Stadium Development Team Updates Roadmap for Season 17 and Beyond
The Stadium development team has announced significant changes to the roadmap for Season 17, including the delay of Unranked mode and the introduction of custom games.
At a glance
- Unranked Mode Release
- Delayed to Season 18.
- Custom Games
- Enabled in Season 17.
- Hero Release Changes
- Pharah, Winston, and Brigitte in Season 18; Sojourn in Season 19.
Roadmap Changes and Delays
The Stadium development team has made notable adjustments to their roadmap for Season 17, particularly regarding the highly anticipated Unranked mode. Originally expected to launch in Season 17, Unranked will now debut in Season 18. The team emphasized that this delay is to ensure a comprehensive experience, including full cross-play capabilities, allowing players to team up across platforms and skill tiers.
New Features and Enhancements
In addition to the Unranked delay, the team is introducing custom games in Season 17. This feature will allow players to create tailored matches, set specific parameters, and choose game modes, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. The functionality of custom games is expected to expand further in Season 18, including the option to add bots.
Hero Release Adjustments
The release schedule for new heroes has also been revised. Pharah, Winston, and Brigitte are set to join the Stadium roster in Season 18, while Sojourn's introduction has been pushed to Season 19 for additional tuning. Additionally, Tracer will be added mid-season in Season 18, responding to community feedback for her quicker inclusion.
Competitive Drafts and More
Competitive Drafts, initially forecasted for Season 18, have been moved up to that same season, while Stadium Trials will now launch in Season 19. Competitive Drafts will introduce a new level of strategy to hero selection, allowing players greater agency over their matchups. Furthermore, two maps, Esperança and Samoa, will receive updates and be added to the map rotation.
