Ever since Blizzard first showed off gameplay footage of Overwatch 2’s latest tank hero, Ramattra, the ability he has that I was the most excited to get my hands on was Ravenous Vortex. When using it, the omnic juggernaut hurls an explosive clump of nano particles that bursts into a spiraling violet field. This field lightly damages anyone that enters its radius and slows them down, too, but far more interestingly, it even pulls them downward. Before Ramattra, there wasn’t a single hero capable of doing this, and thus, the uniqueness of Ravenous Vortex immediately stuck out to me.
When thinking about the most useful applications of this ability, my mind instantly jumped to using it against airborne characters like Pharah, Mercy, and — to a certain extent — Echo. These heroes are able to control the air and use it to their advantage largely uncontested if you’re playing any tank that isn’t D.Va. It’s true that hitscan damage and support characters like Ashe, Widowmaker, and Baptiste can keep them in check, but I always found it frustrating that, as a tank main, there was really only one hero I could turn to for reliable counterplay against “Pharmercy.”
Ahead of Ramattra’s release at the start of Overwatch 2 Season 2, marketing materials like the official Ramattra gameplay trailer showed the character using Ravenous Vortex effectively against these characters, leading myself and many others to believe that he would be an effective counter against airborne threats. I was thrilled that what I feel is a weakness of my favorite role was being addressed, and I was incredibly excited to get my hands on the hero and try the ability out.
Now that Season 2 is here and Ramattra is in our hands, though, I’m saddened to report that Ravenous Vortex is extremely underwhelming. I can’t help but feel taken aback by just how useless the ability feels to use, against both flying characters and against everyone else in the game’s roster.
Ultimately, the biggest problem with the ability is that contrary to what Overwatch 2 marketing would have you believe, Ravenous Vortex is barely useful against airborne targets. While it can pull characters like Pharah and Mercy out of the air, it doesn’t actually have the strength to keep them there. Strong bursts of momentum given by abilities like Mercy’s Guardian Angel or Echo’s Flight can completely escape Ravenous Vortex’s field near-instantaneously as long as they’re not completely vertical. This makes the ability feel pointless and unimpactful in most situations, despite its slowing and pulling effects.
Also, the max height of the field itself is way too low to actually reach the altitudes that good Pharah players can operate in for the majority of a match. As a result, Ravenous Vortex feels exceptionally difficult to land on flying opponents, on top of the ability already failing to make a meaningful difference when it does connect.
It’s not just bad against airborne characters, either. Pretty much any Overwatch 2 hero with a movement ability can escape Ravenous Vortex effortlessly, with only a few exceptions. It’s good at stopping Winston’s Jump Pack, Hanzo’s Lunge, Baptiste’s Exo Boots, and Junkrat’s Concussion Mine jumps, but ultimately, that’s basically it. See for yourself in the video below.
It’s possible that Blizzard didn’t want to make Ravenous Vortex’s effects too strong since one of Overwatch 2’s major selling points is that it doesn’t have as much crowd control as the original game did. However, I’d argue that tanks need some form of solid displacement utility in order to be effective at doing their job and commanding space. And since Ramattra doesn’t have any movement abilities, this is pretty much all he’s got.
Ultimately, it’s just a huge bummer that Ravenous Vortex is this underwhelming, especially since it looks and sounds as cool as it does. The lengthy 12-second cooldown isn’t helping matters, either, and overall, I’m just left feeling rather sour about the character I was originally hyped to play. Hopefully Blizzard gives the ability some adjustments in the near future, because at launch, it’s terrible.
Overwatch 2 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It’s arguably one of the best Xbox shooters available, and since it’s free-to-play, it doesn’t cost anything to check it out. Alternatively, players can purchase the Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack that provides access to the current Premium Battle Pass, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and a bundle of unique Legendary skins.
