It was one of the biggest concerns with the ability Life Grip when Lifeweaver was added to the Overwatch 2 roster. Nothing is more demoralizing than setting up the nastiest Earthshatter the world has ever seen just to have your team’s Lifeweaver grip you right as you’re shouting “Hammer Down!”
Social media was littered with clips of Lifeweaver players mistakenly using Life Grip in ways that prevented Reinhardts and other heroes from effectively executing fight-winning ultimate abilities, but now, at least Reinhardt players don’t have to worry about that anymore.
With a hero change in today’s midseason patch, Lifeweaver’s Life Grip ability can no longer affect a Reinhardt player that is using Earthshatter.
“Reinhardt is no longer a valid target for Life Grip during Earthshatter, and using Earthshatter will cancel Life Grip,” the patch note said.
Developer comments on the matter were about as obvious as you might expect if you’ve been on either side of a Life Grip between a Lifeweaver and a Reinhardt. Missing out on a fat shatter feels bad for all parties involved and can turn a would-be win into a stinging loss.
“Earthshatter is an ultimate where positioning is critical to effectively use, so we are adjusting it so that Reinhardt doesn’t have their ultimate be effectively canceled when Lifeweaver uses Life Grip,” the developer comments said.
Since his introduction to Overwatch 2, Lifeweaver has solicited critical feedback from players. While his utility is unquestioned, it can oftentimes be misused, and this specific interaction was easily the most frustrating for players to deal with.
