The Freja “damage nerf” that isn’t really a nerf

Freja’s latest patch notes headline a small list of balance tweaks that Blizzard says aim to “pull back slightly” on her power while finding a middle ground in the current DPS lineup. The reality? Her primary fire damage drops from 30 to 25, while her max armor jumps from 12 to 15 — and that’s it.

In practice, this barely touches her core problem: the ability to two-tap squishies with minimal setup. As Relf puts it, Blizzard seems unwilling to touch the breakpoints that let Freja “two-tap my knees and murder me instantly,” instead opting for a stat swap that leaves her oppressive kill combo intact.

Why this matters

Freja’s lethality comes from her combination of burst potential and mobility. By keeping the two-shot combo viable — and even giving her more armor — the nerf feels more like a side-grade. Against tanks, the reduced primary damage could matter, but versus most DPS and supports, she’s still deleting targets just as fast.

This mirrors the Sojourn balance philosophy from past seasons: instead of addressing the railgun one-shot directly, Blizzard trims around the edges and hopes the overall feel changes. Spoiler — it rarely does.

Context in the patch

While Freja’s “nerf” drew the spotlight, this patch also delivered:

  • Tracer saw her pulse pistol spread increased, pushing her toward closer-range duels.
  • Sigma’s barrier cooldown dropped to 1 second, a change Relf calls “actively oppressive” in both 5v5 and 6v6.
  • Hanzo got significant buffs to projectile size and perk synergies, potentially setting up the return of Grav-Dragon team wipes.
  • Juno had her instant air-strafing movement toned down, which may push her to be played much safer.

Many of these adjustments seem to be driven more by perk pick rates than by holistic hero design, which Relf argues can lead to “perk creep” and balancing in service of metrics over gameplay health.

The takeaway on Freja

The stated goal was to rein in her damage. The actual result? More armor for the same oppressive two-tap potential. Without changes to her breakpoints — like requiring a headshot + body shot for a kill instead of two quick hits — her threat level remains high, especially in lower ranks where reaction time to her burst is limited.

Blizzard’s philosophy appears to be preserve the hero fantasy at all costs, even if it means avoiding the real tuning lever that would actually shift her impact.

Visit OverwatchCentral for more Overwatch 2 balance breakdowns, and watch Relf’s full patch analysis for his unfiltered reaction.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly changed for Freja in this patch?

Her primary fire damage dropped from 30 to 25, and her max armor increased from 12 to 15.

Does the change stop her two-tap kill combo?

No — she can still kill most squishies in two quick hits, which is the main complaint players have.

Why increase her armor if you’re nerfing her damage?

Blizzard hasn’t explained, but it appears to be an attempt to offset the reduced damage with slightly more survivability.

How does this affect her vs. tanks?

The reduced damage per shot will have a minor impact on her tank damage output, but it doesn’t significantly change her burst vs. other roles.

Is this similar to past hero balance patterns?

Yes — it’s reminiscent of how Blizzard handled Sojourn, trimming damage in some areas while leaving the oppressive breakpoints untouched.