Overwatch 2Season 16 has garnered a significant amount of attention in the hero-shooter space following its recent significant changes. Following the addition ofPerks inOverwatch 2Season 15, Blizzard is continuing to innovate with new features, including a ranked MOBA-style mode called Stadium, a new damage character, and hero bans. In addition to the magical girl-themed season aptly named DokiWatch, there’s plenty of momentum for the game at the moment.
Stadium has been generally well-received by the community, particularly its best-of-7 format, Armory Items and Powers, and starting roster. Though the new mode, heralded asOverwatch 2’s third pillar, is still in its early days, there’s one competitive feature Team 4 should keep in mind: hero bans. Recently introduced to core competitive modes in Season 16, this mechanic could be a very valuable addition to Stadium once its roster fills out.
Overwatch 2’s Stadium Mode Has Untapped Potential
Some Players Would Like To See Hero Bans Make the Jump to Stadium Mode
Hero bans were only recently implemented in ranked modes, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t potential for this feature in Stadium. While banning four heroes in Stadium might be excessive, perhaps banning one hero from each team would be a more optimal approach. The notion isn’t impossible either, considering that in a recent Reddit AMA, Test Analyst, Daniel Duffin, addressed thepossibility of hero bans in Stadium, stating that they “may revisit hero bans for Stadium in the future, when the cast is much larger.”
“Hero bans were only recently implemented in ranked modes, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t potential for this feature in Stadium.”
Senior Systems Designer, Connor Kou, also commented, “It has a lot of interesting implications for team compositions and the meta," and that hero bans in Stadium are something Team 4 is interested in exploring. In the same Reddit thread, some players suggested that arotating hero poolcould be a healthier way to diversify the meta. Although Blizzard developers have stated that there are no plans for a rotating hero selection, it’s a concept that was used for some time in competitive modes prior to the release ofOverwatch 2.
The Case Against Hero Bans in Stadium
Of course, there is a valid argument against hero bans in Stadium that deserves attention. As anOverwatchmode free of counter-swapping, hero bans could make it that much more difficult to get value on a player’s character of choice. They might not even get the chance to play them at all. Such instances can already be seen in the frustration of Sombra mains, some of whom say they rarely get to play their preferred hero anymore. Similarly, some Mercy players have stated they’ll be sticking to Stadium, where hero bans don’t exist.
Furthermore,Stadium began with 17 playable heroes, with Freja confirmed to join during the mid-season patch, bringing the total to 18. Throughout the next two seasons, seven more heroes will come to Stadium, but in comparison, the core competitive modes feature 43 heroes. If Blizzard ever adds hero bans to Stadium, it won’t be for quite some time, as it’s likely that hero bans have only worked effectively in Season 16 due to the vast number of characters available and the ability to swap to a different hero mid-game. If bans were to come to fruition in Stadium, the feature would also probably need to adhere to player feedback. Still, it could absolutely make for a worthwhile addition down the road.
