My Hands-On Impressions of Overwatch 2's Vendetta: The Melee Revolution

Wow, I just watched Vendetta's gameplay trailer and my fingers are literally tingling with excitement! 😍 As someone who's mained Reinhardt since 2016, this gladiator hero feels like Blizzard reached into my brain and created my dream character. That moment when she cleaved that mech in half during the cinematic? Chills! With Season 20 dropping on December 9th, I'm already counting down the days until I can unleash her hard-light greatsword in competitive matches. What fascinates me most is how she blends raw aggression with tactical precision – like watching a ballet dancer with a chainsaw.

🔥 Dissecting Vendetta's Killer Kit

Her abilities create this beautiful rhythm of attack and evasion:

Core Weapons & Abilities

Move	Effect	My Reaction
Palatine Fang	3-hit combo ending with overhead slash	"Reinhardt's hammer but faster!"
Warding Stance	Block frontal damage while charging Projected Edge	Feels like Genji deflect with extra steps
Whirlwind Dash	Circular slash while dashing	"Doomfist's punch meets Genji blade"
Soaring Slice	Throw sword then teleport to it	Most innovative mobility since Sombra
Sundering Blade (Ult)	Unblockable line attack	"Zarya beam meets Dragonblade"

That Projected Edge counter-shot while blocking? Genius! I can already picture baiting Widowmakers into wasting shots then sniping them back with their own arrogance.

⚔️ The Perk System That Changes Everything

Her customization options create wild playstyle variations:

• Minor Perks:

• 🩸 Siphoning Strike (30% lifesteal on overhead slash)

• 🏃 Relentless (+3 Onslaught stacks for speed boosts)

• Major Perks:

• 🔪 Swift Vengeance (Mark your killer for cooldown reset revenge)

• 🌪️ Raging Storm (Whirlwind Dash hits 3 extra times)

That Swift Vengeance mechanic gives me goosebumps – it's like the game rewards you for holding grudges! I'll definitely run this in Deathmatch modes. The Raging Storm upgrade turns her dash into a miniature tornado of destruction that could shred clustered supports.

🤔 Why She Feels Revolutionary

Playing her during the extended Hero Trial (thank you Thanksgiving!), I noticed how she bridges tank and DPS roles:

• Mobility: Her Soaring Slice creates insane verticality – imagine diving snipers like Hanzo on Circuit Royal

• Sustain: With lifesteal and blocking, she survives longer than most damage heroes

• Mind Games: Warding Stance forces enemies to second-guess their attacks

Her Onslaught passive (stolen from Haunted Masquerade mode) gives me Fallen Knight Reinhardt vibes, but faster and deadlier. That rhythmic clang-clang-CRACK of her sword combos creates this addictive combat flow I haven't felt since Doomfist's glory days.

🌌 The Unanswered Questions

As I practice her whirlwind dashes during the trial period (November 26 - December 1), I keep wondering:

Will she enable new brawl comps or just power-creep existing heroes? Can her sword outpace Kiriko's suzu when diving backlines? And most importantly – will we finally get a melee hero that doesn't get instantly melted in this CC-heavy meta?

What fascinates me isn't just her mechanics, but how she embodies Overwatch's evolution: a dance between legacy and innovation. That moment when you land a perfect Sundering Blade through a tank's barrier? Pure poetry. But I can't shake this feeling that she might rewrite close-quarters combat forever... or become another overpowered headache. Where do you think Vendetta will fall in the delicate ecosystem of Overwatch's ever-shifting battlefield? 🤯