team. This is even more noteworthy when realizing that, in a best-of-7 mode, games typically last 30 to 40 minutes. Team 4 also noted that amini-meta surrounding Junker Queenmay already be brewing for Season 1 of Stadium, but it’s likely too soon to say for certain.
Stadium Starting Heroes
Furthermore, one of the most strikingly innovative changes is the ability to switch between first-person andthird-person points of view inOverwatch 2. Keller commented that players will be able to change between the perspectives in the Options menu, in addition to noting that:
“Stadium is the first time we’ve shipped the third-person withOverwatch. We put a lot of work into making it feel as good as possible inside our experience. We’ve done tons of work on hero animations, camera positions, and secret tech that we’ve put into it to make it feel like you’re aiming correctly.”
Keller went on to emphasize that they will be heavily monitoring the community’s reception to many of these bolder changes,aiming to balance Stadiumaround that feedback as quickly as possible. This is good news for newcomers and veteran players alike, especially since Stadium is being marketed as a mode that lowers the entry barrier. “There are 40-something heroes available in normal modes, which can be kind of a daunting experience for newer players,” he explained. “Restricting it down to 17 makes it easier for players to pick up what is available over the match.” By slimming down the roster, the mode should be less daunting for some players in the player base, which will, in turn, encourage experimentation that should see Stadium flourish as a new coreOverwatchgame mode.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
