Overwatch 2 hero Lifeweaver is getting a control rework

Overwatch 2’s new support hero Lifeweaver is already beloved for his style and lore, but there’s just one problem: Players hate how he controls. So, Blizzard is giving Lifeweaver a quick overhaul.

Game director Aaron Keller announced Tuesday that, after overwhelming feedback about Lifeweaver’s clunky inputs and players posting their own suggested keybindings, the hero will get an update. The changes sound like they’ll go a long way to making Lifeweaver feel better to play and be more in line with other Overwatch heroes.

Here’s what’s changing, according to Keller:

• Thorn Volley, Lifeweaver’s attack that fires a spread of projectiles, will now be his alt fire. The launch version of Lifeweaver requires players to swap (using the 2 key or right on a D-pad) to Thorn Volley from his primary fire, Healing Blossom, similar in the way that Mercy and Torbjörn swap their primary fire. Thorn Volley is now being mapped to the gamepad’s left/right trigger.
• To compensate for this change, the auto-reloading timing in Thorn Volley was slowed.
• Petal PlatformReplacements Rejuvenating DashOn ability 1, (shift key/L1/left brake), the platform can be cancelled using the same button.
• Rejuvenating DashHanzo’s Lunge is now used to perform a double-jump, which seems to be similar.

Keller says that these new controls will become Lifeweaver’s default layout, but that players will have options to use “the old style” if they want. It sounds like balance changes for Lifeweaver are also coming — Keller hinted at “a buff” for the new hero — and that lead hero designer Alec Dawson will share more later this week.

Addition of Lifeweaver to Overwatch 2 on April 11, as part of the game’s fourth season. Lifeweaver is available to play now through the game’s season 4 premium battle pass and in the limited-time BOB and Weave arcade mode, but he’s currently restricted from competitive play.