Overwatch 2 features a diverse cast of Tank Heroes. One of those Tanks includes Orisa, a robot built to protect the city from which she and her creator resided.
If you'd like, feel free to check out our guide offering tips for the class. However, if you're especially interested in learning how to use Orisa, stick around; our guide here will help you.
Orisa: Playstyle And Physical Attributes
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As previously stated, Orisa is a Tank Hero. She has 550 HP, 300 of which is attributed to Armor. The overall HP is a bit on the lower end for Tank Heroes, but the Armor makes up for it by slightly reducing the damage she's dealt. You'll want Orisa to always be on the front lines to push an objective, get some kills and protect her teammates. Her abilities increase her capabilities in doing so while also increasing her own survivability. That being said, she is quite large, giving enemies lots of room to shoot at and damage her. While it's possible to come out on top in disadvantageous battles, don't push yourself too hard.
Main Weapon
Orisa's weapon is an Augmented Fusion Driver. It's a heat-based weapon, meaning you can shoot as much as you want without feeling the need to reload. Just be careful that the gun doesn't overheat from prolonged shooting. You can shoot nonstop for about five seconds, while the time to wait for it to cool off is half as much.
While the weapon is capable of hurting opponents from far distances, the damage is greater up-close. To get the most out of it, you'll need to be quite aggressive. The weapon deals extra damage with headshots as well, so make sure to aim high when you close the distance between you and an opponent for a quick kill.
Energy Javelin
Orisa can materialize a javelin using the same energy from her weapon. This javelin is used in most of her Abilities, the first one being Energy Javelin. She throws the javelin across the desired arc, damaging and knocking back any opponents that are attacked with it. This Ability increases in damage and stun time when the opponent is knocked into a wall. The cooldown is six seconds.
This is a great Ability that has a variety of uses. For starters, the javelin's pushback capabilities can get opponents off from objectives and payloads. It could be what makes the difference between a win and a loss, especially in the case of overtime.
The Energy Javelin is also useful when fighting opponents in closed spaces. Landing a throw of the javelin in those kinds of areas makes it easier for you to gain that extra damage and stun time. If the extra damage doesn't kill them immediately, take advantage of the brief stun time to get closer and allow your main weapon to deal more damage. For this, try to lure enemies away and take advantage of the walls.
Fortify
Orisa's second Ability is Fortify. Using this ability grants Orisa an extra 125 HP in Temporary Health and reduces the damage you take. It also decreases the amount of heat her Augmented Fusion Driver generates, allowing her to shoot for even longer periods of time. You're free to use your other Abilities while Fortify is active. It lasts a little over four seconds, and the cooldown for the ability lasts 12 seconds. You can cancel out the Ability before the duration is up by pressing the button to activate it again.
Fortify is a simple but very effective Ability. It increases Orisa's chances of survival with the Temporary Health and the defense boost. It also allows her to deal more damage by letting her shoot for longer periods of time. You can use this before or during battles to make sure you come out on top. One thing to be careful with is the fact that you return to however much health you had before using Fortify. So, if you were at low HP before using it, try finding a health pack or a Support teammate soon.
Javelin Spin
The next of her javelin abilities is called Javelin Spin. Orisa rapidly rotates her left hand while holding the javelin, causing it to spin directly in front of her. The spinning javelin can stop enemy projectiles and block their physical attacks. It's also capable of pushing enemies back a far distance while damaging them. The Ability lasts for about two seconds and can be canceled out. The cooldown, however, is seven seconds. This move also increases her forward movement speed as long as its active, as well as shortly afterward.
For starters, this is a great movement option. When rushing to an objective, Orisa can get there faster by using Javelin Spin. It's also helpful to get back into the action quicker after getting killed, so make sure to use it at the beginning of each game or life to get a head start. It also works well for general movement, especially if you need to get out of a dangerous situation. It only increases forward movement, though, so be wary of that if you're trying to escape attackers approaching you from behind.
The move's ability to block projectiles is great for pushing advantageous situations. When battling with another team at an objective, Javelin Spin can nullify their projectiles while your team can continue to fire at them from behind you. Make use of this when the enemy fire is getting too heavy for your teammates to handle. You can also use this to help any allies get in safely while protecting them, as well as yourself.
The real fun part of this move is the ability to push opponents. For starters, it's more capable of knocking enemies off of objectives than Energy Javelin due to how long it’s active as well as its movement boost. Try using it directly in front of some enemies to keep them out; you'll be safe from their attacks unless they end up approaching you from a different direction. However, if you're fighting near an area where players can fall to their death, Javelin Spin is an easy way to force them off and get kills. You can also use this move to continuously damage an enemy by keeping them stuck in a corner.
Terra Surge
Terra Surge is Orisa's Ultimate. She holds the javelin above her head and spins it, sucking in any nearby enemies and damaging them. While spinning the javelin, she will charge up an attack that increases in power the longer she continues to spin. Orisa will then slam the Javelin into the ground, releasing all the power she's stored up and damaging any enemies within range. You can release this stored power as soon as 64% but can continue storing it up to 500%. Orisa also gains the effects of Fortify throughout the duration of the move.
This Ultimate can be rather tricky to use. While you want to store enough power to effectively damage opponents (and kill them in the best case), you don't want to waste time storing so much that they eventually get out of range of Terra Surge or, even worse, kill you before you can release it. Carefully assess the state of your opponents before you use this move. Make sure you check Orisa's HP as well; despite gaining Fortify's effects, she's completely vulnerable throughout the use of the move. A group of enemies could take her out without many problems, even if they all get sucked into the move. With that, the best scenario might be to use it on some damaged enemies while you're at nearly full HP.
Matchup Advantages/Disadvantages
Orisa is a Tank character that prioritizes protection, survivability, and close-quarters combat. While she could suffer against a group of Heroes, there aren't many that could beat her in a one-on-one encounter. It's not too often that this will occur, though, especially against a Tank Hero. Your troubles would mostly lie in characters that dish out loads of damage with the ability to get close to her easily, such as Reaper or Sombra (especially if you're caught with her Hack ability). Also, look out for characters with means of protecting themselves, like Zarya or Doomfist.
You should be fine in most other cases. This especially applies to battles against characters with lower HP and relatively limited movement options like Cassidy or Mei. Of course, characters that struggle up close, like Ana (who we have a guide for), will also be easy to handle.
Orisa has adopted a different playstyle compared to her previous iteration. Once a more defensive character, she now thrives in both offensive and defensive situations. Her means of protecting her team while getting in and being able to survive makes her quite a threat and fun to play. Don't take her large HP and Fortify Ability for granted, though; she's still very large and easy to hit. Getting separated from your allies can easily spell their death and yours if you end up against a group.