Blizzard focused on utility when creating Overwatch 2’s latest support hero, Lifeweaver, and a quick glance at the healer’s abilities will have players mulling over the numerous potential niche uses for his kit.
In an interview, developers said they intend for Lifeweaver to have the capacity to be a main healer. Their expectation is that he will have healing throughput comparable to Mercy. But the mechanics behind his healing will make his output more complicated than just holding down left-click indefinitely, the way you can with Mercy.
Unlike support heroes before him, Lifeweaver’s alternate abilities are exclusively based around movement utility, including the ability to gain highground, or even lift an enemy in the air. He can also help allies by pulling them away from danger, similar to a Priest in World of Warcraft.
The niche uses of Lifeweaver’s abilities are endless, and there will surely be ample creative plays over time that come out of the woodwork. But to get to that point, players need to know the basics of what each ability does.
All of Lifeweaver’s abilities in Overwatch 2
Healing Blossom
Lifeweaver’s primary fire is a chargeable healing ability that only requires players to be locked onto their ally. There is a cap to the strength of the heal after a certain amount of time, but Lifeweaver can hold onto that heal as long as necessary to be prepared for future incoming damage.
The primary fire healing has a reload after a certain number of heals. The reload is not affected by the strength of a heal, so a bunch of uncharged heals will use the same amount of ammo as the same number of fully charged heals.
Thorn Volley
Similar to Torbjörn and Mercy, Lifeweaver has a secondary weapon that can be swapped to. This damage ability is most comparable to the way that Mercy can defend herself by swapping to a weapon in a pinch.
As far as the artillery is concerned, Thorn Volley is a rapid-fire spray of thorny projectiles that come from Lifeweaver’s forearm. The spread on the ammo and the speed of the projectiles is comparable to something you’d expect by combining Ramattra and Echo’s primary fire abilities.
Petal Platform
The right-click ability of Lifeweaver is where his utility starts to get imaginative. By using Petal Platform, Lifeweaver will throw down a large flower-like platform wherever the player is aiming. Once Lifeweaver, an ally, or even an enemy stands on the platform, it floats upward a certain distance and remains in place, creating highground.
The Petal Platform has a certain amount of health and can be destroyed. It can be used to give Lifeweaver or an ally extra mobility. It can also be used as cover from an enemy, or it could even be used to disrupt an enemy ability. For instance, a Lifeweaver player could put a Petal Platform underneath an Orisa using her ultimate, thus putting the Orisa on a different plane from everyone and negating the damaging effects.
Rejuvenating Dash
While this is technically a movement ability, it is ever-so-slight. Think of it more as a poor-man’s version of Moira’s Fade. But what it lacks in range, it makes up for in healing. That’s right, Rejuvenating Dash not only helps Lifeweaver get away from trouble, it gives him a little bit of a healing bump as well.
Life Grip
Comparable to the Priest ability in World of Warcraft, Lifeweaver’s E ability can target an ally and pull them back toward Lifeweaver’s location. During the Life Grip, the player being pulled in gets a protective barrier so that they don’t get pulled through damage that might eliminate them.
Related: New hero Lifeweaver’s Life Grip can save you in Overwatch 2—or keep you trapped in spawn
The ability can be used to not only protect your out-of-position teammates, but it can also be used as a way to help give your teammates a little bit of extra mobility that they otherwise might not have when they want to make plays that could make them vulnerable. For instance, Life Grip could be used to protect a Pharah during her Rocket Barrage or Reaper during Death Blossom.
Parting Gift (Passive)
Lifeweaver’s passive ability comes after he dies. Upon death, he leaves behind a small item that will heal an ally or an enemy that picks it up. While the ability can be used to help the enemy team, it heals enemies significantly less than it heals allies that pick it up. Blizzard devs compared the healing difference to what it’s like to pick up a small health pack versus grabbing a large one.
Tree of Life (ultimate)
Lifeweaver’s ultimate ability places a large glowing white tree wherever the player decides, similar to selecting a location for a Mei wall or Symmetra teleporter. The large tree has a significant amount of health and can be destroyed. Upon being summoned, the tree immediately heals teammates in the surrounding area, and it continues to pulse healing over time.
It can be used as a blockade and has a large canopy that can be used to protect players against enemies that have the high ground or are flying above Lifeweaver’s team. Lifeweaver can cancel the tree prematurely by pressing Q a second time after summoning the tree.
Overwatch 2 players can try out all of Lifeweaver’s abilities for themselves when the hero is added to the game on April 11. He will be available on level one of the battle pass for those who purchase the premium battle pass. Players who do not have the premium pass unlock him at level 45.
