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Moira


Moira

"Science will reveal the truth."

Real Name
Moira O'Deorain
Status
Active
Age
48
Nationality
Ireland Irish
Occupation
Geneticist
Minister of Genetics
Base
Dublin, Ireland
Oasis, Iraq
Affiliation
Blackwatch (formerly)
Talon (council member)
Genevieve O'Reilly [1] (English)

Déborah Perret (French)
Alexandra Lange (German)
Li Shirong (Mandarin (China))
Mie Sonozaki (Japanese)
Lee Mi-na (Korean)
Magdalena Cielecka (Polish)
Isis Koschdoski (Brazilian Portuguese)
Esther Solans (European Spanish)

Cosmetics
Cosmetic page
Quotes
Quotation page
Role
Support
Health
200
Character Video

Moira is a Support hero in Overwatch.

Overview

Moira’s biotic abilities enable her to contribute healing or damage in any crisis. While Biotic Grasp gives Moira short-range options, her Biotic Orbs contribute longer-range, hands-off damage and healing; she 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.

Abilities

Biotic Grasp
Key mouse 1
Hero-ability-circle
Ability Moira Biotic Grasp
Type
Weapon (Primary Fire)
Effect Type
Beam Beam
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Using her left hand, Moira expends biotic energy to heal allies in front of her.
Headshot:
Healing:
70 per second, then lingers to heal 35 over 2 seconds
Ammo per shot:
20 energy per second
Ammo:
160 biotic energy
Cast time:
0.1 seconds
Duration:
4 seconds (remainder)
Max. range:
15 meters

Ability details:
  • Passes through allies and enemies, but not enemy barriers.
  • Like Projectile Projectile, there is travel time for the spray to reach its destination.
  • Collision against map geometry and enemy barriers is pinpoint, much like Reinhardts Ability-reinhardt4 Fire Strike.
  • Causes a heal over time that begins upon the last application of the spray healing. This allows Moira to heal without expending resources.
  • Regenerates 3.84 biotic energy per second while inactive.
  • Needs at least 8 biotic energy to activate.


Biotic Grasp
Key mouse 2
Hero-ability-circle
Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Alt fire
Type
Weapon (Secondary Fire)
Effect Type
Beam Beam (no target indicator, soft lock-on)
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Her right hand fires a long-range beam weapon that saps enemies’ health, healing Moira and replenishing her biotic energy.
Damage:
50 per second
Headshot:
Healing:
20 per second (self)
Ammo:
Max. range:
20 meters

Ability details:
  • Like Targeted Targeted line of sight to an enemies center of mass is required to initiate and maintain the attack.
  • Like Beam Beam Biotic Grasp is unaffected by Ability-genji2 Deflect, Ability-dva3 Defense Matrix, and Abilities-sigma3 Kinetic Grasp.
  • Self-healing and damage are completely separate. Altering the damage does not affect the self heal.
  • Generates 21.875 biotic energy per second. When combined with the passive regeneration, this becomes 25.715 biotic energy per second (or 16% per second).


Biotic Orb
E
Hero-ability-circle
Ability Moira Biotic Orb
10 seconds
Type
Ability
Effect Type
Projectile Projectile
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
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.
Damage:
50 per second, up to 200
Headshot:
Healing:
65 per second, up to 300
Duration:
7 seconds, or until depleted
Max. range:
4 meters (damage orb)
5 meters (healing orb)
Projectile speed:
20 meters per second
5.5 meters per second while tethered

Ability details:
  • Bounces off walls.
  • Pierces barriers, but does not target enemies through them.
  • Damage Orb does not affect enemy objects.
  • If amplified, only the rate of damage/healing per second is increased, not the total amount.


