Season 17 is Absolute Hype!

Hi Heroes! – Overwatch 2 Season 17 has officially landed and I feel like I just opened a loot box full of serotonin.
The dev team are spoiling us and thank you for that.
You guys deserve a team of pocket Mercys and infinite compliments!

Let’s break down the goods!

✨ Stadium Keeps Getting Better!

First off—Stadium mode? Our little baby PvP experiment is growing up so fast 😭.
We’re getting smarter build tools, new maps, and even a rank reset! (A little scary but also exciting??)
Time to flex those hero builds and climb, climb, climb!

🗺️ New Map Alert: Aatlis is GORGEOUS

The new Flashpoint map Aatlis is here and it’s giving everything: Imagine if a luxury resort and a Moroccan art museum had a baby and gave it a sci-fi jetpack. That’s Aatlis. New Flashpoint map, serving looks and lore, with a hyperloop you can actually ride. It’s giving “vacay with a side of battle.” I might just start queueing Flashpoint exclusively, no regrets.

🎉Season 17 HYPE!! 🐯 Patch Notes- June 24, 2025💥 - News - Overwatch 2 - OverwatchCentral.gg
🎉Season 17 HYPE!! 🐯 Patch Notes- June 24, 2025💥 - News - Overwatch 2 - OverwatchCentral.gg

🎮 HACKS & HIJINX 😈— 8-Bit Mayhem Engaged

Sombra’S HACKED THE Arcade.

Sombra is fully unhinged and I love that for her. This wild 6v6 limited-time mode throws everything into the chaos blender and somehow it works. We’re talking:

  • Mini Maxing (Everyone’s a bite-sized brawler)
  • Lie Low (Crouch to vanish like a cryptid)
  • Super Jump (My Pharah dreams come true!!)
  • Explosions on DEATH?! Okay Michael Bay.
🎉Season 17 HYPE!! 🐯 Patch Notes- June 24, 2025💥 - News - Overwatch 2 - OverwatchCentral.gg

It’s live July 15–28, and I swear it’s gonna be my entire personality for two weeks straight.

🗳️ Map Voting

Suffer no more, because Map Voting is here! 🎉
Now at the start of every Quick Play or competitive match, you and your squad get to choose your destiny (or at least argue about it). 🗺️💬

And get this: in Comp, once the map’s picked, the game flows right into Hero Bans—finally a chance to vote Tracer off the island on Push maps. ✋💀 Justice? Served.

💥 Double Mythic Drop?! Yes Please

Why have one Mythic skin at launch when you could have TWO? That’s right:

  • 🐯 Tiger Spirit D.Va is here to pounce with celestial vibes.
  • 💀 Reaper’s Twin Terrors ready to shoot it up.

And they’re available right from day one.

🎓 Battle Pass Fits Are TOO CUTE

This Battle Pass is pure serotonin. We’ve got:

  • Overwatch Academy
  • 8-bit pixel chaos
  • Sakura blossoms

👥 NEW ENDORSEMENT SYSTEM & STREAMER PROTECT

Big love to Blizzard for giving streamers more Control with rotating fake BattleTags and music filters (NO DMCA DRAMA 💿🚫). And Endorsements finally make more sense! Like, if I endorse the enemy Lucio who boop-gapped me but also said “ggs” after, I get more points?! YES, thank you.

📢 PATCH BUFF TEA TIME 💅

DAMAGE HEROES ARE BACK BABY!!!
Passive healing reduction is now 30%. We’re meant to frag, not dilly dally. LET’S GO.

🧱 Tank Queens & Kings

🪓 Junker Queen

  • 🛡️ Commanding Shout: Overhealth increased (175 → 200 for her, 50 → 75 for allies)
  • ⏱️ Duration tweaked (hers: 5s → 4s; allies: 3s → 4s)
  • She’s still yelling—but now she’s better at saving lives and making noise.

🔥 Mauga

  • 💪 Berserker Passive: Overhealth conversion buffed back to 50%
  • Our big fiery boy is feeling tankier again—someone stop this man (or don’t).

🧘 Ramattra

  • 🌀 Nanite Repair: Healing up from 50 → 75 per second
  • More zen in the vortex. More survival. Still terrifying.

🛑 Zarya

  • 🌌 Graviton Crush: DOT damage buffed to 40% max HP
  • 👁️ Spotter Perk: Movement speed boost from 15% → 25%
  • Zarya: “I lift.” Also Zarya: “I hunt.”

