Freja’s crossbow turns precision into burst potential!
Overwatch 2’s newest DPS hero, Freja, has landed early during the free-to-play weekend ahead of her official debut in Season 16. She’s a Danish bounty hunter with a complex but rewarding kit, combining precision accuracy with fast, agile movement. But the real secret that sets Freja apart? A built-in reload mechanic that turns her explosive bolts into a non-stop damage machine — and most players won’t even notice it at first.
Freja’s primary weapon is the revdraw crossbow, which fires bolt projectiles in two distinct modes. Her primary fire shoots up to 12 bolts rapidly, each dealing 30 base damage and 60 with headshots. However, the longer you hold the fire button, the less accurate your shots become due to bloom — a mechanic that causes bolts to spread out after the third shot in succession. This works similarly to how Soldier 76’s old rifle used to function.
Despite this, Freja’s bolts don’t suffer from falloff damage, meaning she can deal consistent damage even at long range — if you can land your shots. But this is where many new players struggle. Relying too much on primary fire while missing several bolts due to bloom means you’ll fall short in duels.
That’s why her secondary fire, called Take Aim, is key to unlocking her full potential.
Watch more in the video above by broyouwack or read more below for a quick look on the abilities and perks, and to find out how you are going to take the best advantage on the battlefield!
The Take Aim and dash synergy is game-changing
Take Aim lets Freja fire a single explosive bolt with serious burst potential:
- Direct hit: 40 base damage
- Explosion damage: 90
- Headshot direct hit: Doubles to 80
- Minimum splash: 30
What makes this ability dangerous is that after firing the bolt, dashing instantly reloads it. So instead of waiting the usual 1-second reload, you can chain bolts rapidly by combining dashes with each shot. With two dashes available by default, you can fire three explosive bolts nearly back to back. This is especially deadly when used mid-air or from flanks where enemies won’t expect the burst.
But that’s just the start. With the right perk, you can gain a third dash, allowing a four-shot burst — more than enough to melt even a tank.
It’s worth noting that using Take Aim slows Freja’s movement by 80% for a short duration, so avoid using it out in the open or you’ll become an easy pick for heroes like Widowmaker or Ashe. Instead, time it with movement abilities or use vertical space for safer positioning.
All Freja Abilities
Here’s a complete list of Freja’s abilities and how they work in Overwatch 2.
Primary fire – Crossbow burst
- Fires 12 projectiles rapidly
- 30 base damage per bolt
- No damage falloff
- Bloom begins after 3 consecutive shots
- Headshots deal 60 damage
- Reload time: 1.6 seconds
Secondary fire – Take Aim
- Fires a single explosive bolt
- 40 direct impact damage
- 30-90 explosion damage
- Headshot doubles direct hit to 80
- Reload time: 1 second (can be skipped by dashing)
- Slows Freja by 80% briefly during the shot
Ability 1 – Quick Dash
- 2 charges
- 5-second cooldown per charge
- Dash in any direction based on movement input
- Instantly reloads Take Aim bolt on use
Ability 2 – Updraft
- Launches Freja 8 meters into the air
- 12-second cooldown
- No extra effects unless paired with a perk
Ultimate – Bola Shot
- Fires a bola that pulls in nearby enemies
- 25 impact damage
- 76 damage over time
- Explosion deals up to 100 damage (minimum 60)
- Slows enemies by 75%
- Blocks their ability usage temporarily
- Can be blocked by barriers
- Gains 25% charge per 3 kills (tracked by passive)
Passive – Bounty Hunting
- Tracks final blows using three diamonds
- 3 final blows = +25% to ultimate charge
- Works with primary fire, Take Aim, and Bola Shot
- Progress carries over after death
Passive – Role: Damage
- Damaging an enemy temporarily reduces their healing received.
Freja’s ultimate can look underwhelming at first, but it becomes dangerous in close-quarters fights and grouped enemies. It’s not for shield-busting or frontal engagements but can catch entire teams off guard when used behind barriers or from flanks.
Freja Perks
Like other heroes, Freja has access to two minor perks and two major perks, allowing players to shape her role in each match.
Minor perks:
- Frostbolts: Hitting 3 enemies quickly with primary fire slows them by 20% for 2 seconds.
- Tracking Instinct: Reveals critically injured enemies through walls, similar to Widowmaker’s Infra-Sight but only for low-health enemies.
Major perks:
- Ready to Hunt: Adds an extra dash after using Updraft. This gives Freja three total dashes, which means she can fire four Take Aim bolts in one aggressive burst.
- Relentless Barrage: Each direct hit with Take Aim refills 4 bolts in your primary weapon. Ideal for players who rely more on spamming and don’t want to reload manually.
Ready to Hunt is the go-to perk for players who want burst damage and aggressive mobility. Relentless Barrage is better for longer fights and consistent poke damage.
Is Freja worth maining in Season 16?
Freja is a hard hero to master. She combines the movement of Tracer/Genji with the precision demands of Widowmaker or Ashe. If you struggle with aim or timing, you might find her frustrating at first. But once you understand how her dash-reload trick works and how to chain her bolts properly, she becomes one of the most rewarding DPS heroes in the game.
Her damage ceiling is sky-high, and her ultimate builds up faster than any other hero in Overwatch 2 thanks to her passive. She rewards players who can stay alive, pick off targets, and rotate cooldowns perfectly.
Whether you’re looking for a new high-skill hero to master or just want to test her limits in ranked, Freja offers one of the most dynamic kits the game has seen so far. Want to stay up to date with hero changes and balance updates? Keep an eye on OverwatchCentral.
Master the reload trick. Land those explosive bolts. And bring the bounty home.
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