After numerous leaks, new Overwatch 2 support hero Illari was officially revealed today as part of the game’s upcoming Invasion update.
The first impressions are in. OW2 players flocked to Reddit to share in their excitement for the new healer, who looks to use a sun-powered railgun to both heal and deal damage alike, along with several other cool new abilities.
“Her design looks insane and that gun absolutely makes a statement,” another player said. “I’m just hoping her flair abilities aren’t agony.” Blizzard has admitted that the new hero may start out overpowered, so there’s some concern there, and her kit looks varied from what was on display in the reveal.
Related: Blizzard finally acknowledges Overwatch 2’s real problem—Mercy
Whether a hero ends up being a popular or successful one or not, one thing rings true for the series: Representation matters and OW2’s diverse roster makes an effort to make people from all walks of life and locations around the world feel represented.
“I never thought my country was even considered to have a hero on Overwatch,” said one player, seemingly from Illari’s home country of Peru. “But here we are, she’s beautiful!”
With just a few days between now and the launch of the new update and season, there’s little time left for more exposition for the new hero. But fans are already looking to learn more about the cool-looking healer before getting their hands on her kit.
“Now we just need her origin story trailer and I’ll be on a cloud,” said one Redditor. Animated videos showing off the origins of new heroes have been a mainstay of Overwatch since the original game, so it’s reasonable to expect one for Illari soon.
While these first impressions are mostly to do with the hero’s look and design, the excitement to play the new support character is palpable. Illari will be the third support hero released since the launch of OW2 last October, marking Blizzard’s efforts to even out the DPS-heavy hero roster.
Illari and Overwatch 2: Invasion both release this week on Aug. 10.
