Mechanic

Freeze

Freeze is a non-damaging Cold Ailment that prevents a target from moving or acting. Cold Hits can Freeze directly or add Freeze Buildup, and reaching 100% Buildup makes the target Frozen.

0.5.4d

Current data

Catalog version 0.5.4d

No direct 0.5 patch change is linked to this page. The displayed values are current for catalog version 0.5.4d.

What Freeze does

Current rules

Cold Hit damage contributes to Freeze. A sufficiently strong qualifying Hit can apply a Freeze whose duration depends on post-mitigation damage relative to the target's ailment threshold. Otherwise the Hit adds Freeze Buildup. At 100%, Buildup applies a fixed-duration Freeze and resets to 0%. Freeze lasts four seconds by default.

Cold Hits contribute by default: Cold damage from Hits contributes to Freeze. Cold damage over time does not Hit, so it does not add Freeze Buildup under the default rule. Another damage type contributes only when an effect explicitly permits it.
Direct Freeze and Buildup are separate paths: A qualifying Hit strong enough to meet the direct Freeze requirement can apply Freeze immediately. If it does not meet that requirement, its eligible damage instead adds to the target's Freeze Buildup counter.
100% Buildup causes Freeze: When Freeze Buildup reaches or exceeds 100%, the target becomes Frozen for a fixed duration and its Buildup resets to 0%. Partial Buildup is not itself a Freeze.
Frozen prevents actions: A Frozen target cannot move or use skills. Freeze reduces action speed to zero and Immobilises the target, so effects that check for Immobilised targets can recognise a Frozen target.
Default duration is four seconds: Freeze lasts four seconds by default. Direct Freeze duration depends on the qualifying post-mitigation damage relative to the target's ailment threshold, while the 100% Buildup route applies a fixed-duration Freeze. Freeze Duration modifiers can change the result.
Threshold and Buildup are different values: The target's defensive threshold determines how difficult it is for a Hit to Freeze or add enough Buildup. Freeze Buildup is the accumulating counter shown as a percentage. Increasing Buildup generation and reducing the target's effective threshold both help reach 100%, but they are not the same stat.
Primed is not Frozen: Normal enemies are Primed for Freeze at 40% Buildup, Magic enemies at 50%, Rare enemies at 60%, and Unique enemies at 70%. Primed is only a threshold state that certain skills can exploit. The enemy remains able to act until a skill Freezes it or Buildup reaches 100%.
Bosses resist repeated Freezes: Each time a boss is Frozen, whether directly or through Buildup, its ailment threshold against Freeze rises. That added resistance decays toward the boss's base value over time.
Blocked Hits can add Buildup: Blocking prevents the incoming Hit damage but does not prevent that Hit from applying Freeze Buildup. Do not infer ailment prevention from the zero damage shown by a successful Block.
Chill and Freeze are independent: A Cold Hit can Chill and contribute to Freeze at the same time, but Chill Magnitude, Chill Duration, Freeze Buildup, and Freeze Duration are separate calculations. A Chilled target is not automatically Frozen.
Resistance changes the qualifying Hit: Cold Resistance reduces the Cold damage dealt before the Freeze calculation, while Cold Penetration applies to that Hit. Exposure and Penetration can therefore improve Freeze indirectly, but neither directly edits an existing Freeze or Buildup counter.
Frozen monsters can shatter: A monster killed while Frozen shatters and leaves no corpse. Shatter can matter for corpse denial and for effects that specifically react to shattered enemies.

Building, applying, and using Freeze

9 cases

High Buildup skills

Freezing Shards, Escape Shot, Ice Nova, Lunar Assault, Freezing Salvo, and Permafrost Bolts have explicit bonuses to Freeze Buildup. Their current values differ by skill and gem level, so the skill page should be used for the exact number.

Primed finishers

Wave of Frost, Shattering Concoction, and Arctic Howl immediately Freeze enemies that are Primed for Freeze. They do not require the counter to reach 100%, but each skill still requires the enemy to meet its rarity-based Primed threshold.

Freeze supports

Freeze Support raises Buildup from supported Hits, Deep Freeze extends Freeze duration, and Frost Nexus creates Chilled Ground around enemies Frozen by supported skills. Each changes a different part of the interaction.

