An Overwatch 2 Lifeweaver buff is currently looking to be on the cards for the newest support hero to make their way into Blizzard’s multiplayer game. Overwatch game director Aaron Keller has laid out some initial thoughts following the release of Lifeweaver, and says the team is continuing to collect data, with Lifeweaver control scheme changes in the works alongside balance tweaks for the Overwatch 2 hero.
Overwatch 2’s latest addition has certainly stepped up the style competition another notch, but many players are struggling to get to grips with his clunky controls and focus on utility skills over pure healing output. Due to the number of abilities at his disposal, Lifeweaver is the first hero where constantly switching weapons is a core part of his playstyle – requiring you to swap manually between his damage and healing output, rather than simply having both accessible simultaneously the way heroes such as Moira, Baptiste, and Kiriko do.
Concerns around the control scheme have been widespread, with particular concerns for those who play on a controller, where buttons are more limited. Mouse and keyboard players aren’t having a much better time, though; Overwatch 2 streamer Brandon ‘Seagull’ Larned says Lifeweaver is “probably the most clunky character they’ve ever added,” citing the fact that he has “one more ability than they have keybinds for.”
Despite initial concerns that Lifeweaver’s potent toolkit and movement abilities, which include a platform that can raise your teammates up and a grab that pulls a friendly character over to you, could make him overpowered or open up potential for trolling (something Blizzard itself has admitted), initial signs are that players are finding him a little too ineffective.
Among the other major concerns are the size of Lifeweaver’s hitbox, especially for a support hero. With his flower petals included in the hitbox (although the space between them doesn’t register), he can be a very big target for opponents. His healing output also feels pretty limp – this is somewhat compensated for by his utility, but ultimately with a meta that tends to favour heroes with the potential for big burst healing or long-term sustain, Lifeweaver falls short on both counts.
Fortunately, it seems that change is in the wind. Game director Aaron Keller tweets, “The team will continue collecting Lifeweaver performance data over the weekend and should have details on balance changes (more than likely a buff) sometime next week.” Perhaps even more excitingly, he adds, “Info on coming control scheme changes should come next week as well.”
Of course, it’s not uncommon for new heroes to come out, struggle a bit as players get used to their abilities, receive a buff, and then suddenly leap to prominence and dominate the meta. Time will tell how Lifeweaver pans out, but for now those of you who’ve been struggling to perform on the newcomer should have more luck in the near future.
With Overwatch 2 season 4 now underway and the Overwatch 2 Starwatch event on the horizon promising to blend PvE and PvP elements, there’s plenty to keep players busy. Make sure to check in with our Overwatch 2 tier list of the best characters so you don’t fall behind the meta.