Overwatch 2: Top 5 Best Lifeweaver Counters

Looking at the strongest picks that can shut Lifeweaver down in Overwatch 2.

“Lifeweaver” has seen a lot of use since he was dropped at the start of Season 4. His hero skills allow him to heal allies and pull them out of dangerous situations. Lifeweaver's ultimate ability, “Tree of Life”, lets him summon a huge structure that heals in a wide radius and blocks enemy projectiles. But although this pretty-boy brings impressively unique tools to the table, his player reception hasn't been blossoming.

The latest addition to Overwatch's growing cast has gotten mixed reviews so far. As versatile as Lifeweaver is, players still had gripes about the Biolight inventor's confusing control scheme (attributed to him having seven hero abilities). Additionally, fans using console controllers to play Overwatch 2 have suffered the most since Lifeweaver's playstyle makes you constantly switch between his healing and his main damage-dealing ability, “Thorn Volley”.

Thankfully, these problems haven't gone unnoticed by the game's developers. After just a couple of days post-release, Game Director Aaron Keller announced that corrective changes would be coming to Hero 36, as well as a “likely buff”.

After a week of Season 4, we finally got the confirmed list of ability control changes coming to Lifeweaver from the Game Director's official Twitter. Keller also mentioned in a subtweet that Lifeweaver's hero balance changes will be posted later in the week by Overwatch 2 Lead Hero Designer Alec Dawson.

Lifeweaver controls update next week!

New controls:
• Alt fire will now fire Thorn Volley
• Platform replacing Dash on ability 1
• Platform also cancelable with the same button
• Dash moved to double jump
• Auto-reload of Thorns slowed to compensate (1/2)

— Aaron Keller (@aaronkellerOW) April 18, 2023

Knowing is half the battle. Since the meta consistently shifting, it's important to learn which heroes can hard-counter the strongest picks. With Lifeweaver set to receive a boost to his kit soon (and not to mention quality-of-life changes), your chances of success against a good Lifeweaver increases when you know which heroes can shut him down. Overwatch 2 has a wide and diverse variety of heroes, each with their own unique and specialized abilities. Here are the best Overwatch 2 hero counters for Lifeweaver:

Ana

Captain Ana Amari's biotic arsenal can spell trouble for Lifeweavers at any skill tier.

Firstly, her rifle can outrange and outmatch the scientist's Thorn Volley's damage falloff in any 1v1 situation. What's more is that her Biotic Grenade can splash on multiple targets, leaving an enemy Lifeweaver's teammates unhealable during crucial moments. Ana also has better healing, especially when her target has Biotic Grenade's effect active. Lastly, her Sleep Dart and Nano Boost gives her team an advantage whenever they go on the offensive, leading to sustained team fights.

Pharah

A threat from any altitude, Pharah mains can rain rockets down on Lifeweavers from a safe distance.

Stating the obvious, Pharah's Hover Jets lets her fly above the crowd and spot supports from a mile away. That said, Pharah mains can capitalize on Lifeweaver's weaknesses and knock him out of position with rockets or her Concussion Blast. Life Grip's shield can also be broken by her primary fire. With all that said, Petal Platform's lift won't even be a reliable method of escape if your enemy is still above you.

Sigma

Lifeweaver can't heal through enemy barriers, and Sigma can place his self-healing Experimental Barrier anywhere.

Knowing that Healing Blossom curves around corners, Lifeweaver players tend to hide behind them. That said, Sigma's primary fire is a great way to reach them. On top of that, it pulls multiple targets together after both Hyperspheres explode. This can make targeting a critical hero difficult, forcing Lifeweaver to make mistakes in the heat of the moment. Lastly, Sigma's can propel his shield towards enemies on top of Petal Platform, making their height advantage almost useless. Sorry, Cassidy!

Soldier: 76

Consistent hitscan damage, speed and good sustain makes Soldier: 76 a nightmare for any support.

Flanking around the backline can get you up close and personal with the enemy Lifeweaver, and Morrison's Sprint skill lets you disengage when the going gets tough. Moreover, your Pulse Rifle as well as your Helix Rockets can remove an enemy Lifeweaver from play even when he tries to flee using Rejuvenating Dash or Petal Platform.

Sombra

Lifeweaver is a controller, and there's only one Talon operative that can disable him from behind enemy lines.

Sombra's kit was built for countering other heroes. Her Hack cancels a ton of enemy ultimates and keeps enemies from using their skills, Lifeweaver included. That means Life Grip interruption mid-pull, and no Rejuvenating Dash to dodge away. Another thing she can do that other heroes can't is completely remove Tree of Life from the battlefield with her EMP, opening up opportunities for a counterattack. If you really wanted to, you could force the enemy Lifeweaver to switch out by constantly stalking them with Stealth, closing any gaps with her Translocator and taking advantage of Sombra's increased damage on hacked targets!

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