Orisa Overwatch 2 – Everything you need to know

Overwatch 2 has 35 different characters that players are able to choose from, with each one able to benefit the team in their own way. Every hero in Overwatch 2 has their own unique playstyle, weapons, and abilities that can change the entire flow of a game if used correctly. In addition to having their own abilities, each hero is also part of one of three different roles. These roles include tanks that defend their team from harm, supports that can heal their allies, and DPS that can deal massive damage to enemies. Orisa is a tank character that previously relied on barriers to shield her team, however, she saw a massive rework for Overwatch 2. Here is everything players need to know about using Orisa and her new kit.

Who is Orisa in Overwatch 2?

Orisa has the appearance of a mighty mechanical centaur, and the recent updates to her abilities were changed to reflect that form. Previously, she and Reinhardt’s method of tanking was making barriers and reflecting damage for their team. However, with team composition changing, certain heroes got completely reworked. Through her new abilities, Orisa should find her own place in the tanking meta, with her new brawl-heavy playstyle.

Note: You can read about all of the Overwatch 2 characters here.

Tanks were reworked in Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 completely changed the way that teams were designed. In the original Overwatch, players would be on teams of 6. However, with the release of Overwatch 2, teams have been reduced to only 5. With this reduction in numbers, each team now has one less tank. To compensate for this, each type of role in Overwatch 2 got a special passive ability to help them in combat. For tanks, this is a 30% reduction in knockback effects, as well as a 50% reduction in Ultimate Ability generated upon striking them. This lets tanks such as Orisa hold their ground as they help to shield their team from harm.

Orisa’s abilities in Overwatch 2

Since Orisa has been completely reworked, she will feel different from players who had used her previously. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. With her new kit, she is a highly engaging character capable of getting up close and personal, yet still being able to dig in and fortify herself when necessary. Players who put the time in with Orisa will be able to lead their team to success as they brawl their way across the battlefield.

Augmented Fusion Driver

Orisa uses a special heat-based weapon called the Augmented Fusion Driver. This weapon does not have a set magazine size, and technically has unlimited ammo, but it works off of heat. The more the player fires the weapon, the more it will heat up. After reaching maximum heat levels, it will need to cool down for a bit before it can be fired again. The Augmented Fusion Driver does 12 damage at closer ranges and this reduces to 4 at longer ranges. For this reason, Orisa is better at dealing damage up close and personal to her targets.

Energy Javelin

This is one of the new abilities for Orisa in Overwatch 2. The energy Javelin is the Secondary Weapon for Orisa. When used, Orisa will hurl a javelin that can hit targets for 60 damage. Upon hitting a target, they will become stunned and be knocked back. If a player gets knocked back into a wall, they will take additional damage. Energy Javelin has a cooldown of 6 seconds.

Fortify

As one of the abilities kept for Orisa, Fortify can help her become the fortress she is known to be. When Orisa uses Fortify she gains a multitude of buffs that help to bolster her survivability. She will gain 125 health, gain a 40% decrease in damage taken, a 50% reduction in weapon heat generated, and cannot be affected by movement impairing effects. The tradeoff for this is she will move at a 20% reduced rate, however, she will be able to absorb much more damage under the effects of this ability. Fortify has a cooldown of 10 seconds.

Javelin Spin

As another new addition to Overwatch 2, this ability allows Orisa to quickly close the gap between her and an enemy in addition to blocking incoming projectiles. When used, Orisa will spin her javelin in a circle at a high rate of speed. This will block all incoming projectiles and increase her forward movement speed by 50%. This will last for a short duration and the effect will linger for 2 seconds after Orisa stops spinning her javelin. Javelin Spin has a cooldown of 7 seconds.

Terra Surge

Terra Surge is a brand new Ultimate Ability that Orisa has access to for Overwatch 2. When Orisa uses Terra Surge, she will pull in all of the enemies around her and gain the effects of Fortify. After she does so she will begin charging up her ability. With Terra Surge, Orisa is able to channel the ability to its maximum and let it fire, or she can choose to detonate it early by pressing the ability button again. Terra Surge can scale to a maximum of 500 damage at full charge, so it is better for Orisa to use the ability at a higher charge to avoid wasting a lot of damage of her Ultimate Ability. However, it is still a potent ability for the disruption combined with the additional Fortify effect and can single-handedly destroy teams if she can get it off with a full charge.

Tips for using Orisa in Overwatch 2

Orisa may play completely differently than how she was played in Overwatch 2, but that’s a good thing. Previously, she was very passive and would hang back and shield her team with her barriers. But now, players will want to rush in and do as much damage as they can at close range with her weapon and javelins. With her Fortify ability, she is capable of withstanding heavy punishment, and using Javelin Spin can help this further by reflecting projectiles. 

Her new abilities reward her for being aggressive and can stun enemies and disrupt them in an AoE with her Ultimate Ability. However, due to her reliance on closing the gap and being in close range, Orisa can be caught off-guard and taken out from longer ranges or by heroes who can slow down her movement speed to avoid being hit. It also helps to be able to ensure the accuracy of her abilities, namely the Energy Javelin, as hitting targets with this ability will not only stun them but do a good bit of damage.

Pick Orisa and rush to victory in Overwatch 2

Orisa may have gone from one of the most defensive tanks to one of the most offensive, but in the right hands, she’s a destructive force that can withstand heavy punishment. Overall, players who want to have a more active playstyle will thoroughly enjoy picking Orisa and leading their team to victory in Overwatch 2.