Overwatch Releases an Inside Look at the Design of New Hero Ramattra

Ramattra, the first “Tempo Tank” added to Overwatch 2, will join the hero line-up on December 6.

Essentially, a “Tempo Tank” means that Ramattra can change forms from moment to moment. The base form for Ramattra is his “Omnic form”. Ramattra was always intended to be a tank. The Blizzard team’s goal was for him to be able to transform into a big, imposing tank. This other form is called the “Nemesis form”.

You can earn free Overwatch skins for Ramattra until December 20, 2022, via Twitch drops.

Two members of Blizzard’s Hero design team provided more details about the design choices. The two team members that provide insights are Josh Noh, Lead Balance Designer, and Tess Leiman, Associate Game Designer as follows:

Omnic form

When you first select Ramattra, the Omnic form is where you’re going to start. His weapon in this form is his Void Accelerator—a massive staff that comes with its own set of primary and secondary fires. 

“Void Accelerator’s primary fires out a stream of fast-moving nanites,” says Noh. “The nanite particles have a travel speed that requires you to lead your targets, but there’s no damage falloff.” This gives Ramattra a longer-range option, but there’s an advantage to using this weapon at close range. Leiman elaborates on this point, “If you’re close to enemies and put your staff in right in their face, you’re going to do quite a bit of damage—especially if you’re hitting crits.”

The secondary ability is Void Barrier: a temporary, high-health barrier that Ramattra can place in a targeted location. “When you activate the barrier, you’ll see a line on the floor to confirm where you want to place the barrier in its range, which creates a few different playstyles,” says Leiman, “Use it defensively to protect teammates and cut off enemies or use it offensively to create space and close the gap between you and the other team.”

“Everything about this form enables you to close the gap between enemies,” says Noh, “You can use this form tactically to move in on enemies and activate his Nemesis form where he gains two new abilities, Pummel and Block.” 

Nemesis form

Ramattra’s Nemesis form changes both his appearance and weapon. He becomes a giant protector… or threat, depending on your perspective. He bulks up with extra armor, and he forms two extra arms which serve as his weapons in Nemesis form.  

“Pummel launches a short-range power wave with each swing,” says Leiman. “It’s also a piercing attack, so if there are enemies stacked within range, they all get hit. It’s really nice for playing around things like Reinhardt’s shield, D.Va’s Defense Matrix, or Winston’s bubble.” 

It’s kind of difficult to dance in and out of a bubble when Pummel goes straight through it regardless.

“For Block, Ramattra throws his big tank arms in front of his face, reducing damage from the front. It’s also effective at reducing the damage of Hanzo’s Dragons and Torbjörn’s Molten Core despite them surrounding him,” explains Leiman. Block slows Ramattra’s movement speed, and it only applies to damage received from the front, leaving him vulnerable from behind. 

“There’s no cooldown on the block,” Noh elaborates. “You can use it whenever you want by weaving it in and out between your attacks. The tradeoff is you can’t punch while using it, and it slows you down.”

Nemesis is an 8-second ability with an 8-second cooldown, so you aren’t permanently in this form. You need to time which forms you’re in carefully because the abilities in one form won’t be present in the other. However, there’s an ability that Ramattra can utilize regardless of which form he’s currently using. 

Ravenous Vortex 

Ravenous Vortex is a ball of nanites that slows, grounds, and damages enemies.

“This ability is a projectile that bounces off walls, enemies, and slippery slopes like roofs. It must hit the floor to activate,” says Leiman. “Once activated, it opens up this big area that will slow enemies, pull them to the ground, and deal damage.”  

Ravenous Vortex keeps enemies in Ramattra’s sweet spot where he can deal damage easily in either Nemesis or Omnic form. You can also use this ability defensively to keep people off your teammates or lock down certain areas.

“Ramattra can use this ability to halt the enemy team from rushing you,” says Noh, “Enemies have a super weak jump when they are caught in this ability. Winston goes almost nowhere.”

Ramattra has many tools to help him command space. He doesn’t finesse his way into team fights, he brute forces his path, using any means necessary to achieve his objectives.

His ultimate is no exception. 

Annihilation

“Annihilation is a special ultimate,” says Leiman, “First, Ramattra immediately goes into Nemesis mode, but there’s something else going on at the same time.” 

Annihilation is a wide energy swarm that lashes out toward any enemies within range, dealing constant damage.  

“It’s similar to Transcendence in that it creates a big ring around him. Annihilation has beams that latch onto enemies within range, depleting their health” says Lieman. Enemies need to be within the ultimate’s range and Ramattra’s line of sight, but there’s another caveat to this ability.

“It doesn’t end,” says Leiman.

“If the beam is attached to an enemy, it pauses the duration of the ultimate,” Leiman continues, “The ultimate itself is relatively short, but if it’s attached to someone, it’s not ending.”

While these tethers are attached to enemies, Ramattra has all the benefits and abilities from Nemesis form. He gives enemies two options with this ultimate: either eliminate him or move.

Null Sector meets Overwatch

Ramattra’s playstyle is complex and multifaceted, mirroring his history and ideals. Omnic form is highly tactical and gives us a glimpse at Ramattra’s ingenious mind. Nemesis form is huge, imposing, and violent: a physical manifestation of his rage. When he unleashes his ultimate, Annihilation, he roars: “Suffer, as I have.” Through this ability, we see the pain he has experienced in his long war against humanity. It makes you wonder: is there anything he won’t do to save his people from extinction