Overwatch 2: How to Play Freja

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  • What Are Freja’s Abilities?

    • Revdraw Crossbow
    • Take Aim
    • Quick Dash
    • Updraft
    • Ultimate: Bola Shot
    • Passives
    • Perks

The sixteenth season of Overwatch 2 has arrived, and it’s packed with exciting new features! In addition to the innovative Stadium mode, players can now control the 43rd character introduced in the game: Freja.

Because she’s new to the team, it’s likely that you’ll engage in a rapid game of rock-paper-scissors (or any other quick selection game) to determine who gets to work with her first. She’s an intriguing character offering a couple of play options due to her advantages.

As an enthusiast, I’d like to share some insights on mastering Freya in Overwatch 2. While you can certainly try her out in the Practice Range, engaging in a standard Quick Play game offers a more authentic feel of her performance. Let me walk you through some strategies and tips on playing Freya effectively, helping you rule the battlefield with her swift-moving bounty hunter style!

What Are Freja’s Abilities?

Freja is quite agile, serving as an effective long-range marksman hero, particularly in mid-to-long-distance engagements. Unlike other heroes, she doesn’t experience damage reduction the further away her targets are. She moves frequently, much like Ashe and Widowmaker, and her weapon has two distinct firing options.

Revdraw Crossbow

In simpler terms, “Revdraw Bow” is your main weapon that shoots arrows rapidly. Since these arrows travel through the air (projectiles), you need to aim ahead of your target in order to hit it correctly.

Weapon type Primary Fire
Damage 30
Crit X2
Ammo 12
Reload Speed 1.6 seconds
Fire Rate 4.81 shots per second
  • Can be fired while Take Aim is reloading.
  • Bolts don’t arc, so keep your aim just ahead of the target.

Take Aim

Freja’s primary focus lies in her weapon setup, which includes a potent damaging tool. Similar to the Revdraw Bow, this rapid shot is a projectile, meaning you’ll have to anticipate your targets slightly and adjust your aim ahead to land hits effectively.

Weapon type Secondary Fire
Damage 40 (direct hit)
90-30 (explosion, distance-based)
45-15 (explosion self-damage, distance-based)
Crit X2
Explosion Delay 1 second after landing
Area of Damage Effect 2.3 meter radius
Self-Effect 1.5 second slowdown
Ammo 1
Reload Speed 1 second
Fire Rate 4.81 shots per second
  • Take Aim will also reduce your movement speed by 35% after the slowdown effect has ended.
  • It also reduces her gravity and movement heavily, giving her the ability to hover or reach higher ground.
  • The explosion does not count for critical damage, meaning the greatest damage that can be done in a single hit is 160.

Quick Dash

Swift Dash offers more than just a means to evade tricky predicaments; it also empowers you to claim victories. Employing this technique usually ensures you maintain agility, preventing you from getting fixed in combat.

Ability Label Ability 1
Ability Dashes in the direction you’re moving and reloads Take Aim
Charges 2
Cooldown 5 seconds
  • Doesn’t interrupt Take Aim.
  • Will propel upwards if not moving in a direction.

It’s advisable to associate this action with a double jump, as it will become much more manageable and convenient for you to control and utilize.

Updraft

With Updraft, you can effortlessly reach higher ground. Pair it with Take Aim and Quick Dash to ensure that you maintain an elevated position over all your opponents.

Ability Label Ability 2
Ability Launch upwards into the air
Cooldown 5 seconds
  • Does interrupt Take Aim.

Ultimate: Bola Shot

Bola Shot is a powerful ultimate ability that becomes even more formidable when used in conjunction with Freja’s Bounty Hunter passive. Its primary function is to help secure kills and dominate team fights. With her passive trait, you rarely find yourself without this potent tool at your disposal.

Ability Label Ability 3
Ability Fires an explosion bola that will pull enemies, do damage over time, and then explode
Damage 25 (direct hit)
90 (damage over time)
100-60 (explosion, distance-based)
50-30 (explosion self-damage, distance-based)
Crit N/A
Effect On hit causes hindered status (locking out of movement abilities)
On hit pulls enemies towards the target, causing a 75% slow effect
Duration 1.2 seconds
Area of Effect 5.5-meter radius
  • Bola Shot also provides a 25% slow area of effect for enemies not pulled initially.
  • Direct hit possible damage is 215 while those caught in the full duration will be 190.

Passives

Freja typically possesses two passive abilities, much like most Damage Per Second (DPS) characters. One of these passives aids in achieving kills efficiently, while the other ensures her ultimate ability remains at the ready, thanks to her Bounty Hunter passive trait.

