Blizzard has revealed the newest hero joining Overwatch: Brigitte (pronounced Bri-gee-ta). The character has been detailed in the latest Public Test Realm patch notes and also on the game’s official website, and is listed as a support class hero.
“An engineer with peerless armor-constructing abilities, Brigitte Lindholm is a valiant squire who fights on the front line to protect her allies,” reads the patch notes. “Brigitte’s armor engineering capabilities make her a stalwart support hero, capable of holding her ground in combat while also providing healing and armor for her allies.” The official website, meanwhile, says “Brigitte specializes in armor” and can throw Repair Packs to heal teammates, or automatically heal nearby allies when she damages foes with her Flail.
Brigitte’s primary weapon is a “heavy-hitting Rocket Flail,” which she “swings in a wide arc in front of her to smash multiple enemies at once.” The Whip Shot ability uses the flail to strike enemies at a distance and stun them. Landing blows allows Brigitte’s passive ability, Inspire, to heal nearby allies over time.
Her Barrier Shield deploys a “frontal energy barrier that can absorb a limited amount of damage and protect any allies directly behind her.” With her shield deployed, she can execute Shield Bash to “lunge forward and stun the first enemy in her path.” From the sounds of it, she’s a mixture of Reinhardt and her father, Torbjörn.
Her ultimate ability is called Rally, and is described as “a galvanizing call to arms that generates a substantial amount of armor for nearby allies and increases Brigitte’s movement speed so she can lead them into battle.” Check out Brigitte’s origin story in the video above or read her story and learn about her abilities below, courtesy of Blizzard.
“No longer sitting on the sidelines, Brigitte Lindholm has taken up arms to defend those in need of protection. The youngest daughter of weapons designer, Torbjörn Lindholm, Brigitte was the first of his children to show an interest in mechanical engineering. Brigitte spent much of her spare time in her father’s workshop, learning the trade and honing her skills. Her aptitude for engineering mirrored that of her father’s, but Brigitte’s primary interest was in armor fabrication and defensive systems, unlike Torbjörn, who was world renowned (and perhaps infamous) for the weapons he created.
“Everyone expected that Brigitte would continue her apprenticeship and follow in her father’s footsteps. But her plans changed due to influence of another prominent figure in her life, her father’s close friend and fellow Overwatch agent, Reinhardt Wilhelm. A close friend of the family and Brigitte’s godfather, Reinhardt told Brigitte tales of heroes and chivalry as she grew up. After his retirement and Overwatch’s fall, Reinhardt declared that he would become a knight-errant on a quest to bring justice. Before he left on his adventures, Brigitte surprised him by asking to join him as his squire. Reinhardt accepted.
“As a squire, Brigitte had many responsibilities, the most important of which was the upkeep of Reinhardt’s Crusader armor (a design she was familiar with as the current version was designed by her father). But more and more, she found her main job was taking care of Reinhardt himself, trying to protect him from his overenthusiasm even as his body was breaking down from years of combat.
“Eventually, she realized that serving only as a mechanic wasn’t enough, and that the best way she could aid Reinhardt was to become a warrior in her own right. While Reinhardt trained her in combat, Brigitte began to build her own suit of armor in secret. Now Brigitte fights at Reinhardt’s side to protect him, and any others in need as knight and squire journey to make the world a better place, one battle at a time.”
- Rocket Flail: Brigitte’s melee weapon has an extended range, enabling her to strike multiple enemies with a single swing.
- Repair Pack: Brigitte throws a Repair Pack that can heal an ally. Any healing over that ally’s maximum health provides them with armor instead.
- Whip Shot: Brigitte throws her flail a long distance, dealing damage and knocking an enemy away from her.
- Barrier Shield: Brigitte deploys a frontal energy barrier to absorb a limited amount of damage.
- Shield Bash: Once her Barrier Shield is deployed, Brigitte can dash forward to stun an enemy.
- Rally (Ultimate): Brigitte moves faster and provides all nearby allies with armor that lasts until it’s removed by damage.
In the lead up to this announcement, Blizzard released a number of cool teases for Brigette, including one with a reference to the Jetpack Cat that was at one point a hero considered by Blizzard. While we’re yet to see the impact she’ll have on the way Overwatch is player, game director Jeff Kaplan previously described her as “very needed.”
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