Overwatch 2’s new perks system and Stadium mode, explained

Season 15 of Overwatch 2 will be one of its biggest yet, as Blizzard is adding two new game-changing features to the team-based hero shooter. Coming to Overwatch 2 next week are perks, a new strategic layer to core game modes; and Stadium, an all-new mode that game director Aaron Keller describes as “the ultimate battleground for strategy, teamwork, and hero evolution” and “the biggest game mode we’ve made since Overwatch was first released in 2016.”

Perks will be a new feature that players will see added to Quick Play, Competitive, and other core game modes. As player progress through a match, they’ll earn the ability to unlock perks — outfitting their hero with one minor perk at level 2, and one major perk at level 3. Players will start at level 1.

Minor perks include things like cooldown reductions and small passive abilities that “keep things balanced but exciting,” lead gameplay designer Alec Dawson said in a video revealing the new feature. Major perks are gameplay-shifting additions to a hero’s kit. For example, at level 2, Genji will have the option to choose from one of two abilities: Acrobatics, which updates his Swift Strike ability to reset his double jump on use; or Dragon’s Thirst, which updates his Dragonblade ultimate to give him 30% lifesteal for each swing. Genji’s level 3 perks include Blade Twisting, which grant Swift Strike 25 additional damage (when used after an elimination); and Meditation, which regenerates 25 health per second while Genji’s Deflect ability is active.

For a support character like Mercy, she can unlock minor perks that grant her extra self-healing while her Cadaceus Staff is attached to a full-health ally, or extra range for her Guardian Angel movement ability. Mercy’s major perks include Chain Boost, which lets her chain her secondary fire damage boost to a second ally; and Flash Heal, which can consume her Resurrect ability to grant an ally an instant 150 health.

Dawson said that perks will allow players to alter their play style during the course of a match and adapt to situations. In the case of Orisa, Dawson showed that she can swap out her Javelin Spin ability for a team-protecting shield instead, using one of her major perks. Or she can opt to upgrade her Energy Javelin to become even more powerful, allowing it to pierce through multiple foes.

Some of the new perks abilities have been seen in previous Overwatch 2 limited-time game modes, and some, like Orisa’s shield, are returning from her original Overwatch ability kit. But all of the new minor and major perks will allow for new strategies, and new ways to adapt to enemy team compositions.

Dawson said that the Overwatch team plans on adjusting perks on a regular cadence, hinting at “bigger system refreshes happening in the middle of the year.”

While perks will bring game-changing and strategy-shifting abilities to core Overwatch 2 game modes, there’s also the entirely separate, but similar in theme Stadium mode. This new gameplay mode is much more complex, but builds on a similar strategy of shaking up Overwatch 2 gameplay.

Stadium is “Overwatch gameplay like you’ve never seen before,” Keller said with fast-paced rounds on smaller maps across a best-of-seven scoring system. Players will need to “outplay, outthink, and outbuild” the opposing team by kitting out their hero with mods purchased from an in-game armory. Think Counter-Strike 2’s buy and build rounds, only in Stadium, you’re outfitting your hero with extra armor, shorter cooldowns, and game-changing, transformative powers.

In Stadium, players will able to add wild new abilities to heroes, upgrading Reinhardt’s Firestrike ability so that it leaves a travel of burning lava in its flight path, or giving Reaper the ability to fly while in Wraith Form. Overwatch 2 players have seen some of these abilities in action in previous limited-time game modes, but they’ll be able to fully explore them and build wild new character variations in Stadium, a permanent game mode.

The number of hero mods that players can purchase is vast, so Blizzard has built Starter Packs that will help onboard players into Stadium mode. In my hands-on time with the mode, I experienced a huge amount of variation, and balance-breaking builds to explore. Strict balance does not appear to be the endgame for Stadium’s creators; it’s a place where players can have fun, break things, and experiment.

What’s more, Stadium is added the ability to play Overwatch 2 in either traditional first-person view or from a third-person perspective.

Stadium and Perks will launch in season 15 of Overwatch 2, which kicks off on Feb. 18. Stadium will feature 17 heroes at launch, with more heroes to be added over time.