Ramattra: New tank to terrorize Overwatch 2 starting December 6
Last weekend, Blizzard announced a new Overwatch 2 hero during the 2022 Overwatch League Grand Finals. The omnic tank hero Ramattra will be the 36th hero on the roster and will be available starting December 6.
Ramattra first appeared in a cutscene of the Storm Rising event in 2019. He is the head of a group of omnics called Null Sector, one of the biggest enemies of humankind in Overwatch and the reason behind the founding of the Overwatch task force. He and his followers aim to liberate their kind by any means necessary.
At the start of Overwatch 2 Season 2, players will be able to use Ramattra in Quick Play and Arcade matches. However, the hero will not be available in competitive-ranked play for the first several weeks.
Ramattra’s gameplay
Ramattra is different from other tanks in Overwatch. The hero can shape-shift from an omnic to a nemesis. While in his Omnic Form, the hero behaves like other tanks. In the Nemesis Form, Ramattra has access to offensive skills that can reach enemies from far away.
“I don’t think we can overestimate how scary Ramattra gets when he goes into nemesis form,” lead narrative designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie said. “You will see him change.”
Jurgens-Fyhrie said his team wanted to emphasize the terror Ramattra’s transformation brought to his enemies. However, some fans don’t have the intended impression when they see his design.
“When I look at his long techno braids and his robotic abs, and especially when I hear his digitized voice provided by Ramon Tikaram — the man who voiced Dorian “I’m too sexy for most of my shirt” Pavus of Dragon Age: Inquisition — I don’t see the scary, I see the sexy,” The Verge’s Ash Parrish said.
Lead hero designer Alec Dawson added that Ramattra’s Nemesis Form turns the hero into “the biggest targets on the battlefield.” Players can consider using Ana or Zenyatta to counter him since they have a great skill set against the omnic.
The developers have yet to reveal the new hero’s ultimate ability but said, “You’re gonna want to get away from him when he uses it.” Dawson said that the team couldn’t share much about Ramattra’s past. However, he revealed that the new hero and Zenyatta knew each other. Ramattra brought Zenyatta to the monastery and helped him join the Shambali.
“They came to be as close as brothers. So you will see interactions between them where you see that closeness and you get a hint at that history,” Jurgens-Fyhrie said, adding that those “hungry for Zenyatta lore” would have a great time with Ramattra’s addition.
How to unlock Ramattra
Like Kiriko, players must reach level 55 on the Season 2 Overwatch 2 Battle Pass to obtain Ramattra. Players can level up by finishing matches and in-game challenges or buying levels with Overwatch Coins. Players can also purchase the Premium Battle Pass reward track to instantly unlock the new hero, which costs 1,000 Overwatch Coins or $10.
“About battle pass, another thing we’re always looking at is the approach to bundles and how people couldn’t acquire content for the game,” art director Dion Rogers said.
“Right now, it’s just things that we were thinking of what’s the best way for our players to acquire the things that they want in a game.”
