Many players were not satisfied with the capabilities of Zarya during Overwatch 1. She was considered overwhelming, but thanks to the new season, Zarya has gained popularity. She has now been ranked as one of the best tanks in Overwatch 2. She will continue to hold this title for the coming seasons.
If you are familiar with Overwatch 2, you must know that this series is turning more towards deathmatches by only allowing one tank in the game. This guide will tell you why Zarya has been classified as a strong tank hero in the game.
Playstyle
Zarya has a defensive shield and a deep life pool. She is strong enough to lead the team from the front lines. This shield takes time for the cooldown, so it’s difficult for her to defend for much time. However, she will cover the missed defense with some exciting attacks.
Zaray is a jack of all trades. She fulfills all three roles of the game. She has additional support abilities that make her stand out from the crowd. She can be a defender for her allies with her shield and even changes this into offense. Zarya is the only tank with a pocket healer. She is hard to kill, but she gets even stronger because of her ability to heal her damage. This damage may come back if she dies, or she is out of combat for too long. So, stay active while you are playing Zarya.
Abilities of Zarya
The particle cannon of Zarya is the short-range primary fire. It is a beam weapon that linearly targets the enemies. Press onto this weapon to release a blade of light. It will cause less than ten points of damage if used once. However, using this beam continuously for three seconds confirms that no opponent will survive in its front.
The alt ability for this cannon is an energy grenade. It will detonate if it hits the ground or any enemy hero. It will also cause little damage, but if charged to the full capacity, this will never stop to impress you.
Particle Barrier
This is the temporary circular shield that Zarya stays protected in. It will protect her for 1.5 seconds after this shield is activated. Any damage during this period does not affect Zarya’s health. It makes it harder for the enemies to kill Zarya. Killing Zarya requires a significantly large DPS, which will leave your enemies frustrated. This time is enough for her to escape from a challenging situation and come back to her original health. If this shield is affected, Zarya will get energy. If this shield is destroyed, the energy it gets can cross 40 points.
Projected barrier
Now, we are never afraid to call Zarya’s projected barrier the strongest ability of Overwatch 2. It is not the ultimate reality, but it is the strongest one. This shield surrounds the enemy heroes. It lasts for 2 seconds and has a 200-point health. It projects the allies of Zarya from damage for up to 1.5 seconds. It will protect them from all types of abilities of opponents. However, the cooldown for this ability requires 8 seconds. If you use it with good planning, you can get the best from it. This cooldown will cover up till the enemy gets healed and back to their position. Both these barriers provide extra energy and protect the incoming danger.
Energy
It’s another passive shield of Zarya that protects her from any damage. This damage converts into the damage released by Zarya’s primary weapon. Any damage done to Zarya’s particles and projected barriers will get converted into energy. It increases the damage of her particle cannon.
Graviton Surge
It is a projectile-based ultimate ability. If this projectile hits the ground, the wall, or an enemy hero it will release a vortex. This vortex spans over the 6-meter area and lasts well for around 3.5 seconds. It will trap all the enemy heroes. However, some enemy characters like Moira and Reaper can escape from this vortex due to their movement abilities.
It will gather all your enemies in one area, which makes it easier to target them. This way all your teammates can effectively take down the opponents. However, this enables the opponents to use their abilities in a better way. For example, using graviton surge against Reinhardt will not affect him because of his shield. Using it against Ana is also useless because she has a biotic grenade to heal others. So, if you want to get the best advantages, use this ultimate at a time when you can secure kills. This damage it causes is relatively low so you have to use other abilities along it.
Best Combinations with Zarya
Zarya and Lucio
Lucio has a gradual healing power, and this makes Zarya even stronger. Lucio will protect Zarya and Zarya; ‘s shield will keep Lucio protected against Junkrat or Cassidy.
Zarya and Mercy
If Zarya’s attained energy reaches the maximum level, she will turn into a DPS hero along with being a tanker. Mercy will further amplify her damage. Zarya’s damage will increase significantly which can even damage the tanks. The primary fire is also deadly enough to kill within a second.
Zarya and Pharah
Zarya will target and protect Pharah in critical situations. These two are a deadly combination if using the ultimate easily together.
Zarya and Junkrat
The ultimate ability of Junkrat can flush out a team along with Zarya. However, Junkrat is not dependent on the ultimate. His grenades will cause enough damage to kill a gathered team.
Tips to Play with Zarya
- If you are low on health, use the particle barrier a bit. It will instantly give 400 health points. The primary fire has a higher damage rate, but it requires more accuracy. The beam will get longer but you need to be a good aimer for it.
- Use the particle cannon in combination with other damage boosts to tear through the enemies. If it is fully charged, getting the enemy down is not difficult. It works even better for agents who are already in low health. The enemy should never get near a fully charged Zaryabecuasse the exploding orb from her secondary fire will cause damage in a splash.
- The health of Zarya is lower than other tanks, but it is covered by her barrier abilities. It has a two-charged system, which means that you can use two of them before needing to recharge it. The cooldown is eleven seconds in total. Find a good balance in protecting yourself with the particle barrier, and your allies with the project barrier. Unlike the previous season where Zarya could not attack the same person twice with this ability, now she can use it against the same person.
- Use the black hole of Zarya to draw the enemies towards a center. It will hold all their movements. When your enemy is in one palace, you can work together with your team to defeat them. It is a golden opportunity to wipe out as many enemies as possible.
- Use the graviton surge when Zarya has maximum energy because it will make the ability even deadlier. Smart players may be able to predict this usage early, so you should be cautious. If the enemy has a Genji, he may use the deflect bit to throw the Zarya back on her and her allies.
- Target the secondary fire at the base of her feet and jump a little while moving forward. This will give a slight movement boost. Never use the secondary fire near yourself. It causes damage in a nearby area, and you may get its victim. Use this secondary fire beneath yourself when you jump to get a boost in the air. It will make you go to higher areas. You can use this to pass through walls or reach the elevated areas.
- Use the projectile bubble if your allies are using their ultimate. If Pharah, Soldier 76, or Genji are using their ultimate, they require protection. They are vulnerable to attacks. You can save them with your barrier. Have good communication with your team to make the best situation. Save your projected barrier for such situations.
- You can use the barriers to get over with the abilities of other heroes. It will eradicate Ana’s anti-heal, Mei’s ultimate, and Tracer’s pulse bomb. You will save your team from the negative effects of these abilities.
- Combine the graviton surge with Zarya’s primary fire. It will make targeting easier. Make sure you are releasing the Graviton surge when it cannot be absorbed by the enemies. Genji and D.va can counter this ultimate.
In a Nutshell!
You can use the versatile hero, Zarya, in combination with any heroes like Cassidy, Sojourn, and Hanzo because of the proactive actions of Zarya for her allies. The damage potential of Zarya is very high, but keep in mind that if the opponents are not targeting the barrier, you will not get energy. This hero is one of the best heroes of Overwatch 2, particularly for beginners.