Fade
LSHIFT
Hero-ability-circle
Ability Moira Fade
6 seconds
Type
Ability
Moira's movement speed increases while making her invulnerable to damage.
Duration:
0.8 second
Max. range:
15 meters (max)
Move. speed:
+250% buff

Ability details:
  • Makes Moira invulnerable and invisible. She can still pick up Health Packs.
  • Cleanses Moira of status and damage over time effects.
  • Can be used to escape abilities such as Graviton Surge or Gravitic Flux.


Coalescence
Q
Hero-ability-circle
Ability Moira Coalescence
2380 points
Type
Ultimate Ability
Effect Type
Beam Beam
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Moira channels a long-range beam that heals allies, damages enemies, and bypasses barriers.
Damage:
70 per second
Headshot:
Healing:
140 per second
50 per second (self)
Cast time:
0.5 seconds
Duration:
8 seconds
Max. range:
30 meters
Move. speed:
+50% buff


    Strategy

    Moira is a support hero that can easily reposition amongst her allies with her immense mobility. Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Biotic Grasp can heal multiple allies simultaneously, granting her higher average healing per second when compared to other supports. However, this powerful healing is limited by a resource meter similar to D.Va's Defense Matrix; this meter refills very slowly over time, but Biotic Grasp's alternate fire refills it much faster, along with healing Moira herself. Ability Moira Fade Fade provides her a very strong movement tool and invulnerability that makes her very hard to lock down. Ability Moira Biotic Orb Biotic Orb can allow Moira to apply both damage and healing at the same time, and is very powerful in enclosed spaces where it will not simply fly past its targets. Ability Moira Coalescence Coalescence can both heal allies and damage enemies, but perhaps most importantly it can pierce barriers, preventing enemy tanks from blocking your ultimate with various shields. Her alternate fire gives her amazing sustain, particularly in 1v1 fights, and her Ability Moira Fade Fade gives her excellent escapes, greatly aiding her survivability against enemy flankers, though she remains weak to large burst damage such as enemy Snipers or Junkrat. Her kit, though very strong, lacks the utility other healers provide, making her focused though not particularly versatile.

    General Strategies

    • Priorities:
      • 0. Think - the list below is not set in stone. During a course of teamfight you must make your own decisions based on the circumstances you are facing.
      • 1. Your own safety – while keeping your team alive is a reason you play healer, if you die your allies will soon follow, as they will not have a way to sustain themselves in a teamfight. Use Ability Moira Fade Fade to avoid attackers and dodge lethal damage and keep your health high with the combination of basic abilities.
      • 2. Healing ally in immediate risk of dying - when one of your teammates is receiving damage very quickly or is on low health, you should prioritize healing them to prevent their death. Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Biotic Grasp is one of the strongest healing effects in the game, and will be able to outheal many sources of damage. Be careful with using Ability Moira Biotic Orb Biotic Orb in these situations though – time that is needed to cast it and resume healing with Primary Fire may cost your ally life.
      • 3. Healing a group of allies - when multiple allies take spread damage while standing close to each other, Moira is the best healer to deal with it. The combination of Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Biotic Grasp and Ability Moira Biotic Orb Orb healing effects will allow you to reach a short burst of a stunning 140 health per second healing. This will outpace nearly all non-Ultimate damage that enemies may throw at you. Healing in this scenario charges Moira’s ultimate at break-neck pace.
      • 4. Damaging low health targets - Moira’s lock-on Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Secondary Fire and damaging Ability Moira Biotic Orb Biotic Orb will allow her to fairly effectively secure eliminations on low health enemies. If the target is receiving any healing though, Moira’s damage alone is likely not going to be enough to burn through their healthpool.
      • 5. Damage enemies that are not behind barriers - it will allow you to recharge your healing resource quicker, heal yourself and help your damage dealers in burning targets down. This also builds up your ultimate charge. When you are certain that the enemy will not engage in the next 10 seconds, you may also use your Ability Moira Biotic Orb Biotic Orb to harass targets behind barriers.
      • 6. Damage barriers - to put it simply: it’s not your job and you are terrible at it. If there is precisely nothing else for you to do, you may attack barriers with your Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Secondary Fire, but it will neither heal you nor restore your healing resource.

