Blizzard announced the upcoming addition of a new anti-air item in Overwatch 2’s Stadium mode that should help players better deal with aerial heroes like Freja. While the exact details surrounding this anti-air item are still under wraps, Blizzard plans to release this new tool with the launch of Overwatch 2 Season 17 on June 24, 2025.

Stadium is a unique game mode introduced in Overwatch 2 Season 16, where two teams of five players fight in a best-of-seven series. Unlike regular Overwatch 2 game modes, players can upgrade their hero with various customization options, ranging from new powers to utility items. Out of the 43 available heroes in Overwatch 2, only 18 are featured in Stadium so far, with more to be added over time. Ever since the release of Stadium, aerial heroes have been dominating this game mode. Some of the best Freja Overwatch 2 Stadium builds have been wreaking havoc with little to no counters, leading Blizzard to find new ways to even the playing field.

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According to a recent blog post reflecting on recent changes brought to Stadium, Blizzard plans to introduce a new item in Season 17 that will specifically target aerial heroes in Stadium. Blizzard mentioned that, according to players’ feedback, Freja specifically could be frustrating to play against, and the developer decided to give players a new tool to help deal with this aerial threat. Blizzard will add this new anti-air item with the release of Overwatch 2 Season 17, but exact item stats haven’t been confirmed. The tool is described as being designed for utility rather than raw damage, potentially introducing a new way for players to deal with flying enemies without relying solely on hitscan DPS heroes.

Blizzard Will Introduce New Anti-Air Item In Stadium

This isn’t the first time Blizzard has addressed balance issues surrounding Freja in Overwatch 2. Shortly after her debut, the developer released a patch focused on reducing her mobility and ability uptime in Stadium mode specifically. Despite these adjustments, it seems that players still struggle to deal with Freja in Stadium as Blizzard plans on introducing an item dedicated to bringing aerial heroes back to the ground.

Despite earlier nerfs, Freja remains one of the most frequently banned DPS heroes in Overwatch 2, with only Sombra currently seeing more frequent bans. From an initial ban rate of below 10% on PC, Freja’s ban rate jumped to over 40%, highlighting how having Freja in the game can disrupt the outcome of a match. With the addition of this new anti-air tool in Overwatch 2’s Stadium mode, Freja’s ban rate may come down as players get new ways to counter this aerial threat.

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6 /10

Overwatch 2
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Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
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Released
August 10, 2023
ESRB
T For Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Violence
Developer(s)
Blizzard
Publisher(s)
Blizzard
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
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DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
Shooter