Blizzard is ending active development of Stadium, the customisable build-based game mode it added to Overwatch roughly a year ago, after data showed only a small fraction of players were engaging with it. The mode won't be removed outright and will continue to receive balance updates, but it will no longer get new heroes or maps, with the studio redirecting the lessons learned and staff involved towards other priorities, including a fresh attempt to tackle Overwatch's long-standing tank balance issues.

Game director Aaron Keller revealed that just three percent of the game's audience actively plays Stadium, dwarfed by unranked 5v5 (54 percent) and ranked 5v5 (37 percent). As a result, Blizzard is shifting focus to experimenting with 6v6 role queues, including a new "flex" format using a 1-3-2 structure (one tank, three flexible damage dealers, two supports), aimed at reducing the outsized influence a single tank currently has on match outcomes.