Season 16 midseason is here with updates, magic, celebrations, and a serious combo of style and substance. Choose your fighter in a hard-hitting collab and join Dokiwatch with a magical Mythic Weapon Skin. Then revisit another Overwatch Classic era in the latest throwback event and don’t miss our month of Pride 2025, filled with a whole lot of heart. Let’s get to it!

Stadium finally opened and Heroes… you answered the call! With 7.8 million hours logged during launch week, Stadium quickly became the most played mode in Overwatch 2, surpassing Quick Play and Competitive. Over 2.3 million matches were played, 206 million items picked, and a jaw-dropping 900 billion Stadium Cash earned in a single week. We love to see it!

Beginning with the addition of Freja this midseason, Heroes will join Stadium more frequently. And because the best way to play is with more Heroes and friends, from May 20 to June 22, we’re giving away an Epic Loot Box when you buddy up and battle it out in two Stadium games with a friend or group in the Better Together challenge. All you have to do is complete the games but wins count as two. So, become OP together and you’ll only need one game to score the loot!
Remember, Stadium isn’t here to replace Quick Play and Competitive, it’s here to expand what Overwatch 2 can be—More heroic. More strategy. More ways to forge your victory. In Season 17 and beyond, there will be Stadium Trials, a “quest”-style system that will introduce random objectives and bonus rewards. Plus, we’ll be debuting Payload Race, a new mode with two new maps to ramp up the action with race-to-the-finish chaos. And just to note some confusion we’ve heard, the two new maps are not King’s Row or Route 66, they’re completely new Payload Race maps set in those iconic locations.

Additionally, you’ll soon be able to import and export builds, so you can bring your best loadout to every match. And we’re exploring an unranked version of Stadium with cross-play group support so more friends can join the fun, no matter what platform they’re on.
Check out our Stadium Reddit AMA or our Past, Present, and Future of Stadium and Stadium by the Numbers Director’s Takes for more. And stay tuned in on our socials for ongoing updates!

Unleash more Dokiwatch magic on the battlefield! Let your healing shine, your kindness inspire, and your plays sparkle with life, because even in her absence from the Heroes of Heart, the spirit of Mercy endures. The Merciful Magitech Mythic Weapon channels the soul of Eleos, the Hamster of Benevolence, and reimagines Mercy’s Caduceus Staff and Blaster through the radiant lens of Magitech might. Rescued after a daring escape, Eleos now brings kindness, healing, and hope to those Heroes still standing against Woe. When you’re defending your team, this charming companion within your weapon ensures that Mercy's Hero of Heart legacy lives on in every beam, every boost, and every act of compassion.
Customize the Mythic Merciful Magitech Weapon Skin across four magical tiers:

• Level One – A Base of Hope: Gilded designs, glowing elements, and intricate Heart engravings bring Mercy’s Magitech legacy to life.
  
• Level Two – Eleos Awakens: Eleos reacts to your actions by perking up, spinning with joy, and celebrating your heroic moments.
  
• Level Three – Flourishes of Mercy: Five randomized flourish animations add whimsy, wonder, and movement to your idle weapon moments.
  
• Level Four – Magitech Mastery: Stunning am

bient VFX fill your every step with sparkles, light, and floating hearts during healing or boosting.

The Merciful Magitech Mythic Weapon Skin is an enchanted love letter to all of you who’ve chosen to heal, protect, and lift your team through the hardest fights. It’s available starting now —so let your light shine, with Eleos by your side!

ROUND ONE – FIGHT! The worlds of Overwatch 2 and Street Fighter 6 collide in an explosive crossover, complete with knockout skins and signature moves in a collab that really packs a punch.
Eight Heroes have been transformed, each embodying the spirit of a Street Fighter 6 icon. Stepping into the ring, we’ve got Legendary Juno as Chun-Li, Kiriko as Juri, Widowmaker as Cammy, Hanzo as Ryu, Zenyatta as Dhalsim, Soldier: 76 as Guile, Winston as Blanka, plus Epic Sigma as M.Bison*.
Choose your fighter (and/or your bundle) with the Ultra Bundle, Mega Bundles 1 & 2, or individual hero skins available in the Shop. Then, complete event challenges to earn exclusive cosmetics and showcase your fighting spirit. If you're looking to channel Psycho Power or send Hadoken-like arrows, this collab is your chance.
Read more in our Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 blog and KO the competition from May 20–June 2.
©CAPCOM

Overwatch Classic returns with the fan-favorite October 2020 Patch, giving 6v6 chaos, returning balance updates, and fantastic teamplay meta vibes. This limited-time mode resurrects original role queue pacing and iconic hero reworks so expect tank duos and team fights that demand skilled coordination.

• Baptiste: Faster shots and increased heals. His primary fire now hits harder, with snappier recovery and even more healing to keep your team alive and kicking.
  
• Brigitte: Buffed up and back in the fray. Increased base health makes Brigitte sturdier than ever, ready to hold the line like a true frontline brawler.
  
• Mei: Chill, freeze, repeat. Mei now regens ammo during Cryo-Freeze and can throw up Ice Walls more often, turning defense into her best offense.
  
