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How To Counter Zenyatta In Overwatch 2

EsportsHeaven 2023-07-05 12:32:20
Zenyatta might be designed as the peaceful omnic that balances out Overwatch 2's more rowdy cast, but rest assured; Zenyatta can take over lobbies. And let's say he does.  You load into a ranked game and there is an enemy Zenyatta that is both an impenetrable fortress and a killing machine. With one less tank on our hands, how in the world do you counter a Zenyatta in Overwatch 2?    

Counter Zenyatta As DPS

  Because Zenyatta can't provide any kind of on-demand area of effect healing or burst healing, your options are open, depending on the map. Think of Zenyatta like a hitscan DPS.  They both want to situate themselves on the high ground and are incredibly bothered by positioning. This gives flanking DPS a big advantage because they have the agility to traverse the map and pull Zenyatta's attention away.  This means heroes like Tracer, Genji and Sombra are going to counter Zenyatta well. Genji for those more vertical maps, Tracer for the more flat ones, and Sombra somewhere in between the other two.  On top of that, the ultimate for each of the three picks do well into Zenyatta, so even more of a reason to lean in that direction! While Echo and Pharah might seem like they can prey on Zenyatta's rather stationary play style, we'd recommend trying one of the other Overwatch 2 DPS cast members first.  The reason is due to how strong Discord Orb can be on both you and potentially on a support trying to keep you alive. If you've got a Mercy pocketing you, Discord Orb is going to clip both of your wings if you can't make good use of your time poking at the Zenyatta.  If flanking heroes are a little outside your comfort zone, two other DPS picks to consider are Reaper and Widowmaker. 
Also read: How to Counter Widowmaker in Overwatch 2
  With how immobile Zenyatta is, Widowmaker can get into position with relative ease. Just keep in mind that since the June 13th patch, Widowmaker's damage falloff has nearly been cut in half.  Reaper on the other hand can counter Zenyatta in a couple of different ways. The obvious angle is to flank and attempt to get in close to assassinate him.  However, with how slowly Zenyatta actually outputs healing, you could shift your focus to the enemy tank and just try and race the Zenyatta's Harmony Orb.   

Counter Zenyatta As Tank

  Limiting a Zenyatta as a tank in Overwatch 2 is a little more tricky than you might think. Yes, you could lock Wrecking Ball and Winston and just permanently dive him when he crosses your path, but you still have to contend with Discord Orb.  The logic is sound; take mobile heroes and leverage that to counter the Zenyatta. However, Wrecking Ball and Winston both have sizeable hitboxes and are going to soak in a ton of damage at this range. Instead, try Doomfist on for size.  Not only are his hitboxes smaller, but his lethality is a bit better as well. Another more mobile option people tend to forget about is D.Va. Not only can she isolate the enemy Zenyatta out but her damage output is nothing to be mad at.  Oftentimes, she'll be able to kill the Zenyatta on her own if left unattended. D.Va is a strong pick and one we'd heavily recommend when aiming to counter Zenyatta.  On the other side of the spectrum, you have picks like Ramattra and Sigma.  These two barrier tanks are both going to limit the line of sight the Zenyatta can have while also matching his effective range. Ramattra is especially dangerous if you can close the distance quickly enough in Nemesis Form.  There are quite a few different options to choose from and ones that fit different styles of play.  However, just remember to keep in mind that you'll be a strong candidate for Discord Orb. Play your corners well and keep in mind where your supports are and you'll counter Zenyatta in no time.   

Counter Zenyatta As Support

  Countering Zenyatta as a support is a little tricky, but not impossible.  To directly tackle him, you're going to want to revisit some of the concepts we addressed in the DPS section. If we begin to see Zenyatta like a hitscan DPS pick, then hero choices like Lucio make a little bit of sense.  Our win condition here is to displace the Zenyatta both off the high ground and towards our teammates. Even if your first few attempts at this fail, this will immediately put the Zenyatta under pressure and keep him from playing overly aggressive angles.  Ana is never going to be a bad option. Zenyatta's low mobility and wider hitbox does make him a decent target for mid-to-close range Sleep Darts. Biotec Grenade is a two-fold threat against his rather low healing output and his ultimate.  If all else fails and you desperately need to counter a Zenyatta that is taking over your lobby, you could dive him with Kiriko.  It'll be expensive, but with her incredible mobility and invulnerability frames thanks to Protection Suzu, you should have ample time to get the Zenyatta low enough to outright kill him on your own or have one of your teammates clean up the mess. 
Images via Blizzard Entertainment  
 

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