Overwatch 2 Stadium Initial Impressions Excite and Worry Fans
Stadium has been in Overwatch 2 for around twenty-four hours, and the mode has left an impression on its players. Overall, players’ opinions follow the same trend. The game mode offers many fun build paths that turn the Heroes into unstoppable demons. But if everyone is an unstoppable demon, who wins out? The varying degrees of builds and player skill levels have caused significant variance in games, but how will the game mode settle when the dust settles?
Overwatch 2 Imbalance Leads to Balance?
The Stadium game mode has a similar balance identity to that of Marvel Rivals and Paladins. If everything is unbalanced, then there is a balance. The various Items and Powers turn heroes into super versions of themselves. Orisa becomes unkillable, Ashe can snipe like Widowmaker while still having powerful dynamite and ultimate, and Mercy empowers her entire team while being that annoying Moth. These are just a couple of the heroes that benefit from the additions of Stadium. While some builds have felt lackluster, it is often down to the builds not being constructed correctly, or it ends up being the incorrect situation for the build.
The question remains whether this is a good principle for Stadium to follow. Overall, yes. The game mode focuses more on fun than competition by allowing players to create a power fantasy with their heroes. Without the imbalance, players will never feel that they are reaching the potential of a hero. Of course, there still needs to be a semblance of balance. If a hero is overperforming beyond others, that will need to be tuned downwards, or others tuned upwards.
The Reason For One-Sided Matches
In the early days, matches tended to be more one-sided than close. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is due to the game’s ranked system placing everyone in the same rank. You are bound to face players of vastly different skill levels. Once everyone, especially the higher-ranked players, has climbed to the top ranks, the number of one-sided matches should decline.
Stadium is inherently a game mode that allows players to snowball a lead, given that they gain access to better items earlier. It is not a guarantee that you can snowball, and you must execute your leads. Stadium does have a comeback mechanic with the bounty system, so if losing teams manage to win fights, let alone rounds, they will equalize the deficit.
Lastly, players need to figure out the best builds for each situation. The best build for a D.Va facing against a Zarya is still in the works. Once the builds settle and players get a better feel for the game mode, there should be fewer occasions where games feel unwinnable.
