Michael Leri
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Blizzard Entertainment has long since stated that Overwatch 2‘s Season 4 hero would be a support, and now the team has finally revealed who it will be. This new hero is named Lifeweaver and is coming to the game on April 11.
The debut trailer showed off some of Lifeweaver’s abilities in action, many of which reposition players or heal them and tap into his love of science and technology. The post on Blizzard’s website breaks these moves down and gives more background on each one. His first primary fire (he has two) is a healing burst that players can charge. The higher the charge, the more it heals, and it zooms to target’s like Brigitte’s armor packs, meaning strict aiming is not required. The second primary fire is an offensive volley of thorns that shoot in a scattered pattern. Players have to switch back and forth between healing and damage with their primary fire, too.
Lifeweaver also has an ability that can put a giant flower on the ground that elevates once an ally or enemy steps on it. This is meant to throw off foes or reposition teammates and those who time it correctly will be able to get a super jump when the platform reaches its maximum height. Lifeweaver can also combine this with his Rejuvenating Dash, which is a quick dodge that also heals him.
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Lifeweaver’s Life Grip power is like a mix of Zarya’s bubbles and Roadhog’s hook since it pulls in allies and makes them invincible during their journey. This can be used to save teammates or protect them while they use their ultimate ability. His passive is also unique and like a twist on Reaper’s soul orbs, which haven’t been in Overwatch since 2017. Upon death, Lifeweaver drops an orb that heals the first person — friend or foe — to grab it.
His ultimate is also unlike anything else in the game, as it plants a huge tree that heals all allies around it. Its size means it can also provide cover to players as it heals them, making it quite a defensive tool. This ability, according to Blizzard, is what shaped Lifeweaver’s lore and personality as a “nature-loving supporting hero.” Prior versions of his ultimate included a Reinhardt-esque Earthshatter ability and a healing totem.
Lifeweaver, whose name is Niran PruksaManee, is from Thailand and also the first openly pansexual hero in the game, according to Kotaku. Lead Narrative Designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie talked about this choice in a roundtable interview, noting that it was an important step to get right.
“Representation has always been really important to this team and we’ve been looking for a way to express that more,” said Jurgens-Fyhrie. “So I think in terms of Lifeweaver, when we were initially discussing this, we wanted a pansexual character, and the approach that everyone was happy with was that this would be an openly pansexual character.”
Blizzard also confirmed to Dexerto that there will be a Pride Month event for the game sometime in May just before Pride Month. Other Overwatch characters are part of the LGBTQ+ community, but their queer identities don’t often manifest in the game as anything more than a spray, which was a common criticism levied at Blizzard. Lifeweaver, however, will be the first one to have his identity materialize in the game through conversations and “other material.”
Lifeweaver will be available instantly for those who buy the premium Season 4 battle pass, while those who don’t pay will have to play until they hit tier 45 on the free battle pass, if Season 2 was anything to go by. It also seems as though this season will have a Mythic skin for Sigma, according to a leaked thumbnail.
This latest hero had also initially leaked through an article that was prematurely posted on PCGamesN. Blizzard then only posted an image of the hero and promised more would be revealed the next day.