May 30, 2023
If you took a break from Overwatch and decided to pick it back up with Overwatch 2, you may be surprised by some of the changes. One of these major changes comes by way of Orisa was once bulky, with limited mobility and a giant shield to protect her team. However, with the launch of Overwatch 2, Orisa is more agile, and she deals more damage with the right maneuvers.
Orisa traded in her shield for a more offense-focused playstyle which does more damage at a close range. Where Orisa initially may have stayed back with her shield to protect her team, Overwatch 2 essentially makes her a DPS, having to push in to make a hole for her team. Let’s take a look at Orisa’s abilities to equip you better to make your opponents meet their fate.
Augmented Fusion Driver
Automatic heat-based weapon. Deals more damage at a closer range.
This is Orisa’s main weapon. It is a rapid-fire heat cannon that has increased damage at a close range, but a major damage drop-off at a long range. It also requires a small cooldown after a sustained fire.
With Orisa being a more aggressive build in Overwatch 2, this weapon is perfect for that aggressive playstyle. While you can still get damaged by hanging back, the Augmented Fusion Driver urges players to push in close for maximum damage to their opponents.
Energy Javelin
Launch your javelin at an enemy to stun and knock them back. More effective if the enemy hits a wall.
Orisa’s secondary weapon can do a bit of damage and disorient your opponents. On contact, it will deal 60 damage and knock your opponent back. They’ll take on an additional 40 damage if pushed back into it.
Fortify
Gain temporary health, reducing all damage taken and becoming unstoppable. While active, heat generated by your weapon is reduced.
Fortify is one of Orisa’s defensive abilities to help her survive while taking massive damage. While Fortify is active Orisa receives around a 40 percent damage reduction with 125 temporary HP and a 50 percent reduction in the Augmented Fusion Driver’s heat generation. Using fortify will allow Orisa to push forward while unleashing a barrage of bullets and halving the incoming damage.
Javelin Spin
Spin your javelin to destroy projectiles and block melee attacks, while also pushing enemies and increasing forward speed.
This is another one of Orisa’s defensive abilities. It can be used to block all incoming projectiles while simultaneously giving Orisa a 50 percent speed boost while active and a 20 percent speed boost shortly after it ends. Enemies caught in the Javelin Spin will take a small amount of damage and be knocked back.
The knockback is especially handy on maps with cliffs or openings where you can catch your enemy off-guard and send them flying over the edge and back to respawn. It can also be used to push enemies off a point or out of position.
Terra Surge (Ultimate Ability)
Sweep in enemies and anchor down, gaining the effects of Fortify and charging up a surge of damage. Use Q to unleash the surge early.
Terra Surge is Orisa’s new ultimate as of Overwatch 2 and is way more aggressive than her old Supercharger ability. Once this ability is activated, Orisa will pull in nearby enemies and can charge the attack to build up more damage once released. The longer the charge, the more impact the ultimate will have.
When Orisa enters her ultimate, she is granted the effects of Fortify, which will help halve the damage coming in while she’s in the ultimate’s animation. This is a tricky ultimate to pull off, as timing is key. If you unleash the ultimate too early, it won’t do nearly enough damage to be effective. On the other hand, if you wait too long to unleash, you can give enemies time to escape or even kill Orisa while she’s stationary.
If you plan to charge Terra Surge up, it is pertinent to work with one of your healers to help with the incoming damage to make sure Orisa does not go down before managing to release her ultimate.
Tips and Tricks
- Augmented Fusion Drive is better at close range. Don’t be afraid to push in with Orisa in order to maximize damage output.
- Energy Javelin is best used when a wall is behind your opponent to deal extra damage on impact. It can also be used to knock back enemies off cliffs or off points.
- Fortify is good for drawing enemy fire. Once activated, Orisa can push more aggressively while firing at a higher rate and taking less damage.
- Javelin Spin is a great defensive move to block incoming projectiles, but it can also be used offensively to knock back enemies off cliffs or off points.
- Terra Surge is all about timing. Releasing it too soon will provide too little damage, while waiting too long could result in Orisa getting killed, resulting in a wasted Ultimate. If you want to lengthen the time you charge the ultimate, you may need to time it with one of your healers to keep you up.
Orisa’s new playstyle may take some time to get used to. She has no barrier, and her primary method of protection is to either block attacks physically or she can draw enemy fire by being the biggest and closest target. Without an escape ability, it may be easy for Orisa players to overextend themselves if they don’t wait for their team, mainly their healers.
Try to push with your team while also doing your best to create space for your team. Don’t get caught alone and leave yourself exposed with no good escape options. Use your kit to make the best of this tank’s aggressive playstyle.