• Symmetra: Stronger shields, stronger hold. Symmetra’s base shield boost gives her extra staying power when locking down space.
  
• Widowmaker: Base health adjustments bring Widow into sharper focus, refining her risk-reward balance without dulling her edge.

Complete challenges to earn cosmetics that commemorate this classic era and show off your skill whether you're a veteran reliving glory or a new hero discovering it for the first time. The Overwatch Classic: October 2020 Patch event runs May 20 to June 2, so step into the time machine while it lasts!

Join the celebration of identity, community, and heroes just like you, as Pride returns to Overwatch 2 this June!

Pride 2025 is a moment to reflect, express, and commemorate everyone who makes our world—and our game—stronger. This event is about standing proud and honoring our diverse community. So, we’ll be celebrating our Heroes, players, and stories with heartfelt touches, creative moments, and space to be exactly who you are.

You belong here, and we’re proud to fight by your side.

So, get ready to show your colors, share your love, and battle with Pride as we celebrate all month long. Be sure to check back for more details in our upcoming Pride blog.

Step into a storybook with the Palace Royals Mega Bundle, available in the Shop from June 3–22 and sure to bring drama and romance to every battle.

Royal Princess Mercy leads the cast in a look that blends healing grace with regal beauty and Royal Butler Lifeweaver brings elegance and poise, sweeping allies to safety. Plus, Royal Prince Lucio and Royal Archer Hanzo bring bold color and charm to their royal themes.

These skins are a fairytale collection fit for Heroes who want to fight like royalty and look like it too.

From Stadium updates and brawling as Street Fighters, to lighting up the battlefield with Eleos or reliving the glory days, the back half of Season 16 is packed with reasons to log in, squad up, and play your way. There’s sure to be something for every Hero to keep the magic alive, so we’ll see you in-game!

Midseason is bursting with style, celebration, and surprises as Season 16 continues. Choose your fighter to KO the competition in the Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 collab and join Dokiwatch by unlocking the Mythic Merciful Magitech Mercy Weapon Skin! Then step back into another Overwatch Classic era, reignite the fight with Drives, and dress up like Palace Royals. Plus, Freja enters the Stadium and brings incredible powers that will blow the opponents away!

ROUND ONE – FIGHT! Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 collide for an explosive crossover event, celebrating the heart-pounding action of both worlds. With eight hard hitting skins, emotes, plus cosmetic combos inspired by iconic moves and matchups, this collab brings Street Fighter 6 to the frontlines of Overwatch 2. So, get ready to hit those lightning-fast kicks, charge with Psycho Power, or unleash a Hadoken-like arrow, because every move hits harder with this collab’s fighting flair. It’s time to choose your fighter and KO the competition in the fight for the future.

©CAPCOM

Even in her absence from the Heroes of Heart, the spirit of Mercy endures. The Merciful Magitech Mythic Weapon channels the soul of Eleos, the Hamster of Benevolence, and reimagines Mercy’s Caduceus Staff and Blaster through the radiant lens of Magitech might. Rescued after a daring escape, Eleos now brings kindness, healing, and hope to those heroes still standing against Woe. When you’re defending your team, this charming companion within your Mythic weapon ensures that Mercy's Hero of Heart legacy lives on in every beam, every boost, and every act of compassion.

The nostalgia is real and Overwatch: Classic is back in action! Experience the October 2020 Patch in all its 6v6 glory with returning balance changes, role queue, and heroes like Sigma, Echo, Baptiste, and more. Whether you're a veteran returning home or a new hero curious about the past, this is a classic fight you won’t want to miss.

• Players can now receive an instant notification if a player is already actioned.
  
• Prior to this feature, reporting a player that had already been banned or suspended would not result in any additional information. The Instant Reporting Feedback feature will immediately inform the player of the fact that banned or suspended players have been actioned when they are reported.

Developer comments: Hazard's slower climbing fits his lumbering tank fantasy, but it was a point of friction when trying to chase down or escape from enemies, so we're speeding up how quickly he can vault over a ledge. Additionally, we're boosting Anarchic Zeal’s lifesteal as the current value wasn't effective enough.

Vault - Passive

• Ledge climb animation time reduced from 0.6 to 0.4 seconds.

Anarchic Zeal - Major Perk

• Spike Guard’s Lifesteal is increased from 25% to 40%.

Developer comments: Reinhardt generally does well across the game but falls off in effectiveness at high ranks. We're increasing the speed and responsiveness of Fire Strike to make it more reliable from range.

Fire Strike - Ability 2

• Projectile speed increased from 25 to 30 meters per second.
  
• Recovery time reduced from 0.63 to 0.45 seconds.

Developer comments: Freja has continued to climb in win-rate now that players have become accustomed to her kit. We are partially reverting the Quick Dash cooldown to reduce her airtime and frequency of explosive bolts.

Quick Dash

• Cooldown increased from 3.5 to 4 seconds.

Shuriken - Primary and Secondary Fire

• Ammo reduced from 30 to 24.
  
