Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled its exciting roadmap for Overwatch 2 Stadium for 2025, giving fans a sneak peek into the heroes and features planned for Season 17, Season 18, Season 19, and beyond. This roadmap was shared in a detailed Director’s Take blog post by game director Aaron Keller, who also provided insights into the mode's past, present, and future, alongside a surprise summer roadmap.

The rollout of Stadium will continue to evolve as the new Damage hero, Freja, joins the limited roster with a mid-season patch in Season 16. However, it's Season 17 in June that will truly elevate the experience. Heroes like Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta will be introduced to the strategic multiplayer mode, alongside the Esperança Push map and Samoa Control map.

Blizzard plans to enhance Stadium by adding features like Unranked Crossplay, new all-star rewards, custom games, additional example builds, and the ability to save and share builds. While it's uncertain if all these heroes and features will be available at the start of Season 17 or rolled out throughout the season, players can look forward to a richer gameplay experience.

In Season 18, the beloved gorilla hero Winston will become playable, joined by Sojourn and Brigitte. The Route 66 and London maps will also be added to the mix, along with a new Payload Race game mode featuring two new maps. Players will enjoy Stadium trials and the ability to Endorse their teammates, fostering a more collaborative environment.

Blizzard promises to introduce "multiple new heroes" in every season, drawing from both the existing Overwatch 2 roster and new characters. For Season 19 and beyond, a new China map is planned, along with a Draft Mode feature, consumables, and tweaks to the item system, ensuring continuous evolution and excitement.

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

How has Stadium Performed so Far?

The Overwatch 2 team has shared impressive statistics about Stadium, which has quickly become the game's most played mode, surpassing Quick Play and Competitive. In its launch week alone, Stadium saw 2.3 million matches played over 7.8 million hours, more than doubling the engagement seen during Overwatch Classic's launch week.

Notable statistics include Lucio boasting both the highest win rate and the lowest pick rate, while players have spent a staggering 900 billion Stadium Cash on 206 million items for their builds. These figures highlight the mode's popularity and the players' deep engagement.

In his Director’s Take, Aaron Keller clarified that Stadium was in development before Overwatch 2's launch, debunking theories that it was created to compete with Marvel Rivals, which debuted in December 2024. Keller also promised ongoing communication, with more insights into Stadium expected next week.

Keller reaffirmed Blizzard’s commitment to the core modes of Overwatch, stating, "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 also teased that Season 18 will be a highlight, promising an unforgettable experience.

Stadium was introduced with the launch of Season 16 last week, as part of Blizzard's broader efforts to reinvigorate its player base. This initiative began with an all-encompassing Spotlight presentation in February, leading to the reintroduction of loot boxes and an improved Steam rating. Many players believe this represents the best Overwatch experience in years.

As we await more updates, you can explore our guide to learn more about Stadium and check out our recommendations for the best Tank Builds, DPS Builds, and Support Builds.