Overwatch's latest hero, Doctrine, has captured the attention of players with a unique kit that blurs the lines between support and damage, signaling a new era for the game's Support class. Unveiled at Blizzcon, Doctrine brings a suite of abilities that blend familiar mechanics with novel twists, aiming to provide a more versatile and engaging support experience.
Doctrine's primary fire offers both healing and damage, a standard for many support characters. His ultimate ability is an area-of-effect that heals allies while simultaneously reducing enemy health capacity, offering a potent team-fight tool. However, the true innovation lies in his secondary abilities.
One of Doctrine's key abilities, Invigorating Drones, can be attached to an ally to enhance their attack speed and healing output. This offers a significant tactical advantage, particularly when paired with high-damage heroes. The ability to boost teammates' offensive capabilities directly allows for more proactive support play, enabling coordinated pushes and potentially game-changing team wipes.
The most impactful part of Doctrine's kit is his right-click ability, Infuse. This mechanic temporarily empowers his next use of another ability, dramatically altering its effect. When combined with his shift ability, it grants increased movement speed and vertical reach with a 'Fly' effect. If used with Invigorating Drones, Doctrine can buff himself, increasing his own attack speed and passive healing. Infusing his primary fire transforms it into a charged shot that deals more damage and healing. This single mechanic significantly raises Doctrine's skill ceiling, offering a wide array of options for supporting his team in both offensive and defensive capacities, as well as enabling creative engagement and disengagement strategies.
Doctrine's design is a testament to the continued innovation from Blizzard's Team 4. Since the game's rework earlier this year, new heroes have consistently introduced fresh gameplay concepts. Doctrine stands out as a particularly exciting addition, offering a distinctive approach to the support role that feels both familiar and groundbreaking. The hero is set to join the Overwatch roster soon, promising to shake up the meta with his unique playstyle.