• Projectile speed increased from 60 to 75.

Developer comments: Hanzo's been underperforming recently so we're reverting his bow draw speed back to its original, faster value. The Sonic Disruption perk isn't picked very often but increasing its duration will make it more useful and require less upkeep to control a health pack.

Storm Bow - Primary Fire

• Draw time reduced from 0.8 to 0.72 seconds.

Sonic Disruption - Minor Perk

• Health pack hack time increased from 12 to 30 seconds.

Developer comments: Drift Thrusters and Concussive Implosion have been too consistent at securing kills. These adjustments will give better opportunities for counterplay when fighting against these perks.

Drift Thrusters - Minor Perk

• Movement speed while using Barrage reduced by 20%.

Concussive Implosion - Major Perk

• Distance pulled reduced by 50%.
  

Developer comments: We're aligning the recovery of Dire Triggers with Reaper’s primary fire to improve the flow when alternating between the two.

Dire Triggers - Major Perk

• Recovery reduced from 0.7 to 0.5 seconds.

Soldier: 76
Developer comments: Stim Pack's button mapping made it difficult to activate, especially in combat. Binding it to Weapon Swap improves the control scheme and removing the anti-heal makes it less punishing to use.

Stim Pack - Major Perk

• Anti-heal removed. Now deals 75 self-damage on use.
  
• Is now activated by using Weapon Swap.

Developer comments: Invisibility is a frustrating mechanic to play against for many, so we're increasing the windows for counterplay. Sombra will now take longer to exit stealth and to disappear after taking damage.

Translocator - Ability 2

• Fade in time increased from 0.15 to 0.3 seconds.
  
• Stealth reveal duration on taking damage increased from 1 to 1.3 seconds.

Developer comments: Widowmaker is a more map-dependent hero than most and now with hero bans restricting her usefulness we're looking to make her viable in more situations.

Widow's Kiss - Primary Fire

• Maximum spread reduced from 3 to 2 degrees.
  
• Damage increased from 13 to 14.

Deadly Deux - Major Perk

• Venom Mine's bonus damage increased from 50% to 100%.

Two iconic worlds come together as Overwatch 2 steps into the ring with Street Fighter 6 in a hard hitting collab event. This crossover packs a punch, bringing the fighting spirit of Street Fighter 6 straight into Overwatch’s hero-driven mayhem, complete with fierce new skins, signature moves reimagined, and cosmetic combos worthy of champions. So, whether you’ve been practicing since the arcade days or you’re just here for the new drip, this event is your ringside ticket to the ultimate fight.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/aKR-7k-AZQ4
This isn’t simply cosplay, it’s full-on fighting flair added to your favorite Overwatch 2 heroes with animations and visual effects nodding to the Street Fighter 6 mechanics you know and love. In one corner, you’ve got Juno channeling the lightning-fast kicks of Chun-Li, Kiriko unleashing pure chaos as Juri, Widowmaker moving with the silent precision of Cammy, and Hanzo bringing calm fury as Ryu. Add Zenyatta floating free with Dhalsim’s meditative might, Soldier: 76 dropping in with that classic Guile energy, Sigma powered up with *M.Bison’s raw intensity, and Winston going full beast mode as Blanka in the other corner, and you’ve got a roster built to take to the streets.

Each skin is lovingly crafted with nods to iconic moves, stances, and personalities, down to the smallest details to hit every beat. 

https://youtu.be/aKR-7k-AZQ4?si=DnEOj2_wN0D8Yzub

There are a few ways to enter the ring, depending on how you want to hit.  

The Street Fighter 6 Ultra Bundle comes out swinging with all eight collab skins, mixing things up so you can outfit your whole team like true fighting champions.

The Street Fighter 6 Mega Bundle 1 features Legendary Juno as Chun-Li, Hanzo as Ryu, Zenyatta as Dhalsim and Epic Sigma as M.Bison. The Street Fighter Mega Bundle 2 pairs Legendary Kiriko as Juri and Widowmaker as Cammy in their fiercest forms, with Winston as Blanka and Soldier: 76 as Guile. All fighters will also be available individually so no matter which bundle or skin you pick, you’ll find something that fits.

And it wouldn’t be a true street fight without something to prove! During the collab event, you’ll be able to take on special limited-time challenges inspired by Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6. Complete them to earn up to 40,000 XP plus exclusive themed sprays, voice lines, and the Street Fighter player title to rep your fighting spirit on the battlefield long after the match is over.

The Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 event is only here from May 20 through June 2, so don’t wait for Round Two, it’s now or never. Get ready to hit those lightning-fast kicks, charge with Psycho Power, or unleash a Hadoken-like arrow, because every move hits harder with this collab’s fighting flair. Once the event ends, these cosmetics are heading back to their home universe, so if you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to unleash your inner fighter, this is it. Jump in and KO the competition in the fight for the future.


©CAPCOM

Hi everyone! We've loved hearing your enthusiasm for Stadium and most of all, we've loved watching you all play it. There’s already been so much creativity with builds. Not that we were surprised by that—we knew you wouldn’t disappoint!

