Overwatch 2 Lifeweaver hero guide: Gameplay abilities, tips, and how to unlock

Everything you need to know about Hero 37 in Overwatch 2.

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When developer Blizzard transitioned Overwatch to Overwatch 2 and began releasing content on a new nine-week seasonal schedule, it committed to adding at least one new hero every other season. Since the tank hero Ramattra arrived in Season 2, Season 3 didn’t bring a new character to the roster. However, Season 4 is here, and we finally have our hands on its new hero: Lifeweaver, a “sci-fi druid” support from Thailand that blends the healing powers of nature with the advanced capabilities of technology.

For a variety of reasons, Lifeweaver is a very exciting addition to the Overwatch cast — and now that he’s here, we’ve been able to compile a list of everything you need to know about the character. This includes Lifeweaver’s gameplay abilities, how to unlock him, how he fits into Overwatch’s lore and story, and more.

Overwatch 2 Lifeweaver: Release date

Like previous newOverwatch 2 heroes, Lifeweaver became available at the same time the season he released in launched. That means thatLifeweaver’s release date was April 11, 2023— the same day that Overwatch 2 Season 4 went live.

For the first few weeks of the season, he’s only be playable in Quick Play and Arcade Mode games. The reason why you can’t immediately play him inranked Competitive Playis because the developers want to give free-to-play players some time to unlock him by progressing through the Season 4 Battle Pass. Also, this delay gives Blizzard some time to develop rapid balance patches if Lifeweaver launches in an overly strong or weak state.

Overwatch 2 Lifeweaver: Gameplay abilities and kit

Ahead of Lifeweaver’s release, his full ability kit was revealed in various marketing materials, and now that he’s playable, we have a deeper and complete understanding of what he’s capable of. He’s very similar to Ana in that he can both enhance allies and disrupt enemies, although the ways in which he can do this with his “flower powers” are quite unique. Below, you’ll find a complete breakdown of each of Lifeweaver’s gameplay abilities.

Like many other supports, Lifeweaver has 200 health, and none of his HP is damage-reducing Armor. Therefore, he definitely falls into the “squishy” category, though both his Rejuvenating Dash and the support role auto-healing passive help him recover lost health as he fights.

Overwatch 2 Lifeweaver guide: Quick tips

These quick tips will help you effectively use Lifeweaver’s abilities and succeed on the battlefield while playing him.

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Like any Overwatch hero, Lifeweaver can struggle quite a bit against certain characters and playstyles. One hero that matches against Lifeweaver favorably is Sombra, as she’s able to hack his Petal Platform to instantly destroy it and can also use her EMP Ultimate to shut down his Tree of Life.

Heroes with lots of vertical movement capabilities, such as Doomfist, Winston, Pharah, Echo, and Genji, are also effective picks against Lifeweaver. This is because their vertical mobility allows them to keep up with Lifeweaver and his allies when they use his Petal Platform, reducing the value of the ability.

Overwatch 2 Lifeweaver: How to unlock

Players can unlock Lifeweaver in two ways in Season 4. The first method is to simplypurchase Season 4’s Premium Battle Pass (1,000Overwatch Coins, or $10 worth), as doing so will instantly give you access to Lifeweaver. While this routewillrequire you to spend some money if you don’t already have enough Overwatch Coins, it’s the fastest way to get your hands on Lifeweaver as soon as possible.

Alternatively, you could opt for the free route, whichallows you to unlock Lifeweaver by reaching Tier 45 on the free track of the Season 4 Battle Pass. Battle Pass tiers can be progressed through by finishing matches and completing daily and weekly gameplay challenges to earn XP. Individual tiers can be purchased with Overwatch Coins, too, although this is quite expensive and you’d be better off simply buying the Premium Battle Pass instead.

Notably, Lifeweaver is freely available toallOverwatch 2players for a limited time, and a special in-game event that celebrates his arrival will run until April 25. This event also celebrates the Thai New Year, and will add a new Arcade mode called B.O.B. and Weave in which fans can play Lifeweaver. By participating, you can earn Lifeweaver’s Cassia skin, which is heavily inspired by the Ratchaphruek, Thailand’s national flower.

Overwatch 2 Lifeweaver: Lore and origin story

Lifeweaver’s origin story was released ahead of Season 4’s launch. You can watch it in the video embed below.

Lifeweaver, whose real name is Niran Pruksamanee, was born in Chiang Mai, Thailand and was sent to work and study with the Vishkar Corporation by his family. While there, he became close friends with his roommate, Satya Vaswani (Symmetra), but eventually grew disillusioned with Vishkar due to the company’s obsession with trying to build a “perfect world” with its hard-light technology.

For a time, Pruksamanee stepped away from Vishkar and explored the world, marveling at its natural beauty. After seeing firsthand how conflicts like the Omnic Crisis devastated the environment, though, he chose to return to Vishkar to invent a new material called bio-light. This material fused nature and technology together, and could be used to mend damage caused by destructive conflicts.

When the Vishkar Corporation saw what Pruksamanee created, they demanded control of it since it was developed using their resources. Ultimately, Pruksamanee refused and is now on the run from the company. He has vowed to wield bio-light for good and has become Lifeweaver, the hero that players can control in-game.

Overwatch 2 Lifeweaver: Trailer

Blizzard has released a gameplay trailer for Lifeweaver that shows off all of his abilities in action. We’ve embedded the video below, so you can watch it that way.

Blizzard has also released a Developer Update video centered around Lifeweaver that focuses on his abilities, lore, and design. You can watch it below.

Take a deep dive on how our newest Support Hero came to life 🌸The team behind Lifeweaver explores his beautiful design, his botanical background in Thailand, his time at the Vishkar Architech Academy where he met Symmetra, and how he came to develop biolight! pic.twitter.com/W9fpVgFI1HApril 4, 2023

Overwatch 2 Lifeweaver: Voice actor

Lifeweaver’s voice actor is Phuwin Tangsakyuen, a Thai actor that first appeared in the television drama Sunshine My Friend (2014). Recently, he starred in ‘Cause You’re My Boy (2019), The Gifted: Graduation (2020), and Fish upon the Sky (2021). Over the years, he has performed in a variety of other shows, music records, live events, and more.

Overwatch 2 is one of thebest Xbox gameson the market for fans of multiplayer shooters, and it’s available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, and PS4. Season 4 is live, too, bringing both Lifeweaver and its new Battle Pass to players. If you’re a new player and want a head start on progression, consider getting the updated Ultimate Battle Pass Bundle. It includes Premium Battle Pass access, 20 instant Battle Pass levels, 2,000 Overwatch coins, and several Starwatch skins.

Overwatch 2: Ultimate Battle Pass Bundle

The $30 Overwatch 2: Ultimate Battle Pass Pack offers fans a variety of benefits that will allow them to get guaranteed access to a Premium Battle Pass track, 20 Battle Pass levels, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and during Season 4, Starwatch skins.

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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).