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Dot Esports

Rijit Banerjee

Overwatch 2 Stadium patch notes (May 20): Freja joins the fray, other hero changes

Freja Stadium (Facility) Blizzard

Overwatch 2’s Stadium is finally getting its first hero, Freja, to join the roster with new powers, giving players another option to boost their damage output in the matches.

The Stadium mode has been constantly pulling in big player numbers, and it has also become the most-played game mode. As the midseason update is here, players are also getting Freja as the new hero since the game mode’s release to add more variety in the damage heroes pool, and make space for strategies to win the matches using newly changed items.

We break down everything you need to know from the Overwatch 2 Stadium patch notes released on May 20, 2025.

Everything new in Overwatch 2 Stadium patch notes on May 20

The main highlight of the latest Stadium patch is Freja, so let’s dive into her new powers and items, which make up her potential builds.

Freja is here to give you quick powerfire with mobility

Picture showing Freja hero shooting in Overwatch 2. — Speed and Power. Image via Blizzard

Here is a table showing the powers and hero-specific items that have been added in Overwatch 2 Stadium:

Freja powers

Powers	Effect
Cyclone	When you use Updraft, fire a Take Aim bolt at your crosshair.
Seekerpoint	When Take Aim bolt sticks an enemy, automatically fire three additional crossbow shots at them that deal 66 percent reduced damage.
Seismic Shot	Take Aim explosion radius is increased by 33 percent. Double this if the bolt is stuck to a target.
Thread the Needle	Take Aim bolts pierce enemies. Additional explosions deal 66 percent reduced damage.
Deep Pockets	When you use an ability, restore 50 percent of your Max Ammo.
Forager	For two seconds after using Quick Dash. Revdraw Crossbow hits heal you for three percent of your Max Life.
Peak Performance	While firing Revdraw Crossbow your fall speed is decreased by 80 percent.
Redux	Revdraw Crossbow hits against targets struck by a Take Aim bolt or Bola Shot reduce the cooldown of your abilities by five percent and refunds one ammo.
Volley à Deux	Every fifth Revdraw Crossbow shot fires an additional 2 bolts in a spread that deal 50 per cent reduced damage.
Lille Fælde	After using Updraft, your next Take Aim while airborne fires a Bola Shot that deals 60 percent reduced damage instead of an explosive bolt.
So Cooked	Bola Shot’s damaging zone deals 50 percent more damage and lingers for three seconds. Bola shot eliminations count toward Bounty Hunting.
Mighty Gust	Updraft launches a wind blast toward your crosshair, knocking back enemies and dealing 40 ability damage.

Freja items

Here is a table showing all the hero-specific items for Freja:

Item Type	Rarity	Benefit
Tracker Tag (Weapon)	Rare	30 percent Max Ammo. When Take Aim bolt sticks to an enemy, increase your Attack Speed by 20 percent for three seconds.
Slipstream Scarf (Weapon)	Rare	25 Health. 5 percent Weapon Power. 25 percent Quick Dash Distance.
Portable Zipline (Weapon)	Epic	15 percent Weapon Power. Eliminations reset both charges of Quick Dash cooldown.
Windwalker Boots (Ability)	Rare	25 Health. 5 percent Cooldown Reduction. 20 percent Updraft Height.
Magnetic Maelstrom (Ability)	Epic	15 percent Ability Power. Bola Shot pulls in nearby enemies even when it misses.
Hunter’s Mark (Survival)	Rare	25 Health. Enemies with a Bounty of 75 or more are revealed to you within 40 meters. Eliminating them grants 250 additional Stadium Cash.
Aeroweave Cloak (Survival)	Rare	25 Health. 100 percent Take Aim Slowed Momentum Duration.
Tourniquet (Survival)	Rare	25 Health. After using Updraft, reset Quick Dash and gain 50 Overhealth for five seconds.
Toxin Tips (Survival)	Epic	50 Health. Take Aim bolts sticks and explosions slow enemies by 30 percent, but takes one second longer to explode.

Damage hero changes

The developer is decreasing Soldier 76’s burst damage, which should be affecting his Helix Rocket build, which is one-shotting enemies consistently.

Soldier 76

Cratered: Power

The Explosion Damage Reduced has been decreased from 25 to 15 percent.

Tank hero changes

Reinhardt

The developer is compensating for Reinhardt’s Fire Strike buff in Overwatch by decreasing the burst potential of his build. They’re also tuning down Reinhardt’s melee build to make it weaker to enemy attacks.

Smashing: Power

Move Speed per stack has been reduced from two to one percent.
Life Steal per stack has been reduced from five to three percent.
The maximum stacks have been increased from five to 10.
Reduced duration from three to two seconds.

To Me, My Friends!: Power

Healing based on Max Life has been increased to 4 from 3 percent.

Wilhelmwagen: Power

Healing from damage mitigated has been decreased from 15 to 5 percent.

Rocket Strike: Epic hero ability Item

Fire Strike Projectile Speed has been decreased from 50 to 25 percent.
Ability Power has been decreased from 20 to 10 percent.

Chimera’s Maw: Rare hero ability Item

Ability Power has been decreased from 10 to 5 percent.

General item changes

Stacking high amounts of Weapon Power and Ability Power in the Stadium builds has led to dominant burst builds that overshadow other itemization paths. To encourage more diverse and strategic item choices, the developers are reducing the cost efficiency of these items, making it less rewarding to stack them excessively. They are also buffing some underperforming items to create more viable alternatives.

Champion’s Kit: Epic ability Item