Stadium premieres next week, and while we know you’re ready to step into the competition, you still may have some questions that need answers. Let’s get right into it.
Matchmaking in Stadium
Is there an Open Queue format for Stadium?
Stadium is optimized around team compositions of one Tank, two Damage, and two Support heroes, so Open Queue is not supported. You can, however, select Flex if you don’t mind what role you want to play and want to get into a game as quickly as possible.
Is there an unranked version for Stadium?
Stadium is only available as a ranked mode, but the Stadium ranking system is designed differently to Competitive Play – you can check out the details here.
Can I group up with my friends no matter their rank?
Yes, there are no grouping restrictions or wide queues for Stadium.
Heroes
When will more Heroes be added to Stadium?
We have plans to add new Heroes every Season.
Why can’t I Hero-swap? Won’t I risk getting countered by an opposing Hero?
Due to the array of Items and Powers in Stadium, you’ll want to focus on adjusting your Build if you find yourself at a disadvantage. Every Hero will have Items and Powers that can assist their team against all sorts of compositions and opposing Builds—let your creativity guide you!
Will there be Hero Bans in Stadium like there is in Competitive Play this season?
Hero Bans are exclusive to Competitive Play.
Items, Powers, and Stadium Cash
I accidentally equipped a Power I didn’t want. Can I go back to change it?
No, Powers cannot be changed once selected. To avoid accidentally locking in the wrong Power, the game will confirm you are ready to choose a specific Power that you have selected. Once it’s locked in, you will use that Power for the remainder of the match, so choose carefully!
How can I tell how much a specific combination of Powers and Items will cost?
Powers have no cost. The slots to equip a Power are unlocked every other round, which can give you up to four Powers if you reach the seventh round. The best way to calculate the total item cost is to go into the Practice Range and try out different combinations of Hero Powers and Items to plan your strategies.
Can I give some of my leftover Stadium Cash to a teammate to help them unlock an item?
The Stadium Cash earned cannot be exchanged between players. This helps keep things fair by not giving a single player too much currency too quickly and encourages all players to do their best every round.
Rankings and Rewards
Can I just play enough games to reach Pro, All-Star, or Legend ratings regardless of winning or losing?
Not necessarily. After climbing past Elite, you can lose the same amount of potential rank progress as you could win in any given match. To climb into the higher ranks, you will need to consistently win more games overall.
Why are the Skill Rating tiers different in Stadium than in Competitive Play?
In Competitive Play, you are quickly sorted to your skill tier and division based on your internal matchmaking rating (MMR). In Stadium, you start from the bottom of the ranked ladder and work your way up to the highest skill tier that you can reach. To keep things from getting complicated, the skill tiers for Competitive Play and Stadium are different from one another.
Can I earn the Epic Skin rewards for Stadium through another mode?
The Epic Skins for reaching the Elite League or All-Star League can only be earned in Stadium.
Do I earn Competitive Points for playing Stadium?
Yes. When you win a game in Stadium, you’ll earn 10 Competitive Points toward unlocking Weapon Variants.
Will playing Stadium count toward progress when there is a Competitive Drives event?
Only Competitive Play matches count toward progress in a Competitive Drives event.
Can I earn the other rewards in Competitive Play in Stadium?
Those rewards are earned when you reach a specific rank in Competitive Play and cannot be collected in Stadium.
What happens when a player leaves the game or disconnects?
The missing player will have a few minutes to return to the game otherwise they are penalized. Players who leave will receive the same suspensions as they do in Competitive. Getting a Season suspension or ban in either Competitive Play or Stadium will lock out both game modes for the remainder of that penalty.
Other Questions
Will Perks be available in Stadium?
Perks are not enabled in Stadium. Instead, you’ll be powering up Heroes with Items and Powers that enhance and transform your hero’s weapons, abilities, and survivability.
Can I spectate a Stadium Game in progress?
As Stadium is a ranked mode, spectating live games is not possible, but you can view replays in the Career Profile.
Can I start a Custom Game with the Stadium ruleset?
Not at this time. We’re still working on getting custom game features ready for Stadium and will be available in a future update.