💥 Damage Heroes

🦾 Bastion

  • 🔧 Model/hitbox size reduced by 10%
  • Baby Bastion is real. Smol, but still deadly.

🧬 Echo

  • 🎯 Tri-Shot spread reduced: 1.4 → 1.1
  • More consistent poke = more annoying flygirl chaos.

🚀 Pharah

  • 🛡️ Helix Shields: Now regens when you land direct rocket hits
  • Still a menace from above. Now a healing menace.

💀 Reaper

  • 🔫 Hellfire Shotguns: Pellet damage increased to 5.75 (volley = 115 dmg)
  • The goth is back and he’s got buffs. Hide your tanks.

🧢 Soldier: 76

  • ⌨️ Stim Pack (PC): Default button changed to “Equip Weapon 1”
  • Just a little keybinding QOL buff for your average dad aim.

🕶️ Tracer

  • 🔫 Pulse Pistols: Damage up from 5.5 → 6
  • She blinked into the past and brought back her old DPS stats.

🛠️ Venture

  • ⛏️ Smart Excavator: Recovery time decreased from 0.7 → 0.6
  • Faster digging, more chaos. Mole mode: activated.

💖 Support Squad

🌸 Lifeweaver

  • 🌿 Cleansing Grasp: If you cleanse a debuff, Life Grip cooldown is reduced by 4s
  • Precision support moves just got a glow-up.

🎧 Lúcio

  • 🎵 Crossfade Healing: 16 → 20 per second
  • Turn up the healing AND the music—support groove never stops.

🧪 Moira

  • 💉 Biotic Grasp: Healing per second increased from 70 → 80
  • She’s still purple, still chaotic—but now she’s more helpful.

🔮 Zenyatta

  • 🌀 Duality Perk: Damage conversion increased to 40%
  • The orb master gets a well-deserved damage treat. Time to vibe and frag.
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🏟️ STADIUM HERO CHANGES — SEASON 17 BUFF BONANZA 💪✨

Stadium just got a full-on hero spring cleaning and a few shiny new recruits. Here’s every update, new power, stat tweak, and sparkle added for your favorite (and soon-to-be favorite) heroes in Stadium:

🛡️ TANK HEROES

🆕 Sigma (NEW TO STADIUM!)

  • Zero Gravity: Fly for 2.5s after using any ability 🪐
  • Hyperloop: Direct Hypersphere hits reduce Accretion cooldown
  • Trinisphere: Launch a 3rd Hypersphere with 50% reduced damage
  • Event Horizon: Damage absorbed by Kinetic Grasp heals your barrier and gives you overhealth
  • Symphonic Syzygy: Absorbing damage gives attack speed (stacking up to 4x!)
  • Orbital Barrier: Mini barrier rotates around you
  • Philharmonic Fortitude: Bigger barrier with regen
  • Mass Driver: Accretion shot through barrier = zoom and boom
  • Singularity: Accretion splash pulls enemies in
  • Maestro: -50% ult cost but smaller Flux radius
  • Apogee Alignment: Two orbiting spheres spawn on ability use
  • Epic Items Galore with perks like shield regen, damage boosts vs airborne, hover time, and healing barriers

🐯 D.Va

  • MEKA Punch: Boosters reset on elimination, quick melee now has +50% speed (was +75% dmg)
  • Dae-hyun’s Detonator: Reduced radius; now shows warning icon to enemies 💥
  • Nano Cola™ Nitrous: +50 Health (up from 25), 5% health increase stat removed

🪓Junker Queen

  • Let’s Go Win: Cooldown reduction lowered to 50% (from 100%)
  • Cut ‘Em, Gracie!: Cooldown reduction per hit buffed to 2s (up from 1s)

🐮 Orisa

  • Siphonic Spear: Now adds +25 Health
  • Arcfinder: Added +5% cooldown reduction

🛡️Reinhardt

  • Impact Burst: Now only AoEs around primary target; explosion damage buffed
  • Magma Strike: Trail now triggers every 2nd Fire Strike
  • Chimera’s Maw: Now Epic, +25% Fire Strike speed and cooldown refund
  • Wilhelmwagen: Now Survival item, gives +50 Armor
  • Infusion Generator: Reworked—scaling from Bonus Max Life only, now Power
  • To Me, My Friends: Healing based on max life increased to 5%
  • Rocket Strike: Removed 😢

💥 DAMAGE HEROES

🆕 Junkrat (NEW TO STADIUM!)