Consume Freeze payoffs

Fragmentation Rounds, Glacial Cascade, Snipe, and Icestorm consume Freeze for explosions, improved damage, or improved bolts. Consuming Freeze ends the state, so later Freeze-dependent effects need a new application.

Freeze event payoffs

Cast on Elemental Ailment and Elemental Invocation gain Energy when you Freeze an enemy. Combat Frenzy can grant a Frenzy Charge, while Siphon Elements can create an Infusion Remnant. Each has its own cooldown, Energy, or chance rules.

Damage contribution items

Frostbreath lets all Hit damage with the weapon contribute to Freeze Buildup. Vestige of Darkness adds Physical contribution, while The Three Dragons redirects which elemental damage types contribute. These effects change eligible damage, not the target's current Buildup directly.

Physical Damage(19-23) to (33-37)Critical Hit Chance5%Attacks per Second1.55Weapon Range1.3Cold Damage(8-12) to (16-20)RequiresLevel 10, 21 StrAdds (8-12) to (16-20) Physical DamageAdds (8-12) to (16-20) Cold Damage+5% to Critical Hit ChanceAll Damage from Hits with this Weapon Contributes to Freeze BuildupCulling Strike against Frozen EnemiesA merciful murderer swept through the streets of SarnRobbing breath from the weak and worthless., Vestige of DarknessVestige of DarknessUnique | Tenebrous Crown

Armour(447-537)Energy Shield(125-150)RequiresLevel 65, 59 Str, 59 Int(150-200)% increased Armour and Energy Shield+(20-30) to Strength and IntelligencePhysical damage from Hits Contributes to Chill Magnitude and Freeze BuildupEnemies in your Presence are BlindedThe Bodach haunts your Presencethe wendigo manifestation delay randomisation ms [500]the wendigo manifests +% faster per enemy power in your presence [5]"Your covetous hands bring the Unlightever closer to consuming your realm.", The Three DragonsThe Three DragonsUnique | Solid Mask

Evasion Rating(161-184)Energy Shield(51-59)RequiresLevel 45, 36 Dex, 36 Int(40-60)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield+(10-20)% to all Elemental ResistancesFire Damage from Hits Contributes to Shock Chance instead of Flammability and Ignite MagnitudesCold Damage from Hits Contributes to Flammability and Ignite Magnitudes instead of Chill Magnitude or Freeze BuildupLightning Damage from Hits Contributes to Freeze Buildup instead of Shock Chance"The ice seared his naked feetAs the lightning stilled his heart,But it was the flames upon his lover's faceThat roused him to vengeance."- From 'The Three Dragons' by Victario of Sarn, Contributes

Freeze scaling items

Taryn's Shiver increases Freeze Buildup and makes enemies Frozen by you take increased damage. Hyrri's Ire increases Freeze Duration. Winter's Bite instead Freezes enemies that are on Full Life.

Evasion Rating(902-1127)Base Movement Speed-0.03RequiresLevel 73, 121 Dex(30-40)% increased Elemental Ailment Threshold(100-150)% increased Evasion RatingGain (10-20)% of Damage as Extra Cold Damage+(30-40) to Dexterity25% increased Freeze Duration on EnemiesEvasion Rating is doubled if you have not been Hit RecentlyHyrri loosed a barrage of arrows,tipped with a poisoned hatredonly oppression can ferment., Winter's Bite

Immunity and duration protection

Thawing Charm activates when you become Frozen and grants Freeze immunity. Dream Fragments prevents Chill and Freeze, Shackles of the Wretched grants a six-second Freeze lockout after being Frozen, and Obern's Bastion or Warm Blooded reduce Freeze Duration.

Armour(35-40)Energy Shield(13-15)RequiresLevel 16, 13 Str, 13 Int(30-50)% increased Armour and Energy ShieldYou cannot be Chilled for 6 seconds after being ChilledYou cannot be Frozen for 6 seconds after being FrozenYou cannot be Ignited for 6 seconds after being IgnitedYou cannot be Shocked for 6 seconds after being ShockedCurses you inflict are reflected back to youCaptivity breeds creativity., Obern's Bastion, Warm Blooded, Charm

Freeze modifiers

Relevant modifiers separately change Freeze Buildup, Freeze Duration, Freeze Threshold, avoidance, recovery, and immunity. Search the modifier table for the exact eligible item classes and current tiers.

