How to Win in Overwatch Stadium Mode - 8 Ways to Immediately Get Better
Overwatch's Stadium Mode has attracted the community's attention, and players are flocking to its Ranked queues to test their skills. While Stadium Mode has some similarities with classic Overwatch, there are some differences new players may find jarring. It also requires different strategies to win. Let's explore some tips that can help players rank up in Stadium Mode, play well with their teams and impact their games' outcomes.
How is Stadium Mode Different from Regular Overwatch?
Basic Overwatch Ranked contains a 'Perks' system, which allows players to select options that improve their Hero's abilities as they level up. Overwatch Stadium Mode is a bit like the Perks system on steroids, with twelve Power options for each hero and countless Armory Items that significantly impact how their kits function.
Unlike OG Overwatch, Stadium Matches include up to seven rounds, with the first team to reach four victories winning the overall game. These rounds are shorter than regular Overwatch matches and also take place on different maps. Some of these maps are entirely new, while others are adjusted versions of existing options. All Stadium Mode maps are smaller with closer quarters than regular Overwatch locations.
Since Stadium Mode is so different from the base game, it necessitates careful play and new strategies. Let's explore some of the best tips to succeed on the battlefield.
Stadium Mode Tips
1. Play In Third-Person
Overwatch veterans are used to playing in first-person mode, where they can aim easily and are free from distractions. However, Stadium Mode shakes things up since the default POV setting for all players is third-person instead.
While this change is jarring, there is a reason for it. Stadium mode has shorter matches and occurs on smaller maps, so players will often be stuck in clustered teamfights. Using a third-person POV ensures you'll never be caught unaware when someone is sneaking up behind you, and it also makes it easier to prioritize squishy targets. Plus, it's great for Supports since it allows them to keep track of more teammates at once, so they can avoid preventable deaths.
The first-person to third-person disparity is generally a smaller issue for Tanks than for Supports and DPS, since they charge ahead onto the point without looking back anyway. However, higher Stadium ranks will almost always use third-person, and it's worth making the swap.
Related Article: How to Go First Person in Overwatch Stadium Mode
2. Prioritize in Team Fights
Another classic nugget of Overwatch wisdom that applies tenfold to Stadium Mode is prioritization. Since Stadium Mode's maps are smaller, they contain more close-quarters areas and more clustered objectives. It's common for teamfights to gather almost all players on the point, including vulnerable DPS and Supports.
Overwatch teamfights are often decided by the first kill. Especially if you're playing a DPS, the burden is on you to pick and attack the weakest target. Players commonly call these characters "squishies" since they have low HP and tiny hitboxes. Many squishies in low ranks are clueless about positioning, so they won't save their escape mobility and will play directly on the point.
If you can target and track a squishy support like Ana or Juno in a teamfight, you have a better chance of turning the tide in your favor. This is especially true since most Stadium Mode tanks will opt for Survivability instead of Damage-focused builds, so engaging them in battle will be exhausting, and they will likely outlast you. The best order to prioritize attacks is Support > DPS > Tank. As we've covered in the previous tip, third-person mode makes this prioritization much easier.
3. Pay Attention to Economy
Every Stadium Mode ability costs money, meaning tracking your economy and purchases is vital. Players can obtain Stadium Cash by providing value through healing, damage and mitigation. They can also kill players with bounties to earn. A cash gap of over 15,000 total with the enemy team can end your Stadium Mode game early, so players should constantly keep their earnings in mind.
Players can upgrade and purchase more Armory Items at the start of every round. It's also possible to sell previously purchased items for the same price you paid for them. Make sure you sell lower-tier common items to make way for Rare and Epic ones. In addition, players can track how these items improve their statistics in the lower-left corner of the Armory menu, so they can compare different options while buying. It's best to purchase as many items as possible before entering the next Stadium round.
4. Regroup Instead of Staggering
In classic Overwatch Ranked, players often tell their teammates to avoid 'staggering.' This advice is also necessary in Stadium Mode, to a much higher degree.
Overwatch's objective captures rely on a coordinated team effort. It's also a numbers game, since players can rarely win a 3v5 fight against an evenly matched team without using Ultimates. It only takes one player's death for a team to unravel, and their unlucky teammates will be stuck waiting out the respawn timer.