  • Over a dozen new chaotic powers like:
    • 2 Frag 2 Frurious: 25% chance to shoot bonus frag
    • Slapnel: Quick Melee goes boom
    • Rainin’ Lead: Drops bombs mid-air
    • Rip Roll: YOU ride the tire 🤯
  • Insane item loadouts: bounce distance, bonus damage to airborne enemies, more traps, and OVERHEALTH FOR DAYS

🔫 Ashe

  • Silver Spurs: Duration increased to 5s, Coach Gun now reloads 25% ammo
  • B.O.B. Jr.: Duration halved to 10s
  • Reload Therapy: No longer gives currency

🤠 Cassidy

  • Fan the Hammer: Now gets spread penalty after 6 shots
  • Dead Man Walking: Bonus ammo on crit kill; max bonus ammo is 4
  • Just Roll With It: Damage reduction down to 25% (was 50%)

🏹 Freja

  • +13.3% cash from healing & damage
  • Lille Fælde: Better damage, smaller trap radius, cleaner visuals
  • Hunter’s Mark: +5% weapon power; bounty cash increased (250 → 350)

🥷 Genji

  • Hidden Blade: Quick melee damage down to 15, but now 60% lifesteal
  • Laceration: DoT buffed (25% → 35%), now benefits from Ability Lifesteal
  • Clean Sweep: Ability power up to 15%
  • Ambusher Optics: Cost increased (10k → 11k)

💀 Reaper

  • Strangle Step: +30% Shadow Step cast speed
  • Wraith Renewal: Healing reduced (10% → 7%)
  • The Reaping: Fixed cash scaling exploit
  • Items like Nightcreeper, Crimson Cloak, and Crowd Control reworked or rebalanced for earlier impact

🎖️ Soldier: 76

  • Frontline: Overhealth can now stack with multiple Biotic Fields
  • Max life scaling down from 30% → 25%

💉 SUPPORT HEROES

🆕 Zenyatta (NEW TO STADIUM!)

  • Flying Kick: Aerial quick melee stuns if it wall smacks 😳
  • It’s Orbin’ Time: Charge up to 3 more orbs
  • Seeking Salvation: Homing orbs at low-health targets
  • Discord Inferno, Dual Harmony, Circle of Strife — literally too many fun orb powers to list
  • Epic item builds galore: healing boosts, faster charges, ult-powered armor bursts, and more 🧘‍♂️💫

💉 Ana

  • Double Dosage: Reworked to only work on enemies, 30% cooldown, no stacking

🌑 Juno

  • Evasive Glide: Removed
  • Lock-On Shield: Swapped to Survival, nerfed overhealth
  • Boosted Rockets: Now Epic, costs 12k, adds Glide DR
  • Medicinal Missiles: Removed 30 healing

🦊 Kiriko

  • Soothing Step: Heals more (120), now grants cooldown reduction instead of ability power
  • Self-Care: Reworked—Ofuda heals you for 3% max life each
  • Triple Threat: Spread reduced for more precision

🐸 Lúcio

  • Crowd Pleaser: Healing is now a flat 20 HP (doubled in Amp It Up)
  • Vivace: New stacking move/attack speed while wallriding
  • Sonic Boom: Heals on Quick Melee hits now too!

🐞 BUG FIXES —

Here’s the big list of bug fixes, aka the smooch of justice we needed:

🌐 General

  • Fixed matchmaking issues causing wacky MMR backfills (thank the MMR gods 🛐).

👩‍⚕️ Heroes

  • Ashe: Ana’s Mythic weapon color issue? Fixed.
  • Cassidy: Deadeye now respects Hazard’s Spike Guard and shoots through breakables. Yeehaw properly.
  • Freja: Silhouette icon fixed at Level 10 (not 20), and “Random from Favorites” is back!
  • Ana (Stadium): Superflexor mod now stacks correctly.
  • Cassidy (Stadium): Frankie’s Fixed and bonus health now work right.
  • D.Va (Stadium): Mech damage scaling, Vesuvius Protocol lava, and Legendary Loadout interactions fixed.
  • Freja (Stadium): Lille Fælde no longer explodes your weapon spread post-Take Aim.
  • Junker Queen (Stadium): Melee mods are actually applying now!
  • Juno (Stadium): Orbital power’s slow effect is finally functioning.
  • Kiriko (Stadium): Self-Care power is back! Also, Donut Delivery now scales properly.
  • Mei (Stadium): Snowball Flight is now being recognized as an ability (💙).
  • Moira (Stadium): Voidhoppers no longer ruins your healer vision.
  • Reaper (Stadium): Crimson Cloak mod now respects your full health.
  • Zarya (Stadium): Volskaya Vortex now gives Ult charge from the slow zone. 🙌

