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Overwatch 2 brings buffs, nerfs, and structural changes to Blizzard Entertainment's classic hero shooter gameplay. Teams may now only have five Heroes instead of six, but Overwatch 2 players will still find themselves working together as Tanks, Supports, and DPS'.
The Tank is the solid core of any game of Overwatch 2, protecting their allies and pushing objectives with their massive health pools and defensive abilities. And when it comes to Overwatch Tanks, there's none more quintessential than Reinhardt, the burly German knight with a big heart and an even bigger hammer.
Updated on October 7, 2022: As Overwatch 2 players finally make their way into the servers after the nasty DDoS attacks that Blizzard has been dealing with, they'll want to know as much as they can about each Hero. This Overwatch 2 Reinhardt guide has been updated to include some handy combos and some characters that work well against Reinhardt and Heroes that Reinhardt is strong against.
Reinhardt's Playstyle in Overwatch 2
Although Reinhardt has seen some of the most extensive changes in Overwatch 2, particularly among the original Overwatch launch Heroes, his playstyle has remained largely the same. He still relies on advancing slowly with his Barrier Field raised, providing a safe haven for his teammates, even if the Barrier Field is now less sturdy than it once was.
However, a second charge for Fire Strike and improvements to Charge means that Reinhardt can now take an offensive stance more often rather than just being a mobile wall.
In particular, the greater turning speed on a Charge means that less-experienced players will be able to feel more confident in dropping their Barrier Field to attack, with a greater chance of pinning an enemy Hero.
Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer remains untouched in Overwatch 2 and still provides a significant amount of damage across a 5-meter cone in melee range. Although Reinhardt's main focus remains to protect his teammates, there are few Heroes that can withstand the combo of Charge, Fire Strike, and Rocket Hammer at close range.
Reinhardt's Abilities in Overwatch 2
Rocket Hammer
Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer is one of only two melee primary weapons in Overwatch 2 and deals over twice as much damage as Brigitte's Rocket Flail. With a swing rate of 1 per second, the Rocket Hammer deals 85 damage to all targets within a 5-meter cone, allowing it to quickly devastate closely-packed groups. Few enemy Heroes will be foolhardy enough to willingly come into range of a Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer, so the weapon will see the most use as a finisher following a successful Charge or Earthshatter.
Barrier Field
The Barrier Field is Reinhardt's signature Ability, projecting a large barrier in front of him that blocks almost all bullets, projectiles, and explosives and quickly regenerates while it's lowered. While the Barrier Field is useful for keeping Reinhardt alive, its main purpose is to give his teammates a place of safety to attack, heal, and hide behind. Although the Barrier Field's total capacity and regeneration rate have been nerfed in Overwatch 2, it remains one of the toughest barriers in the game.
Charge
Charge has seen some major changes in Overwatch 2, making the Ability significantly easier to use but also less impactful. Just like in Overwatch 1, Charge sends Reinhardt rocketing forward and causes him to pin any enemy Hero he hits. Any pinned Heroes will then take damage if he collides with a solid object, although this damage has been reduced by almost a third in Overwatch 2. To make up for this, Reinhardt's turning speed while Charging has been increased by 50%, making it easier to catch Heroes in the pin. Additionally, the cooldown for Charge has been lowered from ten seconds to eight, and the Ability can be manually canceled at any time.
Fire Strike
Fire Strike is another Reinhardt Ability that has seen a fairly major change in Overwatch 2. As Reinhardt's only ranged option, the barrier-piercing projectile hurled by Fire Strike is most often used to catch multiple enemy Heroes in choke points or finish off wounded Heroes that are fleeing. Fire Strike has received a significant buff in Overwatch 2 in the form of a second charge, allowing Reinhardt to fire it off twice in quick succession. In return, the damage of the projectile has been lowered from 100 to 90.
Earthshatter
Reinhardt's Ultimate Ability is a devastating hammer blow that damages and stuns enemies in a large cone in front of him. Although Earthshatter can be blocked by barriers and is ineffective against Heroes outside of Reinhardt's line of sight, it remains an extremely powerful Ultimate that can turn a team fight in an instant. Earthshatter's damage is only really significant for targets at very close range, but the stun it creates lasts several seconds, and Reinhardt players should always try to catch as many Heroes as possible in the cone.
