Blizzard gives Overwatch a new hero: Brigitte

Overwatch is getting another new character as the game continues to grow nearly two full years after its March 2016 debut. Brigitte, an engineer who decided to fight as a squire, is a new support character who provides both healing and armor to teammates.

Brigitte is available for trial now on the Overwatch public test server (PTR), but she will roll out to anyone who owns Overwatch on PC and consoles in the next couple of weeks. This is the latest example of how Blizzard Entertainment is attempting to keep fans engaged and coming back to Overwatch with new content at no additional charge. The company is able to do this because of its games-as-a-service model where it sells cosmetic items through loot boxes that players can purchase for real money. That business model is so lucrative that Blizzard can commit to releasing new maps and characters into Overwatch without ever charging for them.

Here’s how Blizzard describes Brigitte on the character’s page:

“Brigitte specializes in armor. She can throw Repair Packs to heal teammates, or automatically heal nearby allies when she damages foes with her Flail. Her Flail is capable of a wide swing to strike multiple targets, or a Whip Shot that stuns an enemy at range. When entering the fray, Barrier Shield provides personal defense while she attacks enemies with Shield Bash. Brigitte’s ultimate ability, Rally, gives her a substantial short-term boost of speed and provides long-lasting armor to all her nearby allies.”

Brigitte is the sixth new character to join the Overwatch roster since its launch. It is also the third support character to come as a downloadable update. Previously, Blizzard gave players the damage-dealing healer Moira, the buff-dealing sniper Ana, the melee specialist Doomfist, the hacking attacker Sombra, and the protective tank Orisa.