Overwatch 2 just revealed some significant alterations to its Stadium roadmap, including the delay of Unranked and crossplay, Pharah and Tracer replacing Sojourn and Wuyang as Season 18 additions, and the rescheduling of other features like Stadium Trials and Competitive Drafts. Though it is subject to further change, fans now have a new look at the Stadium updates they can expect in Overwatch 2 over the next several months.

In early May, Overwatch 2 revealed a roadmap detailing many of the features planned for the Stadium game mode over the next several seasons. This infographic included hero and map additions, new features like Unranked and crossplay, and other quality-of-life improvements.

Overwatch 2 Pop Up Shop Japan Visual
Recent Overwatch 2 Update Paints the Wrong Picture of Season 17

Though Season 17 of Blizzard's hero-shooter, Overwatch 2, is just a few days away, the most recent look at it may be doing its content a disservice.

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Now, shortly before the launch of Overwatch 2 Season 17 on June 24, Blizzard has revealed some significant changes to its previous plan. Specifically, the Stadium team shared an updated roadmap for Season 17, 18, 19, and beyond. Many of these adjustments were delays – for example, Unranked Stadium and crossplay have been pushed back to Season 18 so that Blizzard can refine a better backfill system specifically tuned for the unique game mode. What’s more, Stadium Trials, a Season 18 feature wherein players complete Quests during a match for unique rewards, has been delayed to Season 19 instead.

Overwatch 2 Season 17-19 Stadium Roadmap Changes

  • Competitive Drives in Season 17 (new)
  • Unranked Stadium and crossplay in Season 18 (was 17)
  • Competitive Drafts in Season 18 (was 19+)
  • Pharah in Season 18 (new)
  • Tracer in mid-Season 18 (new)
  • Sojourn in Season 19 (was 18)
  • Stadium Trials in Season 19 (was 18)
  • Wuyang coming to Stadium much later

That said, not all of these schedule changes are delays. Competitive Drafts, originally planned for Season 19 or later, will now be released in Season 18. This will allow fans to select heroes more strategically in Stadium and provide avenues to control which heroes they play against. Additionally, Competitive Drives are coming to Stadium in Overwatch 2 Season 17 – a feature that wasn’t even on the old roadmap at all.

There are a few adjustments to planned additions to the Stadium hero roster as well. Instead of Sojourn, who will now be added in Season 19, Pharah joins Stadium alongside Winston and Brigitte in Season 18. Additionally, Tracer will be added to the game mode in the mid-Season 18 update, rather than Wuyang, the water-themed Overwatch 2 support hero previously codenamed “Aqua” who joins the cast of the core game at the start of the season.

Other features, such as custom games in Season 17, Endorsements in Season 18, and consumable and active items in Season 19, are currently where they previously were on the roadmap, though that could always change in the future. Players can expect to learn more about these features and more in the weeks leading up to their respective seasons.

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Overwatch 2 Tag Page Cover Art
6 /10

Overwatch 2
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Shooter
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Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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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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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
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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.

Cross Save
yes
Franchise
Overwatch
Steam Deck Compatibility
n/a
Early Access Release
October 4, 2022
PC Release Date
August 10, 2023
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
August 10, 2023
PS5 Release Date
August 10, 2023
Nintendo Switch Release Date
August 10, 2023
Genre(s)
Shooter
Platform(s)
PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, PC
OpenCritic Rating
Strong
How Long To Beat
35 hours
X|S Optimized
n/a