Overwatch 2: Lifeweaver Changes We Want to See

Going through the biggest teasers in the latest Director's Take for Overwatch 2.

Lifeweaver has been a big topic of discussion since his release in Overwatch 2. The Biolight inventor's ambitious design and utility-focused skills were a novelty for the 6-year old hero shooter, but this futuristic hero did not come without his set of problems. Most prominently, his ability mapping was all over the place, which prompted a major re-map which the developers released weeks later. This was a first for the Overwatch team, which have since looked into the support hero's build for other areas of improvement.

In his latest developer blog, Game Director Aaron Keller outlined their team's mindset as they approached possible avenues to make Lifeweaver better. In their efforts to define Hero 36, Keller said that “further pronouncing Lifeweaver’s strengths and clearly defining his role on your team.” would be the main focal points for future changes. The Overwatch 2 head went on to say that they would either double down on his healing throughput or augment his “controller” abilities.

For fun, we compiled a list of all of the Wifeleaver Lifeweaver reworks that we want to see, ranging from the most probable (due to the hints in the blog post) to more out-of-the-box suggestions. Here are the possible Lifeweaver changes we're excited to see in the future.

New Healer Passive Ability

As was mentioned in the official Overwatch 2 update, the possibility of giving Lifeweaver another passive ability is definitely on the game designers' minds. Though the nature of the possible passive is still unknown, it is still fun to guess. And given that the new support's whole deal is bringing new stuff to the table, something unprecedented wouldn't be out of the question. Here are our best guesses as to what Lifeweaver's new passive would look like:

• A temporary buff every time his Biolight structures get destroyed
• Getting rewarded for using Life Grip to save an ally
• Unlimited ammo on Healing Blossom when Tree of Life is active
• Healing Blossom charges significantly faster when Tree of Life is active

More Charges for Utility Skills

Who doesn't like getting to use abilities more? If Lifeweaver is allowed more charges on his skills, the value he'd add to his team would increase significantly. This would be a “two birds with one stone” approach since the developers are also looking to further define the ex-Vishkar scientist's role in Overwatch 2. Ultimately, this improvement would come down to which skill they give the extra charge to.

As hero changes go, this isn't the most drastic. However, we've seen similar changes done with Junkrat's mines and Reinhardt's Fire Storm, both to good effect. More than that, it's certainly helped them feel more lethal.

Playing as a support hero in Overwatch 2's current meta means that you'll eventually get flanked by hard-to-kill opponents. Chances are, they'll be playing Genji, a cyborg ninja who is one of the toughest heroes to deal with in Overwatch 2. If you want to know the best ways to counter this hero in Season 4, check out our guide here.

More Control Over Petal Platform

Giving players more control over when and how Lifeweaver's Petal Platform activates would increase the hero's utility and strengthen his overall control over team skirmishes. To be clear, this means being able to make Petal Platform rise and fall on your own and removing its pressure-sensitivity. The obvious perk (as many players are already aware of) is that the platform would be wasted less. Granted it gives newer players another mechanic to worry about, but in the long run, it would add more importance to the skill. On top of that, it would open up many more fun ways to utilize the platform.

Overwatch 2 producers promised on Twitter that the roadmap for the RPG shooter's long-awaited PvE mode is coming in the middle of May. If you missed the announcement, here's a link.

Last month, I teased a roadmap update coming in April. Well, it's still technically April and I have an announcement for an announcement for you all.

In mid-May, @akeller and I are going to provide an update on what's coming to @PlayOverwatch.

There will be a roadmap! 👀⬇️

— Jared Neuss (@OhReallyJared) April 28, 2023

Controlling Where Life Grip Targets Go

At the core of his kit, Lifeweaver's always been able to reposition his teammates while supporting from a distance, but what if we took it another step further? Currently, Life Grip pulls an ally towards Lifeweaver, but what if the ability allowed the player to take allies to better spots on the battlefield? Obviously, this would max out Life Grip's troll potential, but it could be hugely impactful if used properly. Let's say you're near the backline and you see your Ana getting dived by a flanking 10-0 Genji while you're low on health. Would Life Grip be better in this situation if it pulled Ana towards you, or closer to the rest of your team?

Multiple Targets for Healing Blossom

Last on this list is a buff that would put more weight on his responsibility as a healer support. Imagine being able to lock onto multiple targets while you charge your left-click. This change would see more Lifeweaver players actively trying to keep their teammates alive. On top of that, it would synergize with the vantage point Petal Platform gives. What's more is that this would totally be on-brand. Flowers have more than just one petal and I'll be damned if I can't use all of them.

Final Thoughts

Lifeweaver is a unique addition to the Overwatch 2 roster that offers tons of utility and average healing output. That said, the fact that the hero's kit has seen plenty of adjustments hasn't stopped the developers from conceptualizing better versions of the same character. Lifeweaver is still a work-in-progress, but for now we can enjoy the higher winrate players are seeing in lower ranks.

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