Before I get into current changes and future developments, I'd like to give a little history of Stadium in hopes that it will give you some context as to where it’s headed. Plus, I like the title "Past, Present, and Future”!
Stadium emerged as an idea before Overwatch 2 launched. In fact, before it was presented to the team, one of my kids created the first pitch document with a sample level and presented it to me! Stadium has come a long way since then, but I always think of my son when playing.

Early versions looked a little different from the mode you’re playing today. Stadium was initially focused on providing as much variety as possible. It was set up as an eight-team tournament. Each round, players picked from random upgrades to use in combat phases of Team Deathmatch or versus AI, losing health if they lost the round. But it was difficult to create a coherent strategy or builds to counter opponents when the decisions were made through random selection.

This change into the format you see today reflects a shift in our thinking: we still want there to be variety from match to match in Stadium, but variety is no longer the highest priority. We want you to feel balanced and competitive, while making epic builds through strategic choices based on the performance and Hero compositions of everyone in the match.  
Speaking of keeping things balanced and competitive, the team is already planning tweaks based on the feedback and data we’ve received since launch.  

While we often see a big spike in play time shortly after a sparkly new event launches, play time in Stadium has been a bit stickier. In its first week, roughly 50% of all play hours in Overwatch 2 were devoted to Stadium!  

When it comes to builds and Hero balance, we’ll be collecting data over the next few weeks to see what changes need to be made for the midseason balance patch, if not earlier.

There are many gears turning behind the scenes when it comes to Stadium. The development team answered some of your burning questions in a Reddit AMA earlier this week and we’ll be sharing more insights and Stadium data in a special Director’s Take next week!
If you like playing Stadium, you'll be happy to know that we have a lot of big plans for it. There will be seasonal updates to Stadium which will include the release of new Heroes, maps, game modes, systems and features, as well as the usual care we put into other modes of Overwatch.

What’s coming to Stadium over the next two seasons? A lot! 

The team just put out an extensive roadmap for Stadium that shows more of our future plans for the mode.

Heroes: Our newest addition to the Overwatch roster will also be the first new Hero added Freja is headed to Stadium and she'll arrive with the Season 16 midseason patch. But she's not the only Hero on the way! We'll have new Heroes added every Season, since we think adding new heroes is critically important for Stadium.  Each time we've released a new addition internally, they’ve totally shifted the meta and the way we thought about putting together a build.

Game Modes: We’re planning on releasing a new game mode within Stadium named Payload Race and two brand-new maps will launch with it. On top of that, we’ll be integrating a new mechanic that we’ve been calling “Quests” internally. At the start of each match, players will select from a random set of quests that will dole out rewards once objectives are completed.

Systems: While we're really excited for new content in Stadium, we think systems that influence the way you put a build together can have an even greater impact. In Season 17, we’ll be releasing a build importer and exporter. This will not only allow players to put together builds outside of a Stadium match and then select them inside a match, it will also allow players to select from community builds as well.

You’ve also made your voices heard on a topic that’s very important to all of us: Cross-Play! Since Stadium has a competitive system, it follows the rules of our core competitive mode, which doesn’t allow PC and Console players to group. Since this is the only way to play the mode, we agree, and we’d like to do something about it. We’re currently investigating what it would take to make an unranked version of the mode. This would allow groups of friends to play together and would give us the ability to make other changes as well, possibly introducing a best-of-5 format to the mode.



Before signing off, I'd like to reiterate the team’s commitment to the other core modes of Overwatch. 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.

We can't wait for you to see what's coming there, especially Season 18. It's going to be a banger!  Have fun with Stadium and, as always, let’s make a great game.

The ultimate battleground is yours to conquer in Season 16: Stadium.

Welcome to Stadium, our new permanent game mode! In this best-of-7, round-based mode, you’ll earn Stadium Cash to unlock powerful, game-changing abilities. You can even choose between first-person and third-person perspective to see your powers in action, and unlock rewards as you rise through the ranks.

Our new Damage Hero, Freja, is finally here. As a relentless bounty hunter, Freja thrives on mobility, precision, and calculated aggression. Her Revdraw Crossbow delivers powerful rapid-fire shots, while her Bola Shot Ultimate pulls enemies together for high-impact team plays.

Unleash your inner magical girl with DokiWatch! Join the fight against Woe with the dazzling Heroes of Heart, their leader, Mythic Heart of Hope Juno, and Mercy’s new Merciful Magitech Mythic Weapon Skin arriving later this Season.

Hop into Competitive Play to try out the new hero ban system, unlock brand new Battle Pass and Shop skins, enjoy the return of Overwatch Classic, and SO much more!

Overwatch 2 is free to play for everyone on console & PC!

Welcome to part four in our series on Stadium, Overwatch 2’s newest way to play! We’ve looked into how Stadium is played and planned the best Powers and Items for your Heroes, and now you’re ready to bag some bounties on the battlefield. Let’s take a deep dive into Stadium's competitive ranking system and the sweet rewards that only the best competitors will claim.