    Match-Ups and Team Synergy

    Tank

    Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
    Icon-dva
    D.Va
    D.Va is able to make Moira less effective with her Defense Matrix which will destroy her Biotic Orbs. With her high armour HP, it is not advised to attack D.Va with Biotic Grasp, instead leave D.Va for your team to deal with. If a teammate is under attack by D.Va, you can mostly negate her damage with Biotic Grasp, however she can outdamage the healing if she is close enough & accurate, so a Biotic Orb will be needed to keep your teammate alive if she is too close. (To be added)
    Icon-orisa
    Orisa
    (To be added) (To be added)
    Icon-reinhardt
    Reinhardt
    Moira can't reliably apply pressure to Reinhardt with her low damage, and Reinhardt's armour will decrease her damage. Instead focus on baiting out his shatter by standing in front of him, then using Fade when you hear him using Earthshatter. (To be added)
    Icon-roadhog
    Roadhog
    You should never try to take on a Roadhog as Moira, as he can easily outheal your damage & hook combo you. Try to bait his Hook with Fade so it is easier for your team to deal with him. Always stay far away from Roadhog & with your team so you don't get Hooked. (To be added)
    Icon-sigma
    Sigma
    (To be added) (To be added)
    link=http://overwatch.gamepedia
    Wrecking Ball
    Going after Wrecking Ball with Moira is pointless, you will just be wasting your time. Only go for him if he is low, and make sure you watch your other support & immediately heal them if Wrecking Ball pile drives them. (To be added)
    Icon-winston
    Winston
    Winston makes it much harder for Moira to heal with his bubble. Winston only just outdamages Moira's healing, so if a teammate is under attack by Winston, you can potentially save them if you keep heals on them. (To be added)
    Icon-zarya
    Zarya
    Zarya can be easily taken out with Moira if she is not charged, otherwise you should not engage as she can outdamage your self-heal easily. (To be added)

