Overwatch 2 Hero Guide: Illari

Harness the sun with Illari, the latest Support hero in Overwatch 2 Season 6

Amidst huge content drops, fans of Overwatch 2 also got to play Illari, a solar-powered hitscan Support. This healer also comes with a side of utility and movement abilities, but what sets her apart is a huge, double-purpose laser blaster that instantly heals its targets.

Illari's design is heavily inspired by her Incan heritage, with feathers and sharp motifs to represent her roots. Her entire theme is a homage to the sun, which ancient Peruvians worshipped as their god. When she was officially announced, not a lot of details were shared about the origin of her possibly supernatural powers, but now we know about her Inti Warrior backstory, and the disaster that followed.

With the turn of the season, players are once again climbing the ladder in Competitive modes. So if you want to get the best idea on how to climb with the Peruvian dawnbringer, or if you just want to get a full read on all of her abilities, jump into our complete hero guide for Illari.

From hopeful trainee to the last of her kind.

This is Illari’s Origin Story ☀️ pic.twitter.com/MRxTZR6RRR

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) August 11, 2023

Illari Backstory

In Illari's backstory reveal, Illari was revealed to be a part of the Inti Warriors, Peruvian warriors who harness solar power within their bodies. The secret sect of technologically advanced heroes had healers and soldiers within their ranks, but Illari's talents made her the best of both worlds.

As the last of her kind, the dawnbringer now travels the world, carrying the tenets of her predecessors while also forging her own path in a world in crisis.

Healers in Overwatch 2 come in all shapes and sizes. To know which hero best suits your playstyle, check out our Support tier list for Season 6!

Illari Abilities

To get a better grasp at playing Overwatch 2's newest hero, let's have a quick rundown of all of her skills. Here are all of Illari's hero abilities.

Solar Rifle

• Primary-fire is a long-range hitscan rifle
• Deals 25-75 damage depending on the charge
• 1.5x headshot multiplier
• Alt-fire instantly releases a healing beam that heals 120 HP/second
• Uses energy to use, which recharges after some time

Outburst

• Launches Illari towards the direction you choose
• Knocks nearby enemies away from you
• Holding Jump increases jump height

Healing Pylon

• A healing projectile that sticks to surfaces
• Heals around 50HP per burst
• Prioritizes ally with the lowest health

Captive Sun

• Illari flies before channeling a large solar projectile that explodes upon impact
• Enemies caught in the blast will be slowed and become marked
• Dealing 100 HP worth of damage on an enemy hero will cause them to explode

Illari Tips & Tricks

Take Your Time When Aiming

Aim along the head line and shift the crosshair with your movement keys. Trust us, it's much better to snipe with a steady hand than a flicking wrist. Illari's rifle was made for people who have been yearning for an actual way to counter snipers as a Support. That said, the Overwatch 2  devs eased her learning curve by giving you just enough range to offset the weapon's slow charge time. All in all, aim for quality over quantity of shots, unless you're trying to finish off a low-HP target.

Practice Outburst’s Movement Mechanics

Outburst's design can be complicated when you try it out for the first time, with the jump height seeming wonky and inconsistent at times. Luckily, there's an easy way to learn how each Outburst variation works. Here are the different ways to use Outburst:

• Shift (tap) – Illari jumps
• Shift (hold) – Illari jumps at max height
• Shift (tap) + Direction – Illari dashes towards that direction
• Shift (hold) + Direction – Illari dashes towards a direction with extra height

Illari's skill ceiling is surprisingly high for an off-support, but things like her Outburst skill make her all the more exciting to play as.

Position Healing Pylon Well

Illari's healing Pylon heals vulnerable teammates one at a time, which lets you focus on DPS. An added benefit to this is not having to heal using her alt-fire all the time, since doing so also prevents her primary fire from charging up. On top of that, this helpful construct stays up indefinitely until it is destroyed. With all that in mind, make sure to tuck your Healing Pylon away in high places where the enemy would never think to look.

On the flipside, its deployment cannot be stopped by mitigating effects like an enemy D.Va's shield matrix, but it's healing beam can.

Use Critical Sun’s Verticality to Get Out of Bad Spots

Lastly, we have her ultimate ability. As a Support hero, you typically get your ultimates faster than the other Overwatch 2 roles. With this in mind, it comes as a great way to peel enemies off of you. If you can't find an opening for a big play, use Critical Sun's intimidating explosion and aerial movement to reposition yourself back to your team.

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