Stadium is ready to test the skills and strategies of every player—whether you’re Bronze or a Grand Master in Competitive Play, Stadium will be a whole new challenge. With a separate ranking system, there are different rules for climbing the ranks, and new rewards that you can only earn in Stadium.
There are seven Stadium Leagues with five skill divisions to progress through. First, you’ll start on the very bottom of the Rookie League—no placement matches. You must win games to reach higher Leagues and unlock better rewards, including exclusive Weapon Charms and exclusive Epic Skins.

Working your way up in Stadium works differently to Competitive Play, where your gains and losses are based on how your internal matchmaking rating is adjusted after every match. In Stadium, you’ll earn Points through winning games—to help you climb to new skill tiers and divisions—and you will lose points when you are defeated in higher leagues. You'll also have a separate rank for all three roles: Tank, Damage, and Support.

No points will be lost in the first two Leagues: Rookie and Novice. In Contender and Elite, after a loss, you will lose a small number of Points, meaning you risk being relegated back to Novice if you lose too many matches. At Pro and above, all wins and losses are worth close to the same amount of Points.

Due to the evolving nature of Stadium—with new Heroes, maps, modes, and abilities changing the meta every Season—your rank will reset at the end of each Season. You will be granted the rewards of the highest League tier you reach by the end of the Season.
While good teamwork is important in all areas of Overwatch 2, Stadium is best played when you can plan and test strategies that complement your teammates. With an entirely separate ranked ladder that is more about winning games than showing who is best of the best individually, Stadium is all about teamwork.

We want those of you that group up with friends to be able to play together regardless of the League each is ranked in, so there won’t be grouping restrictions, nor will you be separated by Narrow or Wide groups.
With Stadium comes new rewards for you to collect. You'll have the chance to unlock Stadium-exclusive Weapon Charms, Name Cards, and Titles based on the highest rank achieved. You will also earn exclusive skins for reaching certain Leagues.

Players will have a chance to collect exclusive Epic Skins are one-time, lifetime rewards, and will change every season. There is one per role, and you will receive them the moment you hit Elite with that role. For the opening season, you’ll earn an Orisa skin for the Tank role, a Genji skin for the Damage role, and a Moira skin for the Support role.

And get ready to shoot for the stars! If you can reach the All-Star rank in any role, you’ll unlock the Legendary Juno All Star skin. This highly elusive skin is only available only in the inaugural season for Stadium.

Playing Stadium will also earn you Competitive Points to unlock Gold, Jade, and Galactic Weapon Variants for your Heroes. Every win will grant 10 Competitive Points.
To celebrate launch, we’re kicking things off with a season-long event, Stadium: Initiation. Jump in and complete challenges for a variety of rewards including Name Cards, Player Icons, an Epic Loot Box, a Legendary Loot Box, an exclusive Rookie Soldier: 76 Epic skin, plus Battle Pass XP bonuses to kick off your progression through the Season 16 Battle Pass.

We took you through the key features of Stadium, what we learned in its development, talked about important strategies to secure that big win, and in this blog, wrapped up on ranks and rewards. We know you may still have questions, so we have prepared a special forum post[us.forums.blizzard.com] for everyone to answer questions about the new mode that we may not have covered here. And we’ve still got more to talk about for Season 16 in the days ahead, so stay tuned. We’ll see you in Stadium!

Welcome to part three in our series on Stadium, Overwatch 2’s newest way to play! Upgrading your Hero with Items and Powers to their maximum potential is your best chance of winning, so in this blog we want to explore some key strategies and ideas that may help you emerge victorious in Stadium.

There are four key pillars on the road to victory: Developing a Power Strategy; Making a Quick Buck; Spending Wisely on Items; and Watching Your Opponent's Strategies. Each of these work in tandem to help you become the MVP of every round. Let’s dive into the playbook!
Each Hero will have 12 different Powers to pick from, and you’ll select a new Power ahead of rounds 1, 3, 5, and 7. This means if the match lasts until the seventh and final round, you’ll have unlocked four Powers. Powers typically complement an ability, weapon, or aspect of your Hero’s kit, and choosing Powers that complement each other can really open up new possibilities.

For example, Kiriko can duplicate herself using the Clone Conjuartion to attack in two places at once. Mei can roll into battle by powering up her Cyro-Freeze with Coulder. D.Va literally turns the floor to lava with every use of her Boosters enhanced with the Ignition Burst power. The choices and combinations are nearly infinite, but understanding how Powers complement one another is a key factor for winning.
Where Powers support you in a unique way, Items give you the means to adapt to the evolving battle with a variety of interchangeable upgrades. Unlike Powers, Items can be sold for the same amount of Stadium Cash you initially spend on them, meaning you’ll be able to utilize your entire budget to adapt your strategy in every round.

Items are organized across three groups:

• Weapon - Great for upgrading Heroes whose gameplay is heavily focused on their weapon, such as Cassidy or Widowmaker.
• Ability - Great for heroes who depend on cooldown abilities like Orisa, Mei, or Moira.
• Survival - Great for nearly all heroes, but Support heroes like Mercy or Ana might opt to stay alive longer if they get caught by an opponent.