    Damage

    Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
    Icon-ashe
    Ashe
    Use Fade to negate Dynamite's damage, or to move closer to Ashe when she uses her Coach Gun. You can then finish her off with Biotic Grasp & Bitotic Orb combo. (To be added)
    Icon-bastion
    Bastion
    When in turret form, Moira's damage is next to useless against Bastion. Try to focus on healing whoever is attacking the enemy bastion - you can throw a damage orb if your team is diving the Bastion to cancel out his self-healing. (To be added)
    Icon-doomfist
    Doomfist
    Doomfist can be easily evaded with Fade, however his shields can make finishing him off an issue. Try to use Fade to dodge his seismic slam combo instead of Rocket Punch, as Rocket Punch can be baited by walking in one direction then moving in another. You can manipulate Doomfist's Uppercut into positioning yourself on the high ground, simply use Fade while in the air to move out of his danger zone. (To be added)
    Icon-genji
    Genji
    Genji is no problem for Moira to kill, make sure you dodge his Dash with Fade, then throw a Damage Orb to his location & focus Biotic Grasp on him. If he uses dragonblade, use Coalescence on whoever he is targeting to negate his damage & save that teammate. This won't work if he is nanoboosted, unless you have an Ana which will increase the healing with Biotic Grenade. (To be added)
    Icon-hanzo
    Hanzo
    Hanzo can be a huge problem for Moira, though if you catch him off guard & without Lunge, you can combo Biotic Grasp + Biotic Orb to quickly take him down, though you should strafe & crouch randomly so he doesn't headshot you. (To be added)
    Icon-junkrat
    Junkrat
    Junkrat is dangerous at close range as you cannot heal yourself quickly enough if taking hits from his bombs. Keep a medium range distance while draining him with Biotic Grasp; he can easily dodge your Damage Orb with his Concussion Mines, so don't waste your Orb. (To be added)
    File:Icon-mccree.png
    McCree
    McCree can be an issue as it is relatively easy for him to hit you. You can move forward toward McCree while strafing & bait out his Flashbang with Fade, which makes him much easier for your team to finish off. (To be added)
    Icon-mei
    Mei
    Keep your distance & don't let her get more than 1 icicle on you. If you're hit, Fade away to cover & wait for your cooldowns to reset. You can save a teammate with Biotic Grasp + Biotic Orb if they are frozen, but you have to be quick. Don't let her get close if you don't have Fade, as you will not be able to deal enough damage to kill her, nor will your self-healing be able to save you. (To be added)
    Icon-pharah
    Pharah
    Since Moira's Biotic Grasp has medium range, you can attack Pharah while she's in the air, though you should focus more on healing a hitscan who can reliably damage the Pharah. Try to lure her into an area where your Damage Orb can hit her, otherwise stay away as she can easily burst you down. (To be added)
    Icon-reaper
    Reaper
    You will do very little to Reaper if he is close to you, as he will outheal most of your damage. Do not waste Fade as Reaper can then Wraith Form up to you & finish you off, instead try to move toward your team & allow them to deal with Reaper. If in a 1v1 situation, you will want to stay as far away as possible, while slowly draining his health. (To be added)
    Icon-Soldier 76
    Soldier: 76
    You will deal very little damage to Soldier: 76 if he is using his Biotic Field - try to wait it out, or bounce a Damage Orb around him. It is a much better strategy to heal yourself with a Healing Orb as he can easily kill you with his Helix Rockets if you're even somewhat damaged. (To be added)
    Icon-sombra
    Sombra
    As Sombra's damage is relatively low, you can easily outdamage her & still have plenty of health left from self-healing. Moira can be good at countering Sombra since you can spin around & quickly cancel her hack. (To be added)
    Icon-symmetra
    Symmetra
    You can quickly destroy Symmetra's turrets, clearing the area for your team & minimising damage. The range of Biotic Grasp is about double of her laser, meaning keeping yourself at the maximum range of the grasp is a good idea. Additionally, you can use Fade to safely pass her turrets; if she is uncharged then it is quite easy to kill her since your lifesteal will heal most of the damage. (To be added)
    Icon-torbjörn
    Torbjörn
    The turret will be a problem for Moira as you cannot steal health when attacking it, along with Torb's armour which decreases your damage, he isn't a viable target for Moira. You can use a healing orb while attacking the turret at the cost of giving him ultimate charge. Try to leave this to another teammate. (To be added)
    Icon-tracer
    Tracer
    Make sure to keep Fade ready when she has Pulse Bomb, and if she gets too close & deals too much damage, Fade away & cast a Healing Orb, along with keeping Biotic Grasp on her for 70 Healing p/s on yourself. This makes winning the 1v1 with Tracer much easier, as she will have to disengage to get health kits. If you know she has no more blinks left, you can chase her down with Fade & easily finish her off, but be careful not to get baited into a Pulse Bomb! (To be added)
    Icon-widowmaker
    Widowmaker
    You shouldn't try to take on a Widowmaker, leave it to your team. However if you're feeling ballsy, you can Fade & dive Widow, cast a Damage Orb, and use Biotic Grasp to easily bring her HP to 0. If she is being pocketed or a healer is near her, you shouldn't try this as it is suicide. (To be added)

    Support

    Hero Match-Up Team Synergy

    Icon-ana
    Ana
    If you're going to attack Ana with Moira, you can bait out her Biotic Grenade as it is fairly obvious when Ana is going to use it (looking at the ground & moving toward you).

    It is then very easy to finish her off unless she gets some well placed shots. Try to save Fade for dodging Sleep Dart or Biotic Grenade, though if only dodging one, make sure you move further away so it is easier to dodge Ana's other projectile ability.

