Overwatch Stadium - latest updates and full roster

What is Overwatch Stadium? Overwatch has experimented with many game modes over the years, but none of them have had the impact that Stadium has. Introduced to Overwatch in April last year, Stadium is a round-based game mode that plays similarly to a MOBA. Featuring powerful unlockable items, you can construct builds to help your team steamroll the competition.

There are so many differences between Stadium and regular Overwatch, Blizzard can't just drop all the Overwatch characters and abilities into the game mode without careful consideration. As a result, you won't find all of your favorite heroes in the multiplayer game just yet, but everyone is slowly being added to the roster with each coming season. Here's everything you need to know about Overwatch Stadium, including how it works, what's coming to the game mode, and much more.

Overwatch Stadium explained

Stadium is a 5v5 MOBA-like game mode in which teams pick heroes at the beginning of a match, then they select items to strengthen their characters. You have to pick a role before playing a game, and you aren't able to switch your character during a match. Unlike the other game modes, Stadium can be played in third person, creating a different dynamic to combat, more akin to games like Marvel Rivals and Deadlock.

By the end of a Stadium match, your hero will be practically superpowered compared to the one you started with, making this game mode feel like Overwatch turned up to 11. Every round is different, featuring Push, Control, and Clash on a variety of maps, so it's difficult to have a guaranteed game plan before you enter into a match.

Compared to normal Overwatch, Stadium can be overwhelming to new players due to the sheer amount of menus and clickable items before you ever start fighting. Blizzard has tried to simplify the process by creating preset builds, but these builds tend to be on the weaker side. Overwatch Stadium codes are presets created by the community, and we've compiled the best ones in our Stadium codes guides for DPS, Support, and Tanks.

Builds are comprised of items and powers; they play a major role in Stadium, allowing you to customize your hero each round to counter whatever the opposing team throws at you. Items can be purchased using Stadium Cash, a resource earned by playing well throughout each round. In addition to items, each hero gains access to game-changing powers during specific rounds (the rounds change depending on if you're playing quick play or ranked).

In Season 2, Stadium received a relatively small update compared to previous seasons, with the biggest addition being the arrival of Ramattra. Lijiang Night Market was added as a new Control map, and Juno received a rework that should open up room to see more builds. Lastly, Jetpack Cat will be added to the roster in the mid-season update.

Overwatch Stadium roster

At the time of writing, there are currently 32 heroes in Overwatch Stadium. As mentioned earlier, not every character is featured on the Stadium roster. If you don't see your favorites in the list below, just know they're likely coming in a future season.

Here's a list of every hero in Stadium and their release date:

Overwatch Stadium ranked

Due to the differences between the game modes, the rank you receive in competitive Stadium has no bearing on your rank in the other game modes. Prior to Season 2, every season began with a rank reset, forcing you to start the long climb back to your previous rank. Fortunately, this has changed in the latest update, switching to a rank decay system instead.

If you're playing specifically to earn Competitive Points, you'll be pleased to know that you can earn 20 Competitive Points per win in Stadium, double the amount of both 5v5 and 6v6. Matches are generally longer in Stadium, with games on average lasting around 30 minutes. For a full breakdown on how ranked works in Stadium, take a look at our Overwatch ranks guide.

That's all there is to know about Overwatch Stadium. We should point out that the best heroes on the Overwatch tier list are separate in Stadium due to all the differences between the two modes. While you're here, you should check out our Overwatch skins guide which highlights the latest offerings in the store every week.