How Lifeweaver will shift the meta of Overwatch 2

Earlier this week we saw the reveal of Overwatch 2’s newest hero, Lifeweaver. As has happened with most heroes brought into Overwatch 2, he will likely shake up the meta tremendously when he drops next week, but it seems Lifeweaver especially has a lot in his toolkit that will make Overwatch 2 players rethink how they approach their games.

The first and most obvious way Lifeweaver is going to change your Overwatch games is through its Petal Platform. From the trailer, you’ve already seen how powerful this skill can be, as it acts as a pressure plate that moves allies or enemies into the air as soon as they step on it. For your allies, this becomes a hugely useful feature, because by giving heroes verticality that previously did not have the ability to get high, like Soldier 76, you give them many more places to rain fire on the enemy. Also, speaking of enemies, Petal Platform will be one of the most frustrating abilities to get hit by if you don’t take advantage of it. Ultimates like Orisa’s can now easily become useless, even if a player has otherwise positioned themselves perfectly.

Another Lifeweaver skill that is likely to change matches is his Life Grip. This not only gives an ally a brief moment of invulnerability, but it can also pull them out of danger. The trolls will probably love this for putting people in danger, but even when used properly, Life Grip has some big implications for the Overwatch 2 meta. With the ability to make an ally invulnerable and change their position, this not only prevents them from being killed by abilities that had no previous counter, but it also means you can set up some great plays much more easily. For example, you can drag a Reaper forward for the perfect Death Blossom position, or take someone out of Zarya’s Graviton Surge for a counter play.

In addition to being able to set up many new plays and positioning with his skills, Lifeweaver also seems to be a different kind of support in the damage he can do. From the short time we spent with the hero, it is clear that he is capable of taking care of himself, and even when ambushed, he can come out victorious if you react quickly enough. This means that Lifeweaver, unlike some other healers in the game, will not be easily picked off, which just means that you are almost guaranteed a great Petal Platform setup or a clutch Life Grip-save.

With its unique abilities and its power to defend itself, Lifeweaver will likely be one of the strongest supports we’ve seen in Overwatch 2. Even as a main healer, you won’t even trade his healing abilities for his utility, as both are easily found in Lifeweaver. Whether he will be the strongest hero we’ve added to the game in recent months remains to be seen, and even with the time we’ve spent with him, we know that players will find many more of his strengths to use in their games. But with the increased verticality Lifeweaver gives to any hero, combined with his ability to save anyone at any time on a relatively short cooldown, it looks like Overwatch 2’s meta will shift very much around this character. On your side, you want to see who compliments him the best, while the enemy is looking to get their own Lifeweaver or team him down.