    Ana's Biotic Grenade combined with Moira's Coalescence equals a lot of healing, and can even negate a NanoBoosted Genji's Dragonblade.
    Icon-baptiste
    Baptiste
    When battling Baptiste, you need to wait out his Immortality Field as you will not be able to destroy it in time with Biotic Grasp. Once his Immortality Field is down, he is a free kill for Moira. (To be added)
    Icon-brigitte
    Brigitte
    Never let Brigitte get close to you, always keep your distance & focus on healing instead of going after her, as you can easily outheal her damage. If she can't get close to you, it's a free kill. (To be added)
    Icon-lúcio
    Lúcio
    You can easily burn down Lucio with Biotic Grasp, though you shouldn't throw a Damage Orb at him as he can quickly speed away. Make sure to not use Coalescence if you know he has his ultimate, as it will nullify your damage. Once he has used his ultimate, wait a few seconds before casting a Damage Orb & Coalescence to burn down any enemies near you, and to keep your team alive if needed. (To be added)
    Icon-mercy
    Mercy
    If the situation allows it, make Mercy your primary target with your Biotic Orb, Biotic Grasp, or Coalescence, as she is easy to burn down with these abilities, unless she is flying around with a Pharah or Echo. Moira is a very effective hero against Mercy. (To be added)
    Icon-moira
    Moira
    Always use Coalescence AFTER the enemy Moira, this will ensure you have more heals and a better chance at winning, though this may not be possible for every situation if a teammate is in trouble (e.g. in a Graviton Surge).

    For 1v1, you will want to stay in an area where you can reliably bounce your Orb while moving randomly to reduce damage dealt to you & the enemy Moira's healing. Healing orb is favoured over Damage Orb, but this can make the 1v1 last a long time. Once the enemy Moira casts Coalescence, use your Damage Orb & Coalescence to quickly burn her down.

    (To be added)
    Icon-zenyatta
    Zenyatta
    Since Zenyatta has no mobility you can easily burn him down with Biotic Grasp & Damage Orb, but be careful as he can easily kill you with a few well placed shots. Save your Fade to remove his Orb of Discord then resume attacking him - he will be forced to reapply the Orb of Discord which will slow him down slightly. (To be added)

    Story

    "Science will reveal the truth."
    Moira

    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. 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.[2]

    O'Deorain has a negative view of Overwatch, claiming that it was responsible for stifling scientific advancement for decades.[3] She has no interest in global conquest,[4] but is willing to work with those who might have such a goal. [5] Her intellectual pursuits are driven by her interest in humanity.[4] She is a geneticist first and foremost, and that's the scope of her ambition. With very flexible morals, O'Deorain prefers to focus on her research and has no patience for those who urge caution or restraint.[5]

    Her right hand is heavily scarred; it has been speculated that it is a result of experimentation or a genetic anomaly.[5]

    Background

    We are bedevilled by the mysteries of creation. Science can reveal the truths that lie behind these many questions. What we learn can unlock the true potential of humanity.
    ~ Moira O'Deorain
    Moira-origin1

    O'Deorain conducts her research

    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.[2] Overwatch was among those who condemned her research, and in O'Deorain's own words, tried to silence her.[3]

    MoiraReyes

    O'Deorain experiments on Reyes

    She received a lifeline in an offer from an unlikely source: Overwatch's covert ops division, Blackwatch.[2] She was personally recruited by Blackwatch's commander, Gabriel Reyes, who wanted someone who could help advise him on matters pertaining to genetics.[5] She continued her work in the shadows while developing new weapons and technologies for the organization.[2] Freed from her shackles, her genetic research greatly accelerated.[3] She had interactions with Blackwatch members Jesse McCree and Genji Shimada, all of whom had their likes and dislikes pertaining to each other.[5] Among her experiments was one done Reyes himself.[3] Her experiments on Reyes gave him super-human abilities, causing his cells to regenerate and decay at a hyper-accelerated rate.[6] Her employment was a closely kept secret.[2]

