Director’s Insight: Stadium’s Journey – Past, Present, and Future

Hey folks! So, with all the buzz about Stadium—seriously, your excitement is contagious—we’ve loved catching glimpses of your creative builds. Can’t say we’re shocked though, you guys always blow us away!

Alright, here’s some juicy tidbits about Stadium’s history before diving into the nitty-gritty of updates and shiny stuff. As much as I love the title “Past, Present, and Future,” this isn’t just a history lesson—it’s a peek at where we’re headed. Plus, who doesn’t love a little nostalgia trip?

## Past

Gotta say, Stadium was brewing in the back of everyone’s mind even before Overwatch 2 made its grand entrance. Truth bomb: my kid was the mastermind behind the first pitch with a cool level sample. Every time I dive into Stadium, I’m low-key reminded of my son’s creative spark.

Early on, Stadium looked like a totally different beast. It was all about variety back then—a wild eight-team tourney, with players pulling random upgrades for chaotic battles in Team Deathmatch or against AI. Kinda hard to strategize with all that randomness. But hey, variety was king! Now? We’re all about those killer builds and strategic moves.

## Present

Speaking of keeping things fun and competitive, we’re already knee-deep in planning tweaks from all your feedback and data since day one. And wow, Stadium’s been like superglue—people are hooked! Half of Overwatch 2’s playtime in the first week was all Stadium. No, seriously.

We’re hunting down all the juicy data on builds and Hero balance for some serious midseason tweaks. There’s just so much happening behind the scenes—like a bustling bee hive, but you know, with game developers. We even did a Reddit AMA to spill some secrets and more insights are coming in a Director’s Take. Are you excited yet?

## Future

So, if you love the chaos of Stadium, brace yourself! We’ve got big, BIG plans. Think seasonal updates packed with new Heroes, maps, modes, you name it. It’s everything you love about Overwatch, but with a Stadium twist.

What’s on the menu for the next couple seasons? Like, lots! We dished out a roadmap with all the deets on what’s cooking up for Stadium.

Looking at Heroes, Freja’s breaking into our roster with Season 16. And that’s just the beginning. New Heroes every season, because why not? Each one’s a game-changer, flipping the meta and shaking up those builds.

Oh, and we’re tossing in a fresh game mode called Payload Race with two new maps. But hang on, there’s more—you’ll be embarking on “Quests” during matches for epic rewards. Think RPG vibes but in Stadium style.

Systems are on the upgrade too. We’re rolling out a build importer/exporter in Season 17. Ever wanted to craft your builds outside the chaos of a match? Well, now it’s happening. Plus, you’ll get to browse and pick community builds. How neat is that?

Cross-Play? Yeah, we heard you loud and clear. It’s a hot topic and we’re on it! We’re cooking up ways to let PC and Console folks play nice together in an unranked mode. Fingers crossed for that best-of-5 format making its appearance too.

Oh hey, before I sign off, huge shoutout to everyone. We’re still pouring our souls into all things Overwatch, not just Stadium. So, don’t worry, it’s all love and dedication across the board.

Season 18 is going to be next-level awesome—trust me. Dive into Stadium, enjoy the chaos, and let’s keep crafting an incredible game together. Cheers!