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This was a personal project of mine that I worked on over the summer of 2025, in which I recreated, analyzed, and reworked the Petal Platform ability from the Overwatch Support hero Life Weaver from Overwatch 2.
I know the argument of Life Weaver being a flawed hero has been made often, but as someone who mains him, I feel like most feedback towards him can be improved upon.
As I often see, people want to essentially change him into a meta-defying hero with 0 drawbacks or slightly tweak his numbers, which often doesn't really address his biggest issue.
Life Weaver suffers from being a jack of some trades and a master of none. So in this project, I decided to rework one of his more niche abilities, utility-wise. Creating 10 different possible paths the devs could take to change it into something less niche while keeping the main idea of the original ability and some of its synergies in mind.
All blueprinting was done by me with help and advice from others.
Both the concept art for the Petal Platform and the music used in the video are owned by Overwatch and in no way of my own making.
ALL ASSETS WERE GATHERED FROM FAB AND WERE NOT MODELED BY ME.
PART 1
First, before opening Unreal Engine, I drew out some concepts for Lifeweaver's petal platform to brainstorm, write down, and create sketches for it. I wanted to come up with just mechanics, or smaller tweaks that could be separately implemented towards this ability, before structuring them into specific changes with a focus on enabling specific playstyles for him. I then proceeded to split these ideas into 3 sections:
Utility: Changes based on some sort of adding/enhancing when it comes to his platform's utility and overall aid in battle
Offense: Changes based on dealing damage through the platform in battle.
Quality of Life / Others: Changes based on adding certain qualities to the platform to make it feel smoother in battle and other leftover ideas.
Blinds / dazes enemies on the platform
Allies on the platform receive less damage
Allies on the platform receive healing
Hides allies on the platform through a mist of pollen
Low HP barrier
Circular Baptiste Amplification Matrix-like, on the platform
Crouching on the platform moves it within its radius
Allies on the platform can see enemies through walls in a large radius
A raised platform gives the person on it a super jump
Hold the button to use it as a barrier shield
Destroy the platform to detonate a thorn explosion
Damage enemies standing on it over time
Hold the button to throw it as a faster-moving saw
Meele the platform to slam it down and deal damage
When it breaks, the platform first falls before crashing and shattering
While the platform is up, enemies within the radius receive damage if in line of sight
Turret-like homing attacks
Becomes barely visible to enemies and hides on the ground, which, when stepped on by enemies, deals damage and stuns
Coordinated turret-like attacks only when Lifeweaver attacks someone with it nearby
Periodically releases shockwaves that deal damage to enemies
Platform bud no longer bounces and instantly spawns
Press the button while the bud is out to detonate it mid-air to place the platform
Increase speed and remove the gravity of the bud
Increase speed, but also increase its weight/gravity
Replace bud placing with a hitscan beam
Change the bud animation so the platform forms faster when placed properly
Place the platform rather than shooting the bud
Increases the platform ascent/descent speed
Lifeweaver can remotely lower and raise the platform
Change it to two platforms that are connected by a portal
Increase projectile speed for moe range
When the button is held, the platform instantly goes up when it spawns
Lifeweaver can remotely turn off the platform, which won't break it, but makes it fall to the ground faster
Lifeweaver can lock the platform so it won't go up or go down
PART 2
After I felt comfortable with the amount of possible changes to the petal ability, my next step was to analyze them and see which ones I could combine with a specific path in mind. I wanted to not only change the platform but also change it with purpose. So I developed 10 versions or paths with sketches and opened Unreal Engine to recreate the Petal Platform ability and use it as a base for the 10 paths.
The 10 Paths
Base Petal Recreation
PART 3
Then, for the part that took me the longest, I recreated my ideas for the 10 different paths in Unreal Engine using blueprinting as closely as possible to my ideas. To clarify which abilities took inspiration from which mechanics, from my brainstorming, I made sure to number them to further clarify how each path works.
Example: 0. TEAL - FAKE WEAVER (A2 = Allies on the platform receive less damage)
A = Utility
B = Offense
C = Quality of Life / Others
1. WHITE - BETTER WEAVER
(C1/C2/C6/C8/C12)
For this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform, I did not want to change too much and focused instead on improving what is already there as an alternative if the devs don't want to do a large rework to the platform
2. ORANGE - HIGH GROUND WEAVER
(A1/A5/C1)
For this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform, I wanted to build off his already existing synergies that could use a little more love. Specifically, the synergy between skillshot heroes by giving them opportunities from new angles and for them to get the first shot in. This is enabled through its low HP shield generator that helps your sniper win the widow-off
3. RED - AGGRESSIVE WEAVER
(B2/B8/C7)
For this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform, I wanted to not only give him more damage but also give him skill-based offensive tools. With this platform, he can set traps but also aggressively isolate supports and tanks from each other with proper placement and skill. Allowing him to become better at defense, but gain more offense with a higher skill ceiling
4. BLUE - ZONE WEAVER
(A7/B6/C7/C14)
For this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform, I wanted to lean into his defensive strength while avoiding overhealing. This version encourages loops where the player relies on the platform as an integral part of their kit. Allowing him to work well in a poke team, providing a constant source of damage while Lifeweaver heals, helping with the issue of his primary fire taking away from his healing in crucial moments
5. CYAN - DODGE WEAVER
(B4/B5/C4/C8)
For this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform, I aimed to essentially turn Lifeweaver into a cockroach without adding more self-healing. Giving him a high amount of mobility, allowing him to get access to constant high ground to heal divers from your team, and using the teleport to avoid enemy divers
6. GREEN - CLUTCH WEAVER
(B1/B3/B5/C2/C3/C12)
For this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform, I aimed to add features that would reward skill rather than just outright make him better. Allowing him to block/counter dmg in new and unique ways that would require forethought to avoid wasting your cooldown
7. PURPLE - DISPLACEMENT WEAVER
(A1/C5/C10)
Taking inspiration from his ex-college roommate, this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform was more about keeping the nature/benefits of the usual platform. While reworking it in a way that tries to make its benefits seamless. Allowing for faster placement of the platform and granting him easier ways to deal with dives to confuse them
8. VIOLET - DIVE WEAVER
(A3/A9/C2/C11)
For this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform, I aimed to almost completely rework the petal as a jump pad with charged healing. This way, it gives Lifeweaver more synergy with divers, so they can spare their cooldowns for kills instead of escaping or engaging into the battle
9. BLACK- TURRET WEAVER
(B7/B11)
For this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform, the change was a more straightforward change. I was hoping to give more use to the platform, making the placement of the platform something that requires more consideration to use for offense or defense
10. YELLOW - SAVIOR WEAVER
(A5/C5/EXTRA)
For this path of Lifeweaver's Petal Platform, I focused on boosting the petal's ability to be used to rescue allies, allowing you and your allies enough time to save them from the brink of death
PART 4 - EPILOGUE
Lastly, after it was all done and coded, I recorded everything and built the player zoo, where I could test and show the changes of the platforms against enemies and in different environments.
Overall, I really enjoyed this project as I felt I learned a lot about blueprinting, but it was also fun as I have always been an Overwatch fan. As a day one Lifeweaver main, I thought it was interesting to analyze him through the eyes of not only a gamer but also as a designer. Not as a harsh critique or insult towards the devs, but rather as a show of my appreciation and to start a conversation about an area of his kit I feel is often overlooked from my favorite boy
PLAYER ZOO
FINAL VIDEO - ALL PLATFORMS
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