    Retribution

    So much for keeping a low profile.
    ~ Moira
    MoiraRetribution

    O'Deorain inside Rialto

    Eight years before the present day, O'Deorain took part in a Blackwatch mission to Rialto to apprehend Antonio Bartalotti, an Italian businessman with links to Talon. The team consisted of herself, Reyes, Shimada, and McCree. The Blackwatch team arrived in a Venice safehouse and set up survaillance on the manor. They found Talon soldiers patrolling the grounds. When night fell, they infiltrated the manor.[7] They made their way through its interior, killing and/or incapacitating numerous Talon guards. Upon reaching Antonio's office, they found him there, not surprised to see them. Nor was he intimidated, as he pointed out that Overwatch abducting a "respected businessman" would be a public relations nightmare. Furthermore, even if they did take him, his "friends" would have him released within a week. After some thought, Reyes said "you're right" and shot Antonio, the force of the blast sending him through his office window. It was the shot that stirred the hornet's nest, alerting Talon to their presence, leaving them with "Plan B"—fight their way out. In the ensuring battle, O'Deorain told Reyes that he'd done the right thing, and that he shouldn't apologize.

    Despite numerous Talon soldiers attacking them, the team successfully exfiltrated the site. However, the events revealed the existence of Blackwatch to the world, resulting in political and public fallout.[8] In the inquiries that followed, O'Deorain's research was uncovered. Many high-ranking Overwatch officials disavowed all knowledge of her affiliation with them.[2]

    New Employers

    We stand on the brink of a breakthrough in human evolution. I've dedicated my life to unraveling its secrets. I take risks that others would consider to be unwise for I do not share their caution. Overwatch held back the pace of scientific discovery for decades. They believed my methods were too radical, too controversial. They tried to silence me. But there were others in the shadows, searching for ways to circumvent their rules. Freed from my shackles, the pace of our research hastened. Together we delved deeper into those areas forbidden by law, by morality, and by fear. New patrons emerged who possessed an appetite for my discoveries. And with this knowledge, what new world could we build...
    ~ Moira O'Deorain

    O'Deorain may have had a direct role in saving Reyes's life after the blast that consumed Overwatch HQ. Whatever the case, her experiments on him kept him alive, albeit in a state of agony.[9]

    MoiraOrigin2

    O'Deorain, now a member of Talon

    After Overwatch was disbanded, O'Deorain was forced to turn to unconventional sources of funding.[2] This time, she was invited to join the scientific collective that had founded the city of Oasis, and was selected to be their Minister of Genetics.[10] Yet some 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.[2] By the time of Doomfist's return to Talon (or after his return), Moira apparently had a seat on Talon's inner council.[3] O'Deorain's goals of pushing forward human evolution meshed well with Talon's, and she found a patron for her research in Doomfist.[5]

    Achievements

    Name Icon Description Reward
    Antipode
    Ability Moira Coalescence Hit 7 targets simultaneously with Moira's Coalescence in Quick or Competitive play. Spray Moira Cute
    Cute
    Simple Trigonometry
    Ability Moira Biotic Orb Fully deplete both types of Moira's Biotic Orb without dying in Quick or Competitive play. Spray Moira Pixel
    Pixel

