Every now and then we’d get new cosmetics in Overwatch 2 and sometimes, big updates like a new hero, a new map, or even a new game mode in Arcade (or events). However, nothing is as big as Season 16, going live now.
Not only it has the latest, newest DPS hero, Freja, but Season 16 comes with a big, new game mode called Stadium. Stadium is not just another game mode in Arcade or a minor tweak to what we already have. Stadium is a ground-breaking and biggest evolution of Overwatch gameplay that introduces a best-of-4 in 7, multi-round play.
Stadium is not just adding more rounds which can be long and frustrating. Stadium changes the core gameplay of Overwatch 2 through items and upgraded powers to transform your heroes into something else. Perks in standard is a small taste of Stadium – but it’s nothing compared to what you get and experience. It’s about building your heroes personally and the customisation can be different on each match as you adapt to your enemies’ builds. It’s kind of like DOTA 2 merged with Overwatch 2 if that makes sense.
Through Armory, you’ll buy and sell items that buff specific attributes or abilities of your heroes and as you gain Stadium cash in-game, you’ll get more powerful enhancements.
There’s also a third person view which is set by default in Stadium – a new way to play Overwatch 2 but honestly, I still prefer playing in first person mode probably because I’m already get used to it for years. You can change your preference in the settings menu.
Note that there is no casual mode in Stadium, so it’s all competitive and ranked base. The game can last long but there’s a mechanism in place to end the game early so your team doesn’t have to endure the pain longer than it should be. I believe each match can last from 10-40 minutes but it really depends.
During my Stadium play, we steamrolled the other team with 3-0 and since we did that and have a lot more cash than theirs, the game ended early (lasted 10 minutes) – which is nice. When the team was even, it usually took around 20 minutes-ish to conclude (with up to 5 rounds). I once had a game that went 7 rounds to get the best of 4, and it took 34 minutes overall. It was intense.
I played about 5 Stadium games as Zarya and Cassidy and had so much fun. The idea that you can fully customise your hero and see him/her grow is amazing. As Zarya, you also have different build types that depend on the game situation. For example in my first game as Zarya, I went all out for weapon power and damage – which worked really well. However in my second game, our team was up against Genji and Reaper so I ended up casting more protective barrier to my allies and adjusted my build accordingly for that situation. In that match, someone commented the round wins depend on which Zarya was better.
As Cassidy, our team had a Reinhardt so I was going all glass cannon that ended up having 75% of weapon power by the end of the last round. That eliminated every squishies in 2-3 shots and made me the MVP of every round. It was really fun.
So far, it doesn’t feel competitive yet where everyone is on their microphone and shouting orders (or venting in frustrations when things don’t work) which is kind of nice. It’s also probably because it’s still at the lowest ranks so no one is really bothered to cooperate in a way.
I’m definitely coming back for more and explore other heroes in Stadium as it’s so addictive.
And don’t forget, there’s also the new hero Freja who is a new DPS hero of high-tier skill this season. With aim-intensive mechanics and projectile-based heroes, Freja definitely takes a lot more skills than I thought it would be. Then we also see more skins like Juno Mythic Skin and also Dokiwatch!
The Dokiwatch cosmetic is inspired by Magical Girl in Anime and the team has knocked out some amazing skins for Mei, D.Va, Widowmaker, Kiriko, and Orisa. You can get them in the Shop and there’s a Dokiwatch Mega Bundle if you want to grab them all.
You can also grab the Overwatch 2 Ultimate Battle Pass Bundle for Season 16 to boost your cosmetic collections which contains All rewards from the Premium Battle Pass + 20 Tier Skips, up to 80 Mythic Prisms, Heart of Courage Freja, Demon Rocker Illari, and 2,000 Overwatch Coins.
