[3][4] In game, Blizzard saw Lifeweaver as a support character that would be preferred by players that sought good battleground positioning rather than precise aim.

Lifeweaver originally had a passive ability, Parting Gift, which created a health pack that a player on either side may collect upon his death.

His Ultimate ability is the Tree of Life, a construct that can be placed anywhere on the map which heals all allies within its area and can disrupt lines of sight.

[8] Jessica Cogswell of GameSpot meanwhile praised his "youthful energy while cracking self-deprecating jokes", and described his voice as light while she found his personality effervescent, especially as he flirted with other characters.

She additionally praised how the notion of his character opposing issues that have real-world counterparts made his "optimism, openness, and bravery" a more powerful message.

He felt that several aspects of his appearance, such as his open shirt and flowing hair all helped illustrate a queer identity, with the large pink lotus in particular serving as a loud and vibrant certerpiece.

Cat Bussell of TechRadar praised how he felt like a departure from other Overwatch characters in that his sexuality was represented in-game through dialogue, calling it gratifying.

[12] Michael Winkel in another article for TechRadar added that he felt Lifeweaver's introduction could allow for more inclusivity, emphasizing his surprise in discovering Soldier: 76 was gay, something he attributed to the fact that Overwatch never openly acknowledges or references the subject of 76's sexuality in-game.

In contrast, Lifeweaver's pansexuality was a more direct part of his character and readily referenced, and something Winkel felt could work as a backdrop to normalize the existence of such.