Ideally, a player recognizes it's a losing fight when this happens and either regroups with their teammates or dies quickly on the point. However, sometimes players will say, 'Nah, I'd win' and attempt to solo the entire enemy team Satoru Gojo style, which usually results in their drawn-out death. This means their respawn will be out of sync with the rest of the team, who must wait longer to push again on even footing. This is called 'staggering.'
Since stadium mode matches are far shorter than classic Overwatch, every second counts, and staggering is much more of an issue. Teams generally have two or three opportunities to push an objective at most, while in classic Ranked, they may have a good six or seven. If you're buying time or contesting the point during Overtime, stay in the fight — but if your team gets wiped early on, it's smarter to avoid staggering and regroup.
5. Stagger the Opponent
The anti-staggering advice goes both ways. If a stray opponent attempts to leave a lost fight, hunting them down can throw off the enemy team's respawn cycle and buy valuable time. This should only be done in moderation, since extending too far can be dangerous. A good rule of thumb is to attempt staggers if your team has a significant number advantage (for example, 5 to 2) and you have full control of the current objective. In terms of distance, try not to chase enemies into their spawn, and stay where your Supports have you in their line of sight. Another safe bet is to quickly collapse on an enemy who overextends, like a Junker Queen who speeds into the objective and leaves line-of-sight of her healers.
6. Plan Your Build Carefully
The worst thing you can do in Stadium Mode is load into the game without a general idea of what to build. Each Hero has twelve different Powers, which fundamentally alter how they function. In addition, Heroes can pick from a variety of Armory Items that strengthen different aspects of their kits.
Building a Hero with scattered upgrades in multiple paths will generally result in a disadvantage. Ideally, players should pick one or two aspects of their Hero's kit to focus on, complimenting their intended function. For example, a Tank would focus on survivability upgrades while a DPS would focus on Weapon Power enhancements.
Since builds progress throughout the game, players can also consider how to best counter the enemy team. If the opponents opt for a massive damage output in their DPS builds, your team's Moira might want to increase their Survivability and Ability Power to compensate instead of DPSing with Weapon Power upgrades and Biotic Grasp chains. To summarize, your Hero's build should always react to the game's environment and its parts should align into a harmonious path. For a full build guide, check the related article below.
Related Article: The Best Overwatch Stadium Builds for All Heroes: Full Guide
7. Communicate and Coordinate With Your Team
Overwatch players are notoriously quiet in some matches, but it's essential to chat with your Stadium Mode teammates for several reasons. First, specific team compositions and build combinations are beneficial, and planning with your team can help select heroes that sync well. For example, certain Soldier 76, Ashe and Cassidy builds are overpowered and have high damage outputs, which Mercy can supplement on Support with her Damage amplification beam.
Next, communicating is key to maximizing the impact of target prioritization. It's easy to get distracted in a fight. You'll have better odds of winning if you can give your team good comms and select a target to lock onto instead of waiting for someone else to take the lead.
Communication is also important for planning and executing objectives and coordinating Ultimates. An Ashe or Soldier 76 Ultimate might be deadly when combined with an Orisa Ultimate, pulling enemies into the open. These creative combinations are only possible when your team talks, and they can be deciding factors in rounds.
8. Play for the Objective
This tip is deceptively simple. Overwatch is an objective-based game at its core, and Stadium Mode is no different. While kills and assists are important, it is ultimately objective captures and controls that will win your team rounds.
What does this mean? For starters, not all kills are impact kills. If your allies are struggling in a team fight, it's probably more impactful to get on the capture point and help them than duel it out with the lone Genji frolicking across the map.
In addition, players should coordinate their Ultimates to aid in objective progress or capture. It's not as important to use Dragonblade to win one-on-one fights as it is to clear out the objective with it. Ultimates also counteract numbers disadvantages, so it's best not to pop them as soon as you have them and instead save them for when your team is in a tough spot.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly: if you're in Overtime, make sure to die on the point instead of running when your health gets low. This buys your teammates extra time to run back from respawn, possibly saving the game.
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