Overwatch, Blizzard’s popular multiplayer first-person shooter, gets its first roster addition this week with the introduction of Ana, a support class character who brings an array of new tactical options into battle.
Ana wields a unique Biotic Rifle, giving her the ability to shoot long-range darts that heal teammates while dealing stackable damage to enemies. Ana’s long-range capabilities make her an appealing pick for players who prefer taking out threats from a distance, though her damage output is lower than Overwatch‘s existing sniper class character, Widowmaker.
In another unique twist, Ana can fire sleeping darts that render enemies temporarily unconscious. Sleeping characters will return to battle after a short period of time, however, and they will instantly awaken if they take any damage in the interim. A skilled Ana player is best paired with a teammate who can quickly kill sleeping opponents.
Ana’s second alt-fire option is a Biotic Grenade that triggers a brief area-of-effect healing dome for teammates. Enemies caught in the Biotic Grenade’s blast will instead take damage, and they will be temporarily unable to receive healing from support classes, potentially making them easy targets. Meanwhile, allies within range of a Biotic Grenade explosion will get boosted health restoration from pickups and nearby healers.
Ana’s Ultimate ability also focuses on support. Teammates on the receiving end of Ana’s charged Nano Boost ability will move faster, deal more damage, and lose less health when attacked for a limited time.
Along with adding Ana as a playable character, Overwatch‘s latest patch also introduces a selection of promised balance tweaks specific to D. Va and Zenyatta. After installing this week’s patch, players will notice a distinct change to D. Va’s Defense Matrix ability, which is now limited by an on-screen meter similar to Pharah’s hover ability. Zenyatta, meanwhile, gets a significant shield boost, increased healing capabilities, and faster Orb of Discord and Orb of Harmony projectiles.
Ana is now available for play in the PC version of Overwatch, and equivalent patches for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 editions are coming soon.