🎁 FREE STUFF ALERT

Play 17 matches in QP, Comp, or Stadium from June 24–30 and you get:
🎁 4 Epic Loot Boxes
🎁 1 GUARANTEED LEGENDARY SKIN
Like, Blizzard really said Happy Season 17 to all who grind. 🥰

💫 TL;DR –

Feeling overwhelmed by the patch notes the size of Route 66? Don’t worry—I got you with this adorable, snack-sized wrap-up of everything going down this season! 🍬🎮

🆕 NEW STUFF TO PLAY

  • 🗺️ New Map: Aatlis (Flashpoint) – Stunning Moroccan hub of art, high-speed rail, and tactical chaos.
  • 🎮 New Arcade Mode: Hacks & Hijinx – Control-only madness with rotating game modifiers (low grav, super jumps, exploding deaths?? YEP).
  • 🗳️ Map Voting (QP + Comp) – Choose your battleground! Vote from 3 maps before each match.
  • 🏅 Drives now count in Stadium – Play Stadium, make progress, win loot!

🎟️ BATTLE PASS & FREE LOOT

  • 🎭 Double Mythics at Launch:
    • 🐯 Tiger Spirit D.Va
    • 💀 Twin Terror Reaper
  • 🎨 New Themes:
    • Overwatch Academy
    • 8-bit
    • Sakura blossom skins 😍
  • 🎁 Login Reward:
    Play 17 games (QP/Comp/Stadium) from June 24–30 for 4 Epic Loot Boxes + 1 Legendary skin!

🏟️ STADIUM MODE UPDATES

  • Rank Reset! Start again at Rookie 1 and climb to All-Star 🏆
  • Rank Rewards:
    • Epic Elite Genji, Orisa, Moira
    • Legendary All-Star Mercy + Juno (last chance this season!)
  • New Heroes Added: Sigma, Junkrat, Zenyatta 🔥
  • New Maps: Samoa Volcano (Control), Esperança (Push)
  • Build Saving! Save, edit, name, share your custom builds 🛠️
  • Example Builds improved: 12-item setups + Early/Late/Flex categories!
  • Custom Games: Stadium now fully customizable 💕

🛠️ GENERAL GAME CHANGES

  • Map Voting: Everyone votes from 3 options → most popular wins!
  • Hero Ban Phase: Now comes right after map voting in Competitive.
  • Streamer Protect: Rotate fake names + mute copyrighted music.
  • Endorsement Revamp: Better scoring, smarter positivity system 💛
  • Damage Role Passive: Healing penalty now -30% (was -25%)
  • Base Regen: Slower (6s, was 5s) to make damage stick better.

💪 HERO BALANCE HIGHLIGHTS (Core Game)

  • Damage heroes are stronger overall! 🔫
  • Reaper & Tracer: Slight damage buffs
  • Echo: Tri-Shot more accurate
  • Moira & Lucio: Healing buffed
  • Junker Queen: Shout helps the team more
  • Ramattra & Zarya: Perk buffs for more utility
  • Bastion: Smaller hitbox = harder to delete
  • And lots more across every role!

🏟️ STADIUM HERO CHANGES (New + Buffed!)

  • 🆕 Sigma, Junkrat, Zenyatta – Fully loaded with brand new powers & items
  • 🛡️ Tanks:
    • D.Va: Boosters reset on elim
    • Rein: Fire Strike buffs & item tweaks
    • Junker Queen: Nerfed shout spam
  • 💥 Damage:
    • Genji: Less burst, more lifesteal
    • Reaper: Ability power buffs + item fixes
    • Freja: More cash, less chaos-visuals
  • 💉 Supports:
    • Kiriko: New Self-Care, more healing
    • Juno: Nerfs to mobility & overhealth
    • Lucio: Reworked wallride stacking = zoom zoom
    • Ana: Power now focused on offensive play