Moira was announced as one of the big reveals at Blizzcon 2017, with Blizzard deciding against repeating how they launched Sombra last year.
There was no warning on whether a new character was going to be shown off at Blizzcon, although it was expected due to how the development usually launch new content.
You can find her new abilities listed below:
BIOTIC GRASP: Using her left hand, Moira expends biotic energy to heal allies in front of her. Her right hand fires a long-range beam weapon that saps enemies’ health, healing Moira and replenishing her biotic energy.
BIOTIC ORB: Moira launches a rebounding biotic sphere; she can choose between a regeneration effect that heals the allies it passes through, or a decay effect that deals damage to enemies.
FADE: Moira quickly teleports a short distance.
COALESCENCE: Moira channels a long-range beam that both heals allies and bypasses barriers to damage her enemies.
As mentioned above, Moira’s biotic abilities enable her to contribute healing or damage, using Biotic Grasp for short-range options and her Biotic Orbs contributing longer-range smashes and healing.
Moira can also Fade to escape groups or remain close to allies in need of support. Once she’s charged Coalescence, Moira can save multiple allies from elimination at once or finish off weakened enemies.
For anyone interested in her background, her full name is Moira O’Deorain, Age: 4 and her occupation is as a Geneticist.
“Equal parts brilliant and controversial, scientist Moira O’Deorain is on the cutting edge of genetic engineering, searching for a way to rewrite the fundamental building blocks of life,” her official biography explains.
“Over a decade ago, O’Deorain made waves when she published a controversial paper detailing a methodology for creating custom genetic programs that could alter DNA at a cellular level.
“It seemed like a promising step toward overcoming diseases and disorders and maximizing human potential.
“Dissent among her peers soon followed. Many considered her work to be dangerous because of its perceived ethical shortfalls, and O’Deorain was even accused of having the same unchecked desire for scientific advancement that some believed had caused the Omnic Crisis.
“In addition, other geneticists were unable to reproduce the results of Moira’s research, which further called her discoveries into question. Instead of kickstarting her career, her paper seriously damaged her reputation.
“She received a lifeline in an offer from an unlikely source: Overwatch’s covert ops division, Blackwatch. She continued her work in the shadows while developing new weapons and technologies for the organization.
“Her employment was a closely kept secret, until it was uncovered during inquiries following the Venice incident. Many high-ranking Overwatch officials disavowed all knowledge of her affiliation with them.
“After Overwatch was disbanded, O’Deorain was forced to turn to unconventional sources of funding. This time, she was invited to join the scientific collective that had founded the city of Oasis.
“Yet some have whispered that the shadowy Talon organization had already been supporting her for years, aiding her experiments in exchange for utilizing the results for their own purposes.
“Though O’Deorain will go to any lengths to make scientific breakthroughs, her work is still unknown to most of the world.
“But now that she has been freed from all constraints, it is only a matter of time before everything changes.”