When equipping Items, you can open the stats panel to see how strong your hero becomes with each Item equipped, including total health, attack speed, cooldown reductions, and more.

Items will have different tiers organized into Common, Rare, and Epic .

Common Items will be the most affordable, providing a small buff to one of your different stats. Use Common Items in the early part of the game or to round off your budget for any open slots you may have left.

Rare Items give your stats a significant boost, and you’ll be able to start affording at least one Rare Item right after your first round. You can equip Rare Items to round out all aspects of your Hero’s stats, or put emphasis on one aspect of their kit for a high risk, high reward style of gameplay.

Epic Items are the most expensive and will often only come into play in the later rounds in a close match. Equip Epic Items to either boost your Powers strategy even more or to counter an opponent’s build.

Most Items will be available for multiple Heroes, but some Rare and Epic Items are exclusive to a specific Hero. These special Hero Items are designed to enhance a specific weapon, ability, or another part of your Hero’s identity that’s unique to them. For example, when Orisa equips Oladele-Copter Blades, she’ll be able to use Javelin Spin to literally fly short distances. Mei will be ready to speed skate her way to the front lines after she equips the Snowboots Hero Item. Ana’s enemies will think twice before diving her when she upgrades her Sleep Dart with the Tranquilizer Hero Item that increases its hit box by 500%!

At the start of the game, you’ll receive 3,500 Stadium Cash, which is enough to equip three Common Items for your Hero. You will earn additional Stadium Cash after every round , regardless of a win or loss. The better you play, the more Stadium Cash you’ll earn, as you deal damage, heal, provide assists, or secure eliminations. After each round, whomever performs the best and scores the most cash will be the round MVP and earn a bonus of 1,000 Stadium Cash.

If your team is falling behind, you can get back in the game quickly with a huge boost to your bank when you eliminate an opponent with a high bounty. All Heroes begin with a bounty value of 300 and if you eliminate an opponent, your own bounty increases by 75. Anyone that has a huge impact in the game will quickly raise their bounty value. If a Hero has a bounty value of 750 or more, they are marked in the team bar on the top of the gameplay HUD. The maximum bounty is 2,000. You can also check the scoreboard to see what the value for each Hero is at any time. Should you participate in the shared elimination of an opponent, a portion of that bounty is added to your Stadium Cash total based on how much you contributed to that elimination.

After being eliminated, your bounty value will reset down to 300. Don’t worry if a teammate is being heavily targeted—heroes who are at 300 bounty value when they are eliminated will lose 100 bounty (and go down to 200) as a result.

Earning as much Stadium Cash as possible will not only help you unlock more Items between rounds, it’s also your key to increasing your survivability each round. In addition to your Items and Powers, you’ll gain 1 max health for every 500 Stadium Cash earned, including what you have spent on items. All heroes can add a total of 300 additional max health through the full match, and Tanks will also gain speed and strength for every 250 Stadium Cash earned.
Throughout the game, you’ll be able to see what Powers and Items your opponents are picking. This information will help you decide what Items and Powers you should be equipping. You won’t be able to actively see what abilities are picked during the Armory phase of each round, but once selections are locked in, you’ll know what tricks everyone has packed.

If Mercy is focusing on maximizing movement speed and cooldown reductions with Guardian Angel, she can be a menace to catch. Powers and Items like Juno’s Pulsar Destroyer, Soldier: 76’s Super Visor, and Cassidy’s Quick Draw can enable abilities that auto-lock onto her. If Ashe is burning up the field with a Dynamite build causing multiple enemies to catch on fire, equipping Kiriko’s Talisman of Life Item and Two-Zu Power will really help extinguish the flames. Finally, if Zarya is focusing on a build that powers up her Particle Cannon’s primary fire, Orisa would normally be at a disadvantage. But when you combine Orisa’s Powers that enhance Fortify with the Ogundimu Reduction Field Epic Survival Item, Orisa will be able to tank through just about anything Zarya throws at her.

Different heroes will have different solutions, so check the scoreboard to see how your enemies are building up their heroes and work with your teammates to find powerful strategies that can counter them. While Overwatch 2 has always been about good skill and smart positioning, Stadium requires strategic planning as you progress through each round to make sure you come out on top.
Now that we’ve gone over key things to remember about using Powers, Items, and Stadium Cash effectively, let’s dive in further into two examples of how you can combine them together to create whole new ways to play your favorite Heroes.

Soldier: 76 - When you focus on Solider: 76’s Sprint and Biotic Field, you’ll be spinning your enemies around in circles. Throughout the round, select Powers that transform your Biotic Field into a powerful AOE weapon—Track and Field, On Me!, Back Off, and Frontliners. Combined with Hero Items like Compression Fatigues and Rapid Response Radius, you won’t need to shoot your enemies, just run around them in circles as the Biotic Field sends damaging waves of energy on your foes!

