Overwatch 2’s next hero is Freja, and the crossbow-wielding damage character is getting an early trial period this weekend. To celebrate, Blizzard released a new animated trailer featuring her doing some sick acrobatic tricks and taking out synthetic omnic goons. That’s all well and good, but what fans are honing in on are the final moments in which Freja is given a bounty hunting contract that hints at a long-awaited character finally making their debut. However, if you’re not super tuned into Overwatch lore, you might have no idea who he is.
Emre Sarioglu is a Turkish hero from the titular organization’s heyday before the events of the games, and has appeared only a few times in the series’ extended lore. His most prominent appearance is in a group photo of much of the OG team with a young Pharah; otherwise he’s mostly only been seen in the margins of the lore in things like the Overwatch: Declassified book. Sojourn has a voice line in Overwatch 2 saying Emre wanted to retire to Havana, but that’s pretty much it. The guy’s mostly an enigma, and that mystery has made him a bit of a running joke within the Overwatch community. Now, however, it seems like Blizzard may actually be bringing him into the fold with Freja, and fans are losing it.
While it’s exciting that we might finally learn more about Emre, it’s unclear if this thread will be picked up any time soon. Overwatch loves to introduce characters in external media and then not get back to them for several years. For example, Mauga was first introduced in the short story What You Left Behind in 2019 and wasn’t added to the roster until Overwatch 2’s eighth season in 2023. At the very least we know Blizzard hasn’t completely forgotten him.
Freja’s test period will last from March 21 to 24; she’ll then officially join the roster in season 16 on April 22.