'Overwatch's' four-legged tank hero is here (for casual players)
Competitive players are going to have to wait a week to play her.
Overwatch's new badass robot centaur Orisa makes her official debut today, but players hoping to climb those Season 4 ranks with her are going to have to wait. Blizzard is disabling her from Competitive mode for one week, according to the game's official forums and Twitter account, so people can get to know her a little better first.
Like Reinhardt, Orisa's an "anchor tank," someone who can absorb large amounts of damage, protect teammates and rally the team behind her. Her ultimate, Supercharger, provides a 50 percent damage boost to teammates in range. Although she's not available in Competitive mode just yet, players can test out her skills in Quick Play, Arcade mode (including custom games with the competitive ruleset) and Play vs. AI.
Blizzard is treating Orisa's launch differently than previously-released heroes like Ana and Sombra. Those characters, released during Season 1 and Season 3, respectively, both initially struggled to find a place on competitive teams. Ana has since become a popular support choice thanks to her Nano Boost ultimate and her healing abilities. Sombra, meanwhile, has seen a bit of pro level play, but still has to fight for a spot. Delaying Orisa's debut could give players time to develop strategies without affecting their rankings.
We've contacted Blizzard to find out more about their decision to temporarily disable Orisa in Competitive Play, and we'll update this story if we hear back.
Our own Jessica Conditt took Orisa for a spin earlier today. You can check her out in this video.
