The first post-launch character coming to Overwatch is Ana, a support hero who uses her sniper rifle to heal her allies. Blizzard describes Ana as a “battle-scarred veteran who supports her teammates from a distance using a unique and highly specialized collection of weapons.” Which was teased last week.
[ARCHIVE] Communications Records of Ziegler, A. – Overwatch File 00231 – Security Classification: CONFIDENTIAL pic.twitter.com/lLAxTL2DhO
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) July 6, 2016
“As discussed, this is the proposed rifle that could be equipped by medics in the field,” Torbjörn says in a message sent to Jack “Soldier: 76” Morrison and Gabriel “Reaper” Reyes. “Despite what my esteemed colleague will surely suggest, the application of her biotic technology is only intended to be used for healing.” Giving her a long range healing ability that’s rarely been seen in competitive shooters before. Exciting!
Ana is a long-range support character who can heal her allies from far away, put her enemies to sleep, and use her Ultimate power to give one teammate a massive buff by hitting them with a nano-dart.
Ana‘s primary weapon is her Biotic Rifle. The gun fires long-range darts that heal her allies and deal damage to her foes. Being a support Ana’s Biotic Grenade, like her rifle, heals teammates and damages enemies caught in its small area of effect. For a brief period, the grenade also boosts all incoming healing for allies and prevents enemies from being healed — bad news for opposing Roadhog and Soldier: 76 players.
Her Sleep Dart, can knock enemies unconscious for a brief period. Expect many an ultimate ability to be summarily shut down by Ana. Sorry about that “local man telling the time”. As for her ultimate, Ana can target an ally with a Nano Boost to give them a big damage/speed/protection boost for a short period of time.
Players who’ve been following Overwatch‘s lore likely already know that Ana is the mother of rocket-wielder, Pharah. Including close ties to other Overwatch veterans, Gabriel “Reaper” Reyes and Jack “Soldier: 76” Morrison.
As well as a rivalry with rival sniper Widowmaker, who appears responsible for the loss of her right eye. We’ll have to wait for the release of Ana and all the colorful dialogue that characters exchange during the game to learn a bit more about her relationships with the rest of the cast.
Ana should make a compelling addition to the game’s group of support characters because she’s the only one who’s meant to heal and help from a distance. Playing as Lúcio, Mercy, or Zenyatta — the game’s other characters with powerful healing abilities — means putting yourself at risk if you want to keep your teammates safe and healthy.
Once Ana is available, support-oriented players can sneak into a spot with decent sight lines and heal their allies without getting themselves into too much trouble. (Blizzard‘s rated her at the game’s highest “difficulty” level, so that may not be as easy as it sounds.)