Orisa is Overwatch's latest character addition.
Blizzard's "Overwatch" has revealed its newest hero, Orisa. The first new tank on the title's roster is now live. Twitter/@PlayOverwatch

"Overwatch" has just added its 24th hero - Orisa. The character has been playable via the "Overwatch" PTR over the past few weeks, but today, she is live for all players. Blizzard has announced that the character will be competitive play for the next week.

Blizzard explained that the decision to delay her entry into the competitive arena because of their desire to ensure players will have a chance to get acquainted with her style of play, noted Express UK.

"We want to give players some time to learn about and play Orisa before she's placed into the crucible of Competitive Play. She'll still be immediately available in Quick Play, the Arcade (including custom games with the competitive ruleset), and Play vs. AI," said Blizzard's development team.

Orisa's arrival follows two earlier additions Ana and Sombra. Orisa arrived in today's patch 1.9 and is meant to take on a protector role. According to the "Overwatch" website, the new tank hero will serve "as the central anchor of her team, and defends her teammates from the frontline with a protective barrier."

'Overwatch' Orisa Abilities and Gameplay

Orisa specialises in long-range attacks, fortification of defenses and is able to deploy gravitation charges, which slows down enemies. Further, she can also deploy a Supercharger that can boost damages inflicted on multiple enemies.

Orisa is the sixth tank to be added to the game. In terms of her abilities, here's a quick rundown on Orisa's abilities and strengths.

  1. Fusion Driver - Orisa has an automatic projectile cannon able to deliver sustained damage. However, using the weapon temporarily slows down the character's movement.
  2. Fortify - Orisa is able to reduce the damage she takes in and is unaffected by action-impairing effects for a limited timeframe.
  3. HALT! - Orisa is able to detonate a launched graviton charge, slow down enemies in close proximity as well as draw them towards the explosion.
  4. Protective Barrier - As a protector, Orisa can throw a stationary barrier that protects her and team members from enemy fire.
  5. Supercharger - Orisa is able to increase inflicted damage to enemies in her line of sight by deploying a specific device.

Orisa’s greatest strength is her ability to protect teammates from harm and displace enemies. According to Polygon, the great thing about this newest addition is her ability to work well with any team. Users will find that she’s best utilised in situations that don’t require a lot of movement. Her abilities tend to require time to set up, which means mobility isn’t one of her strong suits.

Characters that work best with Orisa include mobile tanks like Winson and D.Va; they are able to compensate for her lack of speed and agility. Similarly, Roadhog, Zarya or Reinhardt can push enemies back, and all Orisa the space to set up her tools.

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