Overwatch 2: What We Know About Lifeweaver, The Game's Newest Support Hero

Blizzard has recently added a new character to the "Overwatch 2" lineup: Lifeweaver. This suave new support hero was first revealed on April 4 when the official "Overwatch" Twitter account shared a trailer showcasing his abilities along with the headline, "Lifeweaver is about to blossom." This is the fourth new character to join the "Overwatch 2" lineup following the damage hero, Sojourn; the tank hero, Junker Queen; and fellow support hero, Kiriko. But even among so many different kinds of characters, it's plain to see that Lifeweaver is a very unique new addition.

New heroes are always exciting in "Overwatch." They offer veteran players a chance to try out new playstyles and experiment with a new set of abilities, but they can also change the meta for the entire game. New tactics and team compositions may unfold that change the way the game is played. This goes double for support heroes since they can affect team balance more than any other class. Lifeweaver has the potential to be equally disruptive to the meta, so there are plenty of fans out there who are eager to learn everything they can about him.

One of the things that the "Overwatch" franchise is known for is including heroes from various different nationalities and personal backgrounds. "Hailing from Thailand, Lifeweaver is characterized by his love and respect for nature as well as his advanced biolight technology," Blizzard posted on its website. "This groundbreaking technology is woven throughout his abilities, and it plays a pivotal role in the healing and utility aspects of his kit." This appears to be reflected in many of the moves that he has displayed, which are largely lotus flower themed. In addition to his Thai nationality and his expertise in the field of biolight technology, Blizzard has also revealed another important detail about Lifeweaver: He's pansexual.

Lifeweaver isn't the first LGBTQIA character in Blizzard's lineup. Tracer and Soldier 76 have both been identified as gay characters in comics and other supplementary materials, but this is the first time that the character's sexual orientation is apparent in their design and dialogue in-game. "I'm very happy to say it's something that we are making part of his core character," narrative designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie said in an interview with Kotaku. "You'll see this expressed in conversations with other heroes. I don't want to give any spoilers, but there's going to be some flirting going on."

This seems to be a step in the right direction for Blizzard, which has previously been criticized for burying its characters' sexual identities in comics and other side content while leaving it out of the games themselves.

As a support character, Lifeweaver has several abilities that he can use to aid his team in battle.

• Healing Blossom is Lifeweaver's primary fire. He charges a luminescent flower on his weapon, which he then launches toward his allies to heal them, charging the blossom for longer makes it grow larger and heal more.

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• Thorn Volley is Lifeweaver's alternate primary fire. It allows him to scattershot enemies with biolight thorns as a sort of suppressing fire. According to Blizzard, "You'll get the most value out of Lifeweaver by healing your team, but his weapon has relatively high damage for a support hero."

• Petal Platform is Lifeweaver's secondary fire. It allows him to throw a pod from which sprouts a colossal lotus blossom. This flower rises from the ground and serves as a levitating platform, allowing allies to get a boost high into the air.

• Rejuvenating Dash is a dash action similar to Hanzo's, except that it also allows heals Lifeweaver for a small amount of health.

• Life Grip allows Lifeweaver to send out a tendril of biolight, which he can use to pull allies to his position. This is excellent for getting near-death allies out of the fray of battle, especially since they are invulnerable to damage while they are in its grip. Blizzard also made sure to note that Lifeweaver cannot disrupt an ally using their ultimate ability with this move.

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• Tree of Life is Lifeweaver's ultimate. This allows him to summon a massive tree that glows with biolight. This tree sends out waves of healing energy while simultaneously providing cover for teammates.

Another thing fans might be interested to learn about is the voice actor who is bringing the character's lines to life. The "Overwatch" franchise is home to many big-name VO actors including Jennifer Hale and Matthew Mercer, so it's always exciting to see new names added to the list. Lifeweaver is played by 19-year-old Thai actor Phuwin Tangsakyuen.

Tangsakyuen's acting career started in the 2014 TV series "Sunshine My Friend" when he was just 11. He has since been the star of several popular television dramas including "Fish Upon the Sky," "Never Let Me Go," and "The Warp Effect."

It appears that the actor already has an avid following who are eager to see him in the game. He tweeted about his role in the game by sharing the official "Overwatch" Twitter account's post featuring the character's trailer with the caption, "Spend every moment growing into who you truly are."

Spend every moment growing into who you truly are https://t.co/1RsSrpv5Tf

— phuwintang (@phuwintang) April 4, 2023

Several of Tangsakyuen's fans responded to his tweet, telling him how proud they were of him for his role in the game and sharing their excitement to hear his voice while playing it.

Now that the character has been released, fan responses to Lifeweaver have unfortunately been mixed at best. A few players seem to be enjoying him, but, apparently, the overwhelming majority are not. Several players have complained that his healing abilities feel underpowered and clumsy. His primary ability, Healing Blossom, has been a particular source of contention as some players have found that they don't enjoy the way the character slows down while charging his heals.

Others have argued that playing him would be a lot more fun if it were easier to tell when they are swapping between his Healing Blossom and Thorn Volley abilities, as they've frequently found themselves using the wrong ability in the heat of battle. Another major issue that fans have brought to light is that Lifeweaver has a very large hitbox, similar to that of tanks like Junker Queen. This makes it difficult for players to keep him alive.

But, overall, many players have made the more ambiguous claim that Lifeweaver simply doesn't feel good to play. This is a shame for such a promising character. Of course, Lifeweaver is still new and players will learn more as they spend more time with him. It could be that a little more time in the fire will reveal Lifeweaver's true value. If not, there's always the possibility that Blizzard will buff him in a patch to make him more balanced with the rest of the "Overwatch 2" roster.