Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode Is Excellent But Makes An Awful First Impression

The first match I played of Stadium in Overwatch 2 was a miserable experience. I was stuck in a third-person view that felt terrible and had to scramble to understand the different items you can get and how they impact your abilities. The enemy Soldier 76, however, was able to make his Helix Rocket one-shot me as Juno by the third round; he then proceeded to spend the rest of the match doing just that, while my allies spammed me in chat for not healing more.By the end of the match, I was ready to dismiss Stadium as another unremarkable side mode for the hero shooter--one I planned to never touch again. Yet I continued to queue, as I wanted to better understand the mode. As I played more matches, I found that the new item builds and faster rounds are quite enjoyable, even if this mode needs far more polish.What doesn't work in StadiumStadium defaults to a third-person perspective, but you can--and should--swap it back to first-person.Stadium has a few issues out of the gate that make the onboarding experience feel bad. The first is that the mode is currently only available in competitive mode. On top of that, it doesn't offer placement matches, instead having everyone start at the same rank and work upwards. As such, initial matchmaking is wildly inconsistent, which is especially concerning in a mode that can snowball. Since you earn currency by playing well, which lets you buy better items, the team that's winning can quickly start to dominate.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Apr 30, 2025 - 14:20

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode Is Excellent But Makes An Awful First Impression

The first match I played of Stadium in Overwatch 2 was a miserable experience. I was stuck in a third-person view that felt terrible and had to scramble to understand the different items you can get and how they impact your abilities. The enemy Soldier 76, however, was able to make his Helix Rocket one-shot me as Juno by the third round; he then proceeded to spend the rest of the match doing just that, while my allies spammed me in chat for not healing more.

By the end of the match, I was ready to dismiss Stadium as another unremarkable side mode for the hero shooter--one I planned to never touch again. Yet I continued to queue, as I wanted to better understand the mode. As I played more matches, I found that the new item builds and faster rounds are quite enjoyable, even if this mode needs far more polish.

What doesn't work in Stadium

Stadium defaults to a third-person perspective, but you can--and should--swap it back to first-person.

Stadium has a few issues out of the gate that make the onboarding experience feel bad. The first is that the mode is currently only available in competitive mode. On top of that, it doesn't offer placement matches, instead having everyone start at the same rank and work upwards. As such, initial matchmaking is wildly inconsistent, which is especially concerning in a mode that can snowball. Since you earn currency by playing well, which lets you buy better items, the team that's winning can quickly start to dominate.Continue Reading at GameSpot