Marvel Rivals has been showing up Overwatch 2 since it launched back in December, and now Blizzard is trying to play catch-up with all these new updates.
It was announced that a new character named Freja would come in Season 16 of Overwatch 2, and while a lot of fans know that she’s a bounty hunter, her origin story reveals she actually has very close ties to that of the Overwatch organization.
Freja’s Origin
Blizzard has released a motion comic from Sam King and Hannah Templer covering the history of Freja with Overwatch before she decided to become the bounty hunter Gefn. Check out the video below:
“Join Olivia Le Andersen, the voice actor behind Freja, for a reading of our newest comic, ‘Storm Chaser.’ Follow ex-Overwatch agent Freja through the turbulent rise and fall of Overwatch, and the desperate measures she took to find a new path forward.”
As it turns out, Freja was a child of a diplomat during the Omnic Crisis, and she had joined Overwatch under the Search and Rescue Division—a squad that’s not as flashy as the ‘superheroes’ like Reinhardt and Winston.
She had stayed with OW during its rise and fall, and after she lost her job and the reputation of OW essentially left her unwanted by other companies; she was forced to go into bounty hunting—which turned out to be perfect for her as she loved the thrill of the chase.
Interestingly, it’s worth noting that both her aliases are of Norse origin. Freja was the wife of Odin who was the goddess of Love and Beauty, while Gefn was the goddess of Agriculture and Fertility.
Freja’s Ability Set
Freja is a Damage Class hero and her bounty hunter status gives her specific abilities that make her particularly tricky to go up against.
Here’s a breakdown of her abilities:
- Primary Fire: Revdraw Crossbow – Freja fires automatic bolts with her specialized weapon
- Secondary Fire: Take Aim – When Freja aims down her fire, she slows down her momentum and shoots a high-speed explosive bolt. Using Quick Dash also refreshes this ability
- LShift: Quick Dash – Freja dashes to the direction she’s moving, and refreshes Take Aim
- E: Updraft – Freja launches upward
- Ultimate: Bola Shot – Freje launches a bola at an enemy which draws in other enemies before exploding
Passive Abilities
- Enemies damaged by Freja will get temporary healing received
- Bounty Hunting – Freja gets a bonus ultimate charge for every 3 killing blows she deals
Perks
Unlocked at Level 2
- Frost Bolts – Enemies hit with 3 bolts in quick succession are slowed down
- Tracking Instinct – Enemies on low health are revealed to Freja
Unlocked at Level 3
- Ready to Hunt – Updraft grants free use of Quick Dash
- Relentless Barrage – Direct hits with Take Aim refund 4 ammo
As far as strategy goes with Freja, she isn’t recommended to take tanks head-on but to focus on the other squishier DPS and support. With her expert tracker abilities, her kit allows her to keep a good birds-eye-view of the map, and her perks will even allow her the ability to know which are the easiest to kill.
Freja will be available for a limited time between March 21-23 and she’ll officially launch in Season 16 which starts on April 22.