  • DPS Passive – Damaging an enemy gives them 25% reduced healing for non-tanks and 12.5% for tanks.

    • Not stackable with itself.
    • It is stackable with other healing-reducing abilities.
  • Bounty Hunting: Every three final blows gain 25% ultimate charge over two seconds.

    • All final blows count toward this total, including ultimate final blows.
    • Stacks do not deplete over time or after death.
    • If you have ultimate and acquire three final blows, the 25% boost will be stored until ultimate is used.

Perks

In simpler terms, You should carefully consider her minor advantages, as choosing between Frost Bolts and Tracking Instinct could be a difficult decision for your game of Overwatch. Make sure to pick the one that best suits your playstyle or the situation at hand.

  • Frost Bolts – Enemies hit by three regular bolts in quick succession are slowed by 20% for two seconds.
  • Tracking Instincts – Critical health enemies are revealed to you.

The Significant Advantages she offers grant beneficial perks to aid in securing kills or escaping at the last moment. Additionally, Ready To Hunt and Persistent Assault provide valuable insights into her gameplay strategies.

  • Ready To Hunt – Updraft grants a temporary free use of Quick Dash.
  • Relentless Barrage – Direct hits with Take Aim refund 4 Revdraw Bow ammo

How to Play Freja?

Freja offers two unique approaches to gameplay; I suggest giving both a try to find the one that suits you most comfortably. Keep in mind that what resonates with me might not resonate with you, so feel free to explore and adapt according to your preferences.

Hit and Run

In this approach, focus on using Frost Bolts and Relentless Barrage. Having Tracking Instinct can aid in locating the ideal target for an attack, but since Freja has such a high burst damage potential, it’s nearly irrelevant.

  • Get In and Get Out – Freja has 225 hp, but thanks to Quick Dash, you can get everywhere faster. Try to get behind enemy lines to target squishy characters (characters with smaller health pools like DPS and Supports).
  • The Combo – If you can hit your shots, you’re able to deal 120 or more damage from your four bolts followed by a Take Aim shot for 130 or more. This should instantly eliminate any and all squishy targets provided they don’t get tons of healing.
  • Don’t Overstay Your Welcome – If you’re pulling people away from the main fight, especially Supports, you’re still doing your job. Not getting eliminated is important, so survive and try to catch people by their lonesome.

Moving with this particular flair is equally crucial as your shooting accuracy. Use the Quick Dash technique to help you get kills from unexpected angles, but remember to conserve at least one charge to ensure you can escape sticky situations.

By temporarily pausing during critical moments with the “Take Aim” feature, you can effectively disrupt an opponent’s strategy. This pause offers an opportunity to confuse enemies or swiftly change your position.

Rain Down From Above

This resembles the kind of characters you often encounter who are adept at tracking and hunting, with a keen instinct and a readiness for action. You’ll hone in on developing your Tracking Sense and Preparedness to Stalk.

  • The Eye in the Sky – Use Updraft and Quick Dash to move yourself around high ground quickly. This will keep the enemies guessing where you are and give you a good eye on the battlefield.
  • The Combo – Once you have Ready To Hunt you’ll basically want to use Updraft then quickly get off a Take Aim shot. From there you can Quick Dash and then Take Aim again up to a maximum of four times.
  • The Weak Links – This is still a focus on eliminating those squishies, so find a nice spot where you can get a good line on them and use Tracking Instinct to target the lowest health enemy. You don’t have damage fall off, so start off a little further back because your combo for this will take you forward if you aren’t careful.

As a gamer, let me tell you, my success heavily depends on how well I can hit my targets. If you find yourself missing often, don’t worry, just keep practicing!

Instead of “Take Aim” inflicting Area of Effect damage, hitting someone concealed behind a corner could result in their complete removal from the game. Utilize your tracking skills to deal extra damage to evasive enemies attempting to hide.

Spend some time understanding the necessary distances for your shots, as this skill will benefit not just Freja, but also all characters in the game who use a projectile attacking style.

Freja has arrived just in time for Season 16, and she’ll also be introduced as part of the cast of heroes within Stadium during the mid-season update. Her unique abilities are bound to add a fresh and exciting dynamic to the game mode, and I can hardly wait to witness her powers in action!

As a gamer, jump into the action of Overwatch and explore Freja for yourself! If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, remember to grab those unique skins as part of your subscription perks!

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2025-04-24 20:11