It's hard to rate Overwatch 2's newest support hero (opens in new tab).

On April 11, Overwatch 2 will introduce the Lifeweaver, a charming Thai hero with the ability to pull teammates toward him. If an ally is in danger, the Life Weaver can shield that ally and pull him or her to safety. They can also drag them into danger or drag them off the map.

Lifeweavers may be a griefer's dream, but Blizzard seems confident that won't be a problem.

"As for vandalism, we have some controls in place regarding where Life Grip can be thrown, and we have some detection in place to make sure you don't do something really bad like drag someone from the side of the map into the death plane or something like that." Hero Design Producer Kenny Hudson said in a group interview with PC Gamer.

Heroes with unique movement abilities like Tracer's Blinks or Moira's Fade can escape the Lifeweaver's grip, but in fast-paced matches, wasted abilities can cost precious time.

"Internally, when we came up with this ability, there was a bit of inclusiveness," says Hudson.

"But what we found during playtesting is that we actually saw a lot of heroic saves with Life Grip.

In the gameplay video released today, Life Weaver can be seen pulling allied Reapers and Pharas through enemies while using an otherwise stationary ort. The coordinated play with this ability is impressive, but seems to be rare outside of high-skill matches.

Life Weaver also requires time to recover, but was designed to provide an alternative for players who want to help their team in other ways; Blizzard believes its long cooldown will allow players to effectively use Life Grip without disrupting their teammates Blizzard hopes that its long cooldown will help players learn how to use Life Grip effectively without disrupting teammates.

I am not entirely convinced that Life Grip will not be a problem, given that communication is usually sparse in competitive play. I have over 3,000 hours in this game and I would be hesitant to let a teammate move on their own. You don't always know what your teammates are looking at or thinking. It's hard enough just to play your hero well.

Petal Platform, another key ability of the Life Weaver, can cause similar problems. When used, it throws a floral platform on the ground, which rises into the air when you, an ally, or an enemy steps on it. It's a new way to inadvertently give your enemy Cassidy the biggest nap of his life.

Thankfully, Petal Platforms can always be defeated by Life Weavers and even destroyed by enemies. I'd like to believe it; Mei has had the ability to raise a wall of ice that can lift players since the game's launch, and that has rarely been a problem.

As long as the Life Weaver doesn't become the bane of every game, there's a lot to like in his other kits:

The Life Weaver seems to be a blend of Mercy's consistent healing and Chirico's teammate-saving utility. He can heal in a pinch and save someone.

Blizzard admits that the support category has lacked diversity for too long; Lifeweaver is a first step toward making support attractive to more types of players, some of whom may not be interested in helping might.

According to a post on Xbox Wire (opens in new tab), when Overwatch 2 Season 4 begins on April 11, anyone will be able to play Lifeweaver for a limited time. However, to permanently unlock Lifeweaver, players will need to purchase Overwatch 2's Season 4 Premium Battle Pass, advance to Tier 55 of the Free Track, or complete a series of challenges.