    Trivia

    • Moira is Hero 26 and the fifth new hero added to the game.
    • Moira is an Anglicisation of the Irish name Máire, ultimately derived from the biblical Mary, as well as a Greek name meaning "fate." O'Deorain is an Irish name meaning "descendant of the exile."
    • Moira was first shown to players as a member of the Talon Inner Council in the comic Doomfist: Masquerade, but was not given a name or speaking role.
    • The day before her reveal, a research paper labeled "Draft: Repairing Degenerative Genetic Structures" was added to the Oasis map, hinting at Moira's occupation and involvement with Reaper.
    • There is a story behind Moira's decrepit right hand, hinted to be the result of coming into contact with an anomalous genetic experiment, however, it seems it still doesn't hint at explanation how those genetics are able to allow plasma production in a biotic system.[10]
    • Excluding Mercy, who uses both hands to hold her healing staff, Moira is the only Support Hero to heal with her left hand. This references her twisted nature because the left side is traditionally associated with evil, while healing is beneficial.
      • Moira's right hand is ghoulish and damaged, and her right eye is red, referencing evil creatures depicted with red eyes.
    • Moira is the second hero after D.Va who can perform the "Quick Melee" attack with both her hands, chosen randomly.
    • Moira has two different eye colors, the right one being red and the left blue. She may be heterochromatic (born with two different eye colors), or she could have suffered from one of her experiments on herself.
    • Moira's Blackwatch uniform and skin are based on her earliest concept art, which in turn resembles the clothing worn by Mercy.
    • Moira has some backstory with Mercy, as one utilized technology developed by the other.[11]
      • Moira and Mercy have complementary sprays, both called "Sigil". When placed together, they form the complete Overwatch sigil and position Moira and Mercy back to back. This shows that they are at odds.
    • In the 2018 Summer Games event, Moira received a skin called "Éireannach", which means "Irish Woman" or "an Irish person."
      • The Irish flag appears over her right breast on this skin.
      • The Éireannach skin replaces Moira's left blue eye with a green eye probably for color scheme reasons.
    • Oasis University had a special interaction between Reaper and Sombra when on the same team that teased Moira's release. Sombra asked him "What are we doing here boss?" and Reaper responded to her with "I am here to visit an old friend."
    • The Blackwatch outfit/skin for Moira was first shown in the Retribution comic.
    • It is confirmed by Michael Chu that Moira's third-person "Naruto run" and Ultimate Ability are anime references, as well as some of her sprays. "Naruto running" is also an Internet meme.
      • Moira's Ultimate Ability is probably a reference to Dragon Ball Z.
    • Moira's "Facepalm" spray could be a reference to Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. A still of him "facepalming" is a rather common Internet meme used to respond to stupidity.
    • It is revealed in the Retribution event that Moira likes to dress up and enjoys art.
    • Moira is from Ireland's capital, Dublin, as is her voice actress, Genevieve O'Reilly.
    • Moira's favorite drink is Irish coffee[12][13]. She is holding a steaming mug of it in her "Toast" victory pose.
    • Moira's shortened nails on her left hand could also hint that Moira is left-handed.

    Development

    Moira Early Ideation 1

    Early concept art of Moira.

    Moira's early ideation began with a combination of both gameplay and story ideas, stemming from strong player demand for a new support healer. Their initial goal was to introduce a shady, morally ambiguous healer to contrast with the existing "benevolent healer" archetypes already in the game.[10] The developers wanted her to have connections with various groups in the Overwatch setting.[5] Initial concepts gravitated towards a set of designs with a mysterious androgynous appeal, with the first iteration being outfitted with a set of four mechanical tentacles. Feeling that the tentacles would be difficult to incorporate into gameplay, they progressed to a more conventional, toned-down design with a two-handed spray cannon and began incorporating scientific apparatuses such as tubes and cannisters into her look, but felt that her silhouette became too similar to Zarya's.

    Moira Early Ideation 2

    Thumbnails exploring different looks and weapons for Moira, including one inspired by the Omniblade (far right).

    At this point they produced a number of thumbnails to experiment with different weapons and costumes while retaining her gaunt, androgynous appearance, with several that wielded various clawed gloves and gauntlets, as well as a concept inspired by Sombra's original Omniblade design, incorporating baggy sleeves and throwable syringes. The latter design also introduced the idea of a duality between her left and right hands, with one used to deal damage and the other to heal. Elements from these thumbnails were pulled together to create her final design, incorporating the earlier scientific details with a color-changing liquid to differentiate her healing and damage dealing abilities.

