Summary
Overwatch 2has officially released its mid-Season 16 update, featuring a bunch of balance adjustments for all game modes, the start of theStreet Fighter 6collab, and the arrival of Freja in Stadium. This update marks the halfway point betweenOverwatch 2Season 16 and 17, and is available in-game right now.
On April 22,Overwatch 2released Season 16, Stadium. This update introduced not only the game mode that gave the season its name, but a Battle Pass refresh, Hero Bans, and a new playable Damage character named Freja.
Nearly a month later,Overwatch 2has released its mid-Season 16 update to keep things fresh. One of the most exciting additions in this patch is Freja’s arrival in the new Stadium game mode, featuring a full suite of Powers and Abilities for the frosty bounty hunter. Freja is the firstpost-launchOverwatch 2hero to arrive in Stadium, with Junkrat, Sigma, and Zenyatta coming in Season 17, and Sojourn, Winston, and Brigitte arriving during Season 18.
Of course, no majorOverwatch 2update would be complete without some balance adjustments. Hazard, Reinhardt, Hanzo, Reaper, Soldier: 76, Widowmaker, Illari, and Lifeweaver all received buffs to their base kits or Perks, while Freja, Genji, Pharah, and Sombra all got some nerfs. Reinhardt andSoldier: 76 had theirOverwatch 2Stadium Powers or Itemsnerfed, though the former’s To Me, My Friends! Power was slightly buffed to compensate.
The mid-Season 16 update also brings tons of events for fans to enjoy as well. From now until June 3, theOverwatch 2xStreet Fighter 6collab will be live, featuring eight incredible skins in the cash shop, plus an in-game event with unlockable sprays, voice lines, and a player icon. During the same time period, a new Overwatch Classic event will be active, setting the game balance to October 2020, shortly before the release of the sequel, and featuring an Epic Loot Box as a reward. Players also still have about a month to complete the season-long Stadium: Initiation event, and can look forward to anotherOverwatch 2Pride celebration in June.
There are plenty of other improvements and features to discover in this update, including the Merciful Magitech Mercy Mythic Weapon skin, instant notification of when one reports someone who has already been actioned, and a bunch of bug fixes. Season 17 starts June 24, so fans should have plenty to keep them busy during the second half of Season 16.
Overwatch 2 Mid-Season 16 Patch Notes – Jun 26, 2025
Stadium Continues!
Midseason is bursting with style, celebration, and surprises as Season 16 continues. Choose your fighter to KO the competition in the Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 collab and join Dokiwatch by unlocking the Mythic Merciful Magitech Mercy Weapon Skin! Then step back into another Overwatch Classic era, reignite the fight with Drives, and dress up like Palace Royals. Plus, Freja enters the Stadium and brings incredible powers that will blow the opponents away!
Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6
ROUND ONE – FIGHT! Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 collide for an explosive crossover event, celebrating the heart-pounding action of both worlds. With eight hard hitting skins, emotes, plus cosmetic combos inspired by iconic moves and matchups, this collab brings Street Fighter 6 to the frontlines of Overwatch 2. So, get ready to hit those lightning-fast kicks, charge with Psycho Power, or unleash a Hadoken-like arrow, because every move hits harder with this collab’s fighting flair. It’s time to choose your fighter and KO the competition in the fight for the future.
©CAPCOM
Mythic Merciful Magitech Mercy Weapon Skin
Even in her absence from the Heroes of Heart, the spirit of Mercy endures. The Merciful Magitech Mythic Weapon channels the soul of Eleos, the Hamster of Benevolence, and reimagines Mercy’s Caduceus Staff and Blaster through the radiant lens of Magitech might. Rescued after a daring escape, Eleos now brings kindness, healing, and hope to those heroes still standing against Woe. When you’re defending your team, this charming companion within your Mythic weapon ensures that Mercy’s Hero of Heart legacy lives on in every beam, every boost, and every act of compassion.
Overwatch Classic: October 2020
The nostalgia is real and Overwatch: Classic is back in action! Experience the October 2020 Patch in all its 6v6 glory with returning balance changes, role queue, and heroes like Sigma, Echo, Baptiste, and more. Whether you’re a veteran returning home or a new hero curious about the past, this is a classic fight you won’t want to miss.
Developer comments: Hazard’s slower climbing fits his lumbering tank fantasy, but it was a point of friction when trying to chase down or escape from enemies, so we’re speeding up how quickly he can vault over a ledge. Additionally, we’re boosting Anarchic Zeal’s lifesteal as the current value wasn’t effective enough.
Developer comments: Reinhardt generally does well across the game but falls off in effectiveness at high ranks. We’re increasing the speed and responsiveness of Fire Strike to make it more reliable from range.
Developer comments: Freja has continued to climb in win-rate now that players have become accustomed to her kit. We are partially reverting the Quick Dash cooldown to reduce her airtime and frequency of explosive bolts.
Developer comments: Hanzo’s been underperforming recently so we’re reverting his bow draw speed back to its original, faster value. The Sonic Disruption perk isn’t picked very often but increasing its duration will make it more useful and require less upkeep to control a health pack.
Developer comments: Drift Thrusters and Concussive Implosion have been too consistent at securing kills. These adjustments will give better opportunities for counterplay when fighting against these perks.
Developer comments: We’re aligning the recovery of Dire Triggers with Reaper’s primary fire to improve the flow when alternating between the two.
Developer comments: Stim Pack’s button mapping made it difficult to activate, especially in combat. Binding it to Weapon Swap improves the control scheme and removing the anti-heal makes it less punishing to use.
Developer comments: Invisibility is a frustrating mechanic to play against for many, so we’re increasing the windows for counterplay. Sombra will now take longer to exit stealth and to disappear after taking damage.
Developer comments: Widowmaker is a more map-dependent hero than most and now with hero bans restricting her usefulness we’re looking to make her viable in more situations.
Developer comments: Illari often has to move into high-risk positions to heal effectively. Extending the range on her healing beam will give her more flexibility in how she positions and supports her team.
Developer comments: The opportunity cost to use Thorn Volley is still too high compared to constantly charging Healing Blossom. We are improving the auto-charge to make weaving damage between healing less punishing.
Stadium Updates
Mercy Rule
Developer comments: We feel that not enough games that reach 3-0 are triggering the Mercy Rule when they probably should. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this and will be considering other changes to the Mercy Rule system in the future.
Round Completion Cash
We’ve added a system where players are granted an additional boost to their Round Completion Cash in rounds that end with players on both teams having lower than intended amounts of cash. This additional cash will be equivalent for every player.
Tank
Developer comments: To compensate for the buff to Reinhardt’s Fire Strike in Core Overwatch, we’re decreasing the burst potential of Reinhardt’s Fire Strike build and normalizing the max projectile speed Fire Strike can reach. We’re also tuning down Reinhardt’s Melee build to be a bit more counterable, which is performing too consistently given the high payoff of the build.
Developer comments: Soldier 76’s Helix Rocket build is one-shotting a little too consistently. We’re decreasing the damage here a bit to reduce the burst potential.
General Items
Developer comments: Stacking large amounts of Weapon Power or Ability Power have become too prevalent, crowding out other itemization options. We are lowering the cost efficiency of these items to promote greater item diversity and weaken builds that rely on high amounts of burst through stacking Weapon or Ability Power. We’re also strengthening some weaker item options.