Kiriko - If you are a projectile master, then you’ll slice your way through the competition when you focus on powering up Kiriko’s Kunai. Powers like Foxy Fireworks, Keen Kunai, Triple Threat, and Spirit Veil will reward high-skill play with auto-reloading and explosive impacts. Combined with Hero Items like Tailsman of Victory and Cyclist Gloves, you’ll be able to jump into the front lines with boosted attack speed and dive on targets alongside your Damage role teammates.

These are just two strategies among dozens you can try out, and we can’t wait to see what combos you’ll come up with.
We can’t wait to see what exciting builds you’ll come up with, but we’ve got one more blog coming out your way. Tomorrow, we’ll take a dive into the exclusive rank system that Stadium will use and we’ll take a look at all of the cool rewards that you can earn in game as you climb your way to the top. Don’t forget, we’ll see you in the Stadium starting on April 22.

Welcome to part two in our series on Overwatch 2’s newest way to play, Stadium! Today, we want to highlight what has been improved upon since you last saw Stadium in action in the Overwatch 2 Spotlight.

• Part 1 - Get Ready to Battle!
• Part 2 - Lessons Learned from the Playtests
• Part 3 - Coming Soon
• Part 4 - Coming Soon

After announcing Stadium as part of the Overwatch 2 Spotlight, we ran a closed Alpha where thousands of players tried out Stadium for the first time. We were incredibly excited by all the feedback we received: we addressed hundreds of bugs, made updated changes to balance, and added various quality-of-life improvements. We’re so grateful to everyone who participated.
The biggest takeaway for us was truly how much our testers played Stadium. Most players returned for at least five of the seven 4-hour sessions, and we couldn’t be more appreciative. The number-one comment we heard was how much fun folks were having creating new hero builds.

This was incredibly awesome for us to hear, as builds are what sets Stadium apart from the core game we all know. Instead of hero-swapping, it’s how you equip certain items and powers every round that drives the gameplay.

As an early build, the playtest helped identify a few points of friction that we’ve since worked on. The feedback received helped us improve a variety of things such as item and power balance issues, and some problematic builds that proved to be overly powerful. For example, play-testers quickly discovered Cassidy was able to one-hit knock out heroes with 350 health or more and have the ability to auto lock on with a critical hit… yes, it was terrifying, but we got that fixed. We’ve also improved the variety of items you can buy and sell, including items that can help counter against powerful builds.

During these playtests, we had a “Mercy Rule” set so if a team won the first three games in a row, the match ended early. However, we quickly came to realize that sometimes a match isn’t exactly a stomp after the first three rounds, so we added a second condition before calling a match early. Now, if after a 3-0 the leading team has 15,000 Stadium Cash (or more) than the trailing team, the Mercy Rule will activate. Otherwise, at least one more round is played to give the trailing team a fair chance to reverse sweep.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the Mercy Rule and can tune it as needed in future updates. Our goal is to make sure every game has meaning while also not leaving players who are behind in a one-sided game from having to wait too long to be able to requeue for a new match.

Snowballing was also an issue in some matches. Even with bounties on key targets, a team that was significantly leading could access their more powerful items faster than the team catching up. Now, the trailing team will have Stadium Cash boosts, plus both teams earn increased passive cash throughout the match. It will still take extra effort to settle the score, but we hope this adjustment will prevent major snowballing.

We’re currently satisfied with the balance between all of our heroes, and we’re ready to launch. However, we’ll be watching your games very closely and plan to react quickly if any given item, power, or hero build starts to become too weak or too powerful, so keep an eye out for balance updates.
Stadium is a unique mode with a lot of things happening around your hero, making it harder to see everything while in the first-person perspective. For this reason, Stadium is set to default to third-person view. However, those who prefer to stay in first-person perspective (looking at you, FPS purists!) can switch to first-person in the game settings.

Players in third-person perspective have new elements on their reticle to indicate when their hero is reloading or when their attacks are being blocked by line of sight. We’ve added a field of view slider and players can assign a key binding to toggle which shoulder the camera overlooks. And of course, all these settings can be customized for each of your favorite heroes.

Stadium is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to see all of you group up with your friends and jump in the game. We still have a lot of things we want to cover in the days ahead too, including details on items and powers, and how you can create your own hero build.

Stadium is not just any mode for the arcade. It’s a permanent way to play Overwatch 2 alongside the core gameplay in Unranked, and Competitive. Stay tuned, as we’re planning updates for every season with more heroes, maps, items, and powers.

Again, thanks to all our content creators, fellow team members, and hundreds of players who jumped into the Stadium playtest last month. We know y’all can’t wait to jump in, but don’t worry, Stadium will be here soon!

Two teams will enter the Stadium but only one will emerge victorious in the ultimate contest of skill, strategy, and determination. Stadium is unlike anything you've ever played in Overwatch 2, and it will take everything you’ve got to come out on top. Starting this week, we’ll go over what it takes to conquer the competition and claim victory in every match.
Stadium is the new 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 our new third-person camera.