Limits and exceptions

9 rules

Cold damage over time does not Hit and therefore does not add Freeze Buildup under the default Cold Hit rule.
Primed for Freeze is not the Frozen state and does not prevent the target from acting.
Partial Freeze Buildup does not slow the target. Chill is the separate ailment that slows action speed.
Freeze Buildup, Freeze Threshold, Freeze Duration, Chill Magnitude, and Chill Duration are different values.
Bosses become temporarily harder to Freeze after each successful Freeze.
Blocking a Hit does not prevent that Hit from adding Freeze Buildup.
Cold Penetration and Cold Exposure affect the qualifying Hit and do not directly alter an existing Freeze.
Consuming Freeze removes it, so another Freeze must be applied for a later payoff.
Non-Cold damage contributes only when explicit wording permits it.

Related mechanics

MechanicChill

Chill is a non-damaging Elemental Ailment that slows action speed. Cold Hits can Chill without a separate application chance, but a calculated Chill below 30% Magnitude is discarded.

MechanicElemental Ailment Threshold

Elemental Ailment Threshold is the defensive comparison value used when Elemental Hits try to apply Ignite, Chill, Freeze, Shock, or Electrocution. A higher threshold makes those ailments harder to apply and reduces Freeze and Electrocution Buildup received.

MechanicBlock

Block prevents the damage of a blockable Hit. Passive Block rolls the character's Block chance for each eligible Hit, while active Block from a raised shield guarantees a block from the protected direction under that skill's rules.

MechanicStun

Stun interrupts the target's current action and briefly prevents it from acting. Path of Exile 2 has two related systems: Light Stun is rolled from the damage of one Hit, while Heavy Stun is caused by filling a separate buildup bar.

MechanicAilments

Ailments are damage-type-related debuffs: Bleeding, Ignite, Chill, Freeze, Shock, Electrocute, and Poison. Some deal damage over time, while others impair the target.

MechanicHeavy Stun

Heavy Stun is the longer disable caused when an enemy's Heavy Stun buildup bar fills. Eligible Hits add buildup based on their damage, and the bar begins to empty after buildup has not been applied for a period.

MechanicContributes

Damage contribution decides which parts of a Hit are counted for one named Ailment chance, buildup, or Magnitude calculation. It does not convert the Hit or change the damage types it deals.

MechanicElemental

Elemental Damage is the collective name for Fire, Cold, and Lightning Damage. A modifier to Elemental Damage can scale all three types, but each part is still mitigated by its matching Resistance and keeps its own ailment rules.

MechanicCold

Cold Damage is one of the five damage types. Cold Hits can Chill and build Freeze, but Chill Magnitude, Freeze Buildup, and Freeze Duration are separate values, and Cold damage from Hits cannot build Heavy Stun.

MechanicPayoff

A Payoff skill gains a powerful extra effect when it Hits an enemy affected by a specified Debuff. It often Consumes that Debuff, and it cannot inflict the same Debuff that enables its Payoff effect.

MechanicCold Resistance

Cold Resistance reduces Cold damage taken. It is tracked independently from the other damage-type Resistances, has a default maximum of 75%, and can have a different uncapped value from the value currently used for mitigation.

MechanicMark

Marks are single-enemy debuffs with a trigger condition. When that condition occurs, the Mark activates, produces its stated result, and is usually consumed. An enemy can have only one Mark at a time by default.

MechanicFlammability

Flammability is a stackable Debuff that builds from contributing damage and determines the chance for Hits to Ignite. It is not itself an Ailment, and its magnitude is separate from the magnitude of the resulting Ignite.

MechanicImmobilised

A target is Immobilised when it cannot move between locations. Pin, Freeze, Heavy Stun, and Electrocution are common ways to cause this state.

MechanicChilled Ground

Chilled Ground applies Chill to targets standing on it. It lasts 6 seconds by default, but the creating skill or item can specify a different duration or Chill value.

MechanicShatter

Shatter is the corpse-destruction result when a Frozen monster is killed. Shatter does not deal damage by itself, but Herald of Ice, Frozen Vortex, unique items, and other effects can change what qualifies or add a payoff when the event occurs.