Oops, Overwatch 2's new hero is actually a giant slingshot

Overwatch 2 hero Lifeweaver
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Overwatch 2's new support hero has the unique ability to pull allies toward him, but an apparent glitch causes it to do the very opposite, making it one of the fastest modes of transportation in Blizzard's FPS.

Players have started calling it Lifeweaver's slingshot tech, and it's surprisingly easy to pull off. Overwatch content creators have videos demonstrating the absurdity of the interaction (opens in new tab) between Lifeweaver's Life Grip and another hero's movement ability. 

For whatever reason, the momentum of Lifeweaver's pull is transferred to the target near the end of its animation. So, for instance, if Winston times the use of his Jump Pack—which would normally send him leaping into the air a short distance—during Life Grip, he'll gain incredible speed and travel twice as far, effectively turning him into a gorilla-shaped rocket.

While flinging your teammates across the map like they're a baseball is a surefire way to surprise an enemy sniper or support, it probably won't be as overpowered as it looks. Lifeweaver's Life Grip has a long cooldown, and sending an ally far away from your team without assistance is a risk. Heroes with the ability to escape afterwards, like Tracer or D.Va, would be the best targets. But I also doubt a random player will be able to easily coordinate this maneuver with you. You'll need a buddy for your Life Grip crimes.

Blizzard hasn't commented on whether or not this is intentional. I suspect it's not, but it's also not listed on the most recent patch's known issues post (opens in new tab). The development team has stressed the amount of testing that went into this particular ability given how disruptive it can be for teams, and have said they will keep a close eye on it. If you plan on taking the Lifeweaver express to the outer reaches of Horizon Lunar Colony, you might want to do it before Blizzard shuts it down.

Lifeweaver remains an oddity in the Overwatch 2 hero lineup. Players are sharing both frustrating (opens in new tab) and smart (opens in new tab) uses of Life Grip and Petal Platform, a flower-shaped pad that raises up into the air when someone steps on it. Reinhardts who have dreamed of pinning a Pharah mid-air? Now's your chance (opens in new tab).

Overwatch 2 season 4 is live and includes a space-opera themed battle pass, a customizable Sigma mythic skin, and a roadmap (opens in new tab) that includes three new limited time modes. 

Associate Editor

Tyler has covered games, games culture, and hardware for over a decade before joining PC Gamer as Associate Editor. He's done in-depth reporting on communities and games as well as criticism for sites like Polygon, Wired, and Waypoint. He's interested in the weird and the fascinating when it comes to games, spending time probing for stories and talking to the people involved. Tyler loves sinking into games like Final Fantasy 14, Overwatch, and Dark Souls to see what makes them tick and pluck out the parts worth talking about. His goal is to talk about games the way they are: broken, beautiful, and bizarre.