Reinhardt Tips and Tricks
Reinhardt is more of a team player than any other Tank in Overwatch 2, and coordination with the squishier Heroes on the squad is the key to getting the most out of his Abilities. However, Reinhardt doesn't work so well with flanking Heroes like Tracer or Reaper, as they won't benefit much from the protection of the Barrier Field.
Beyond even the defense offered by Barrier Field, Reinhardt's Earthshatter can set his allies up for their own killing blows, while his Charge can be a great opener by gathering and stunning multiple enemy Heroes. For Reinhardt himself, Fire Strikes are the perfect follow-ups to an Earthshatter or Charge, and can be as effective at point-blank range as they are at a distance. Once his other Abilities are on cooldown, and the enemy are on the back foot, Reinhardt should press forward with his Rocket Hammer, picking out key Support targets like Mercy or Ana.
Reinhardt Combos in Overwatch 2
Reinhardt + Lucio
Lucio is almost a perfect pick for combo-ing with Reinhardt in Overwatch 2. His speed boost will not only allow Reinhardt to push forward much faster with his Barrier Field raised but also help him chase down and mop-up enemy Heroes when the time comes to use the Rocket Hammer.
Reinhardt + Ana
While Lucio is great for buffing Reinhardt, he doesn't provide enough rapid healing for the moments when the Barrier Field is down. Enter Ana, whose Biotic Rifle can easily target Reinhardt's massive hitbox and quickly heal him to full. Additionally, Reinhardt is one of the best characters to hit with a Nano-Boost, due to his survivability and the lethality of his Rocket Hammer.
Reinhardt + Baptiste
Similarly to Ana, Baptiste provides the rapid healing necessary to keep Reinhardt alive after he has charged into melee combat. His Immortality Field can also stop enemy Heroes from finishing off Reinhardt while he is low, and his Amplification Matrix can combine with Reinhardt's Barrier Field to create a perfect firing position for the entire team.
Reinhardt + Mei
The Reinhardt + Mei combo is all about Mei's crowd control Abilities, particularly her Ice Wall. This Ability can be used to not only split the enemy team in half but also block exits and paths to prevent them from escaping from Reinhardt's melee attacks. Enemy Heroes that think they're safe from Reinhardt's charge are vulnerable to an Ice Wall appearing in just the right place to pin them.
Reinhardt + Sojourn
Reinhardt works well with the new Overwatch 2 Hero Sojourn, giving her the space and protection to build up the charge on her Railgun. Their relationship isn't one-side, however, as Sojourn's Disruptor Shot can combo well with a variety of Reinhardt's Abilities, whether it's chipping away at Heroes downed by an Earthshatter or slowing those pinned by a Charge from escaping.
Reinhardt's Advantages and Counters in Overwatch 2
As a tough, melee-focused Hero, Reinhardt is strong against Heroes that are forced to fight him at his preferred range. Winston and Brigitte will need to come close to attack Reinhardt, but the damage they deal can't compare with his Rocket Hammer.
Similarly, Cassidy will struggle against a Reinhardt's Barrier Field since he lost the Flashbang Ability from Overwatch 1. Reinhardt can also be a good counter to longer-range Heroes like Torbjörn and Widowmaker. In Torbjorn's case, Reinhardt's Barrier Field will provide effective protection against his Turret, which is also vulnerable to Fire Strike. While Reinhardt can't challenge Widowmaker directly, he can provide cover to longer-range teammates who can drive her off from a position of safety.
While Reinhardt's Barrier Field is his strongest defense against long-range Heroes, it can become a weakness against those who prefer to fight in close quarters. Reaper, Tracer, and Sombra can all be very dangerous to Reinhardt, with the latter being able to drop the Barrier Field with a Hack and leave Reinhardt defenseless.
Meanwhile, agile Heroes with explosive weapons like Junkrat and Pharah can angle their shots over or around Reinhardt's Barrier Field, allowing them to damage not only him but also any teammates using him as cover.
Overwatch 2 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.