    Qiu-fang-moira

    Banshee Moira concept art

    Moira Oasis

    Moira Oasis skin concept art

    Moira Glam

    Moira Glam skin concept art

    File:Moira Ice Empress.png

    Moira Ice Empress skin concept art

    Moira's initial gameplay design involved her having a large health pool, which she would spend as a resource to heal allies while draining health from enemies, but it proved to be too difficult to balance. Early inspiration for her abilities may have been drawn from Overmind, a hero created for the original Prometheus pitch. In her final design, she instead uses separate Regeneration and Decay versions of her abilities, with her Biotic Grasp: Decay ability leeching health from enemies and enhancing the effectiveness of her Regeneration abilities. Because she is one of the few characters in the game to have both hands visible on the screen at all times, great care was taken with her animations to convey how these different abilities worked and reflected her design and personality. Her Fade ability was also designed to be similar to Reaper's Wraith Form, showing that the two characters are connected. The original version of her ultimate ability was a transformation that involved biotic energy swirling around her and gave her a beam that could both heal and damage, but as the beam was the most interesting aspect of the ability they decided to make it her ultimate's sole focus.[10]

    Merchandise

    • The Blizzard store lists a Moira T-shirt for both Men and Women.
    • The Blizzard store lists Overwatch Magnet sets, series 4 includes Moira's icon.
    • Funko made a Blackwatch T-shirt for the 2018 Archives event, Retribution, which lists the members including Moira O' Deorain.
    • The Blizzard store has an Ultimate Moira Hoodie available.
    • Cute But Deadly Series 5 has a Moira figure to collect.
    • Funko made a pop figure of Moira in 2019.

    Videos

    Official

    Curse

    Ohnickel

    KarQ

    Low Mana Gaming

    TGN

    Balance Change Logs

    Patch
    Description

    Ability Moira Biotic Orb Biotic Orb

    • Damage radius reduced from 5 to 4 meters
    • Projectile speed increased from 16 to 20
    • Projectile duration reduced from 10 to 7 seconds

    Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Biotic Grasp

    • Healing reduced from 4 to 3.25 (80 HP/s to 65 HP/s)

    Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Biotic Grasp

    • Self-healing reduced from 30 to 20 health per second

    Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Biotic Grasp

    • Heal over time duration increased from 3 to 4 seconds
    • Total healing increased from 50 to 65

    Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Biotic Grasp

    • Passive energy regeneration rate increased from 2 per second to 2.4 per second

    Ability Moira Biotic Grasp Biotic Grasp

    • Transparency increased the closer you are to a target

    Ability Moira Coalescence Coalescence

    • Now becomes more transparent the closer its visual effects are to a player’s camera

    Ability Moira Fade Fade

    • Transparency increased the closer you are to a target

    New Hero: Moira (Support)

    References

    1. Michael Chu on Twitter""
    2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Moira, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2017-04-11
    3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 2017-11-03, Moira Origin Story | Overwatch. YouTube, accessed on 2017-04-11
    4. 4.0 4.1 2017-11-03, BLIZZCON 2017: NEW DETAILS ON OVERWATCH HERO MOIRA AND BLIZZARD WORLD MAP. IGN, accessed on 2017-11-04
    5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 2017-11-12, BlizzCon 2017 Overwatch: What’s Next Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2017-11-18
    6. Reaper, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2014-12-15
    7. 2018-04-04, NEW SEASONAL MISSION Retribution Overwatch. YouTube, accessed on 2018-04-08
    8. Overwatch Retribution
    9. Overwatch, Moira Quotes
    10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 2017-11-3, Blizzcon 2017 Overwatch: What's New Panel
    11. 2017-11-12, BlizzCon 2017 Overwatch: What’s Next Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2017-11-19
    12. 2018-12-12, Michael Chu's Twitter. Twitter, accessed on 2018-12-12
    13. Monroe-Cassel, Chelsea. Overwatch: The Official Cookbook. Insight Editions, 2019.

    External links

    Heroes in Overwatch 2
     
    Icon-moira
    Moira
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