At launch, Stadium will feature 17 heroes, with more being added every season. At the start of each game, you’ll choose the Hero you want to play for the entire match, within a 1 Tank, 2 Damage, 2 Support composition. Following each round, you’ll first upgrade your Hero with Powers, ability-changing modifiers that can completely change how your hero is played. Then you’ll spend Stadium Cash, a new scoring currency used to purchase upgrades to your Hero’s kit in the Armory. With Items and Powers gained throughout the entire match, you’ll be in control of your uniquely built hero throughout the entire game.

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. Here is where you’ll spend 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.

Items are power-ups that can supplement a Hero’s weapons, abilities or overall survivability. Items come in three rarities—Common, Rare, and Epic—and while most can be equipped by every hero, some items will be exclusive for just your specific hero. At any given time, you can equip up to six different Items. When you need more cash or need to free up a slot, you can sell your equipped Items for their full value, then buy and equip new ones.

Powers are transformative modifiers that grant unique passives, modifiers, or whole new abilities. Equipping the right Powers together can create unique strategies that completely change how your Hero is played. Like Reinhardt sending lava across the arena with his Firestrike, or Kiriko being able to clone herself and leaving opponents seeing double. Powers don’t cost you Stadium Cash to equip, but once you equip a Power, it cannot be removed, so plan carefully.

If you don’t know which Items or Powers to pick at first, the game will suggest two different Example Builds for your Hero. These will include recommended Items and Powers that focus on a unique strategy or key part of your Hero’s gameplay kit. You can follow these, or use them as guides as you start coming up with your own innovative Builds. We’ll be detailing more on Items and Powers, as well as key strategies for planning your Hero Builds in an upcoming blog.

At the start of every game, you begin with 3,500 Stadium Cash, and you’ll earn more as you progress through the match. The better your performance, the more Stadium Cash you’ll earn. If you find that your team is falling behind, bounties can appear for opponents who are threats to your team. Eliminating a bounty target will grant you a portion of that bounty based on how much you contributed to the elimination of that opponent. The more Stadium Cash you have, the more versatile your selection of powerful Items will be.

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 is a complex game mode, and you’ll need to be able to know what is going on around you. There may be times when lava will spray across the walkways, multiple biotic orbs will fly across the area, or a giant death ray from orbit will come crashing down on you from behind. This is why Stadium, by default, uses a third-person perspective view as you play.

You’ll have the ability to tune and adjust your viewing experience in the new Stadium settings in your Game Options. Including adjusting your field of view, using special UI to show when you are reloading or when your line-of-sight is blocked, and more. Or if you prefer, you can always switch back to the traditional first-person view.
Stadium uses its own unique competitive ranking system, separate from Competitive Play. Due to the addition of new Heroes, abilities, Powers, and balance changes, at the start of every Season, ranks will be reset with everyone starting at the bottom of the Rookie League. You will climb up to higher Divisions and Leagues as you win games of Stadium. Each League will become more difficult as the risk of losing progress increases.

Stadium will feature unique and exclusive rewards from Competitive Play including all new Epic skins for select Heroes every season by climbing to the Elite Rank for each role. You’ll also earn Competitive Points to unlock Weapon Variants.

To celebrate the launch of Stadium in Season 16, compete in the inaugural season to earn the exclusive All-Stars Juno Epic skin when you reach the All-Star League in any role. There’s even more to learn about Stadium’s ranked mode, and we’ll cover that in a future blog later this week. Until then, shoot for the stars and prove you’re the ultimate competitor in the Stadium.

We can’t wait to see you in the Stadium, and we’ll have a lot more to share all week long. Check back tomorrow for an update on how Stadium has developed since when we first announced it during the Overwatch 2 Spotlight, thanks in part to the great feedback and learnings we gained from recent closed alpha playtests.

Until then, time to start making your gameplan with your friends—we’ll see you in the Stadium on April 22.

BlizzCon is back! The ultimate celebration of our games and the community that unites us is returning to the Anaheim Convention Center Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, in 2026.

One of our favorite traditions, BlizzCon brings us together over our shared passion for Blizzard’s universes, but at its heart, BlizzCon has always been about so much more. It’s about you, the communities you are a part of, and gives us the chance to connect, build friendships, and create unforgettable memories together.

We’ve come a long way since our first event in 2005. Over the past nearly 20 years since its inception, BlizzCon has inspired us to innovate, push the boundaries of creativity, and deliver once-in-a-lifetime moments. It’s important that we put on an event worthy of our community. For 2026, alongside BlizzCon staples like Opening Ceremony, in-depth panels, the Darkmoon Faire, friendly competition, hands-on gameplay, and more, we aim to meaningfully elevate this iconic celebration and create an unforgettable experience for all who take part in it. We are building this event just like we build our games: with a deep commitment to our players, with respect for your connections to our universes, and as a celebration of the strength of the bonds formed through shared adventure.

The road to BlizzCon starts here. We can’t wait to share more with you as our plans take shape. Visit https://blizzcon.com/ and sign up to receive BlizzCon updates: be among the first to know when tickets go on sale, and get access to BlizzCon news, special offers, and updates. Follow us on social media on Instagram[www.instagram.com], X (formerly Twitter)[www.x.com], and Facebook[www.facebook.com].

See you at BlizzCon!