Why You Can Trust CNET Overwatch 2 Season 2 Guide: Ramattra, New Game Mode and More
The new season of Overwatch 2 brings a lot more than just a new tank hero.
- Adam has been covering streaming services since 2013 and wants to help people navigate the subscription creep in their lives.
Season 2 summons Greek mythology in Overwatch.
Overwatch 2 season 2 is upon us, and it's bringing us some amazing new skins and a brand-new tank hero with connections to a longtime fan-favorite character.
The form-changing omnic Ramattra is Overwatch 2's newest hero, packing powerful punches and an awesome Poseidon skin. Players can also look forward to the new Shambali Monastery escort map, as well as a new game mode based on the season's mythological theme.
Here are the highlights from the new season of Overwatch 2.
New hero: Ramattra
Lore nerds, rejoice: Overwatch 2's new hero Ramattra shares a long and complicated history with Zenyatta, everyone's favorite Omnic monk hero. Ramattra spent time at the Shambali monastery with Zenyatta, where the two spent time stargazing and soul-searching. However, their paths diverged over time, and Ramattra went on to become the leader of Null Sector, one of the primary antagonists in Overwatch lore.
Ramattra has to manage two separate forms: His Omnic form has lower health and can attack from a distance, while his Nemesis form gives him extra health and powerful melee damage.
Ramattra players will have to learn how to juggle the hero's two forms.
A small move in the right direction: Game Director Aaron Keller tweeted that Ramattra will be moved from level 55 of the battle pass to level 45, based on data from season 1. Weekly challenges are also being changed for easier completion, which should help players who don't have the premium battle pass unlock Ramattra faster.
New map: Shambali Monastery
The game's newest escort map is the monastery where Zenyatta and Ramattra spent time together. Attackers will need to escort a payload from their spawn all the way to the monastery at the top of the mountain. Expect lots of winding roads, flank angles and a considerable climb from start to finish.
The Shambali monastery was home to many omnic monks, including Zenyatta.
New game mode: Battle for Olympus
The Greek mythology theme of season 2 isn't limited to hero skins. We're also getting a new game mode, set on the Greek map Ilios. While we don't have full details for the new mode yet, it seems to involve Zeus (Junker Queen), Poseidon (Ramattra) and Hades (Pharah) fighting for control of Olympus, perhaps as a modified control map. The game mode will run for two weeks, from Jan. 5 to Jan. 19.
Other season 2 changes
The developers have promised a handful of balance changes for season 2, including nerfs to Sojourn in an attempt to lessen her dominance. Tank heroes Doomfist and Junker Queen; damage heroes Bastion and Symmetra; and support heroes Ana, Kiriko and Mercy are also on the list of heroes being tweaked for season 2, according to a recent developer blog.
Ramattra is the headliner, but there's a ton of content in season 2.
The addition of Shambali Monastery isn't the only change to maps this season. Escort map Rialto and hybrid map Blizzard World are entering the map pool for the season as Hollywood and Watchpoint: Gibraltar get subbed out.
Junker Queen's Zeus skin is the new mythic skin for the season, and players will once again be able to customize her look and enjoy unique voice lines and other effects.
The game is also bringing back event skins, after pretty consistent backlash from players about the price and inaccessibility of new skins in the game. Those skins will be unlockable in the Winter Wonderland event (Dec. 13 to Jan. 4) and the Lunar New Year event (Jan. 17 to Feb. 1).
Lastly, if you weren't able to unlock Kiriko in the season 1 battle pass, you'll be able to acquire her through hero challenges or by paying for her in the shop. The same is true for Junker Queen and Sojourn, for anyone who didn't get them as season 1 login rewards.
Overwatch 2 is free to play and available on most platforms, including PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S.