Overwatch 2 Director Shares More About Stadium Game Mode

Summary

Stadium is a permanent, customizable game mode in Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2 developers plan to prevent snowballing with catch-up mechanics like Stadium Cash.
The Stadium game mode aims for balance by using unique powers, items, and features specific to the mode.

Overwatch 2 has revealed even more information about Stadium, including where the new game mode came from, their plans for adding additional heroes and maps in the future, and how they plan to combat snowballing via various catch-up and stomp-prevention mechanics. It is clear Overwatch 2 has put a lot of time and effort into this permanent new game mode – and players only have to wait until April 22 to try it out for themselves.

Stadium is a brand-new, highly customizable game mode coming to Overwatch 2 in Season 16. Featuring a third-person camera viewpoint and special Powers and Items that can be used to upgrade their heroes between rounds, this best-of-seven grudge match is a permanent new pillar of Overwatch 2.

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By Luci S

To further hype up Stadium, Overwatch 2 has been revealing tons of new information about the game mode. In an interview with Comicbook, Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller shared some interesting tidbits about the game mode, including its origin. “Stadium, for most of its life, has always existed as a distinct mode within Overwatch,” he explained. That said, he admitted the developers did “look back on some abilities that we had in the PvE mode” when building out abilities. However, he clarified that “the types of abilities you need for a PvP experience a lot of times are going to be different from the ones that work right in a PvE experience.” Either way, fans can still expect kit-bending Overwatch 2 game modes like Totally Normalwatch, Junkenstein’s Laboratory, and Mirrorwatch to happen alongside Stadium.

Overwatch 2 Reveals Future Plans for Stadium

Keller also shared plans for the mode’s immediate future. Only 17 of the 43 heroes in Overwatch 2 will be available when Stadium launches for both balance purposes and to keep the cognitive load manageable, but players can expect “multiple heroes” to be added to Stadium each season until its roster catches up. Keller even teased that Freja, the new damage hero coming in Season 16, may arrive “sooner rather than later.” Additionally, more familiar, reworked, and brand-new maps will also be added to the nine battlefields that are currently in rotation, with a potential for a seasonal rotation in the far future.

Hero balance is obviously a big concern for Stadium, but Keller actually believes “the more systems you add to a game or game mode, the easier it can be to balance across the entire experience.” Like Season 15’s Perks in traditional Overwatch 2 game modes, Stadium’s powers, items, and other features provide plenty of ways to tweak heroes specifically in the new game mode, leading to more balance across the board.

Stadium, for most of its life, has always existed as a distinct mode within Overwatch... [But] we have been able to look back on some abilities that we had in the PvE mode... The types of abilities you need for a PvP experience a lot of times are going to be different from the ones that work right in a PvE experience.

The lack of counter-swapping, plus snowball prevention methods like catch-up Stadium Cash and the “Mercy Rule” to end a match early if a game is 3-0 with a 15,000 Stadium Cash deficit, offer further adjustable elements to Stadium, allowing Overwatch 2 to monitor the ambitious new game mode and ensure it remains satisfying. It is clear Keller has high hopes for Stadium, so fans will have to give it a try for themselves on April 22 to see if it can live up to the excitement.

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%

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Released: August 10, 2023
ESRB: T For Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Violence
Developer(s): Blizzard
Publisher(s): Blizzard
Engine: Proprietary Engine
Multiplayer: Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S

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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.