Blizzard Entertainment has officially re-enabled the hero Tracer in Overwatch 2’s Stadium game mode. This comes after fixing a serious bug that had led to her temporary removal. Tracer, a fan favorite, was taken offline on September 18 when a game-breaking glitch was discovered shortly after her addition to the chaotic game type during the mid-Season 18 update. Her reintroduction allows players to select the iconic damage hero for a fresh style of gameplay.
The bug was linked directly to Tracer’s signature ability, Recall. This ability teleports her back to a previous position and state of health. Within the unique Stadium environment, players noticed they could exploit this ability with the mode’s item shop. By purchasing defensive upgrades and then quickly selling them, players could use Recall to restore their health to a much higher value while keeping the inventory slot and the currency spent on the upgrades. This exploit could be repeated, with some players reportedly reaching over 1500 health, which created an unfair advantage and compromised the integrity of the game mode.
According to a social media post from Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller, the development team has successfully fixed the issue. The fix was implemented late on September 22, and Tracer was quickly added back to the Stadium roster. This incident highlights the challenges of integrating established heroes into new game modes and shows the need for a rapid response to balance-breaking exploits to keep competition fair.
With Tracer’s return, attention now turns to the future of Stadium mode. Players can expect the upcoming Season 19, which is set to begin on October 14. This new season is likely to introduce at least four more heroes to the mode, with possible additions including Sojourn and Torbjorn, among others. In the meantime, players can jump back into Stadium to try out the newly stabilized Tracer while also taking part in ongoing events like the Play Like Luka and Persona 5 crossover promotions, which offer new challenges and rewards.
