Developer Blizzard Entertainment shared the new Stadium gameplay trailer for free-to-play hero shooter Overwatch 2. Two teams will enter the Stadium but only one will emerge victorious in the ultimate contest of skill, strategy, and determination.
The developers describe Stadium as something unlike anything you’ve ever played in Overwatch 2, and it will take everything to climb to the top. This is the new permanent game mode: best-of-7, multi-round way to play Overwatch 2, where two teams of five face off in magnificent arenas as they purchase upgraded items and powers to radically transform their Heroes—all experienced through the game’s new third-person camera.
“In each round, players will be able to earn Stadium Cash that can be used to unlock powerful, game-changing abilities. Players can also take down high-value enemies marked with bounties to earn bonus Stadium Cash and turn the tide of battle. See your hero’s upgraded abilities in action with the option to play in third-person or maintain the classic first-person perspective. The choice is yours!”
At launch, Stadium will feature 17 heroes that you can see in the image below. Before each round, you’ll have a short amount of time to equip Items and Powers in the Armory, while planning a strategy with your team. This is where you’ll spend the special new currency, Stadium Cash, to buy items to buff your Hero, but at the start of the first, third, fifth, and seventh rounds you’ll equip Powers for free. With Items and Powers gained throughout the entire match, you’ll be in control of your uniquely built hero throughout the entire game.
Stadium offers nine different maps using Control, Push, or Clash core game modes, but with special rules in each. Some maps will be familiar destinations, while others will be brand-new arenas to brawl in. Over time, more maps and game modes will be added to Stadium, keeping how and where you play fresh.
- Clash will use the three objective points and will play until a team wins two of those objective points.
- Control will play one round, and the capture progress is faster.
- Push will be played on new and modified maps on a smaller scale with about half the distance to push your barricade in comparison to the full game mode.
Stadium also features its own standalone ranking system with season-exclusive rewards, encouraging players to master the mode and prove their competitive dominance. Step into the arena when Season 16: Stadium launches on Apr 22.
