While the additions of Overwatch 2 to its predecessor aren't much, they are still there. There are reworks to heroes like Orisa and Bastion which give them new abilities, new maps like Colosseo and Midtown, and a new Push mode that gives both playing teams attacking and defending roles. Seeing as Overwatch 2 is a hero shooter, it can't go unnoticed that the beta also introduces a new hero.
Vivian Chase, AKA Sojourn, is a Canadian hero and former Overwatch captain who is the first of many new heroes that will be included in Overwatch 2. She is a damage hero whose Railgun's primary fire can be used to charge up a more powerful secondary fire. In addition to her weapon, Sojourn has abilities that are centered on crowd control, movement, and dealing high amounts of damage in a short period. Though her weapon and abilities are unique to her, Sojourn's kit has a lot in common with another hero's utilities: Zarya.
Both Zarya and Sojourn's Weapons Work Off Of A Charge Meter
Starting with their weapons, Zarya's Particle Cannon can be fired in two ways. Her primary fire is a hitscan beam that fires in a straight line and damages any enemy caught in the beam. The Particle Cannon's secondary fire shoots an energy grenade which detonates when it hits an enemy or surface. While the secondary fire takes more ammunition per shot, the damage it does is greater than that of the primary fire.
The Particle Cannon can be charged up in one of two ways. Using either her Particle Barrier or Projected Barrier abilities, Zarya can envelop either herself or an ally respectively in a protective energy barrier that prevents damage and negative effects (like stun abilities and Ana's Sleep Dart). Damage absorbed by the barriers increases the damage output of the Particle Cannon, making it so that proper usage of the barriers results in a very powerful weapon for Zarya. The energy needed to keep the Particle Cannon powered up dwindles over time, so Zarya players need to constantly use their barrier on themselves and allies at the right times to keep it topped up.
Sojourn's Railgun plays into her role as a damage hero. Instead of taking damage to charge up the Railgun, Sojourn needs to deal damage to enemies to charge up her energy meter. Using her secondary fire shoots a more powerful shot that expends the energy stored. Players can charge up the energy meter to a full 100% for the maximum damage output, but they can also preemptively use the secondary fire as long as the meter has a charge in it. Unlike Zarya, however, Sojourn does not need to use any of her abilities to make her Railgun stronger. The energy stored in the Railgun also doesn't deplete over time, and Sojourn will periodically tell the player via her voice lines if the Railgun is fully charged.
Crowd Control Abilities Force Enemies To Stay Apart From Each Other
Speaking of Sojourn's abilities, her Power Slide allows her to take a running slide in the direction she is facing. Players can then cancel this slide into a high jump that gives Sojourn a vertical advantage - allowing her to reposition to higher ground or get an angle on her opponents. While this is more akin to the movement mechanics of Apex Legends, Sojourn's other ability, Disruptor Shot, is very much like Zarya's Graviton Surge. Using Disruptor Shot fires an area of effect (AOE) orb which slows down and damages enemies in the general vicinity. When used in conjunction with her skills Power Slide and Overlock (this auto-charges Sojourn's Railgun secondary fire and allows charged shots to piece enemies), Disruptor Shot provides Sojourn with easy opportunities to line up her Railgun shots and charge up her secondary fire.
Zarya's Graviton Surge ultimate ability is the best crowd control skill in Overwatch 2. Zarya shoots an energy projectile that creates a gravity well and continuously pulls enemies into its center. Unless an enemy has a specific ability like Sombra's Translocator or Orisa's Fortify, they will be trapped in the Graviton Surge for four seconds - more than enough time for the Zarya and her team to get in some damage of their own.
Though both heroes are distinctly different, both Sojourn and Zarya have abilities and weapons that possess similar functions. Zarya's barriers play into her role as a tank, while the charge she gets from misplaced enemy fire lets her go toe to toe with Overwatch 2's heavy hitters. Sojourn's abilities let her use her Railgun more effectively and charge up that powerful secondary fire which makes her stand out from the myriad of other damage heroes. Both have something unique to add to Overwatch 2, where the world could always use more heroes.
Overwatch 2 is currently in development.