Break through barriers with our guide to the best Hero counters you should use against Zarya in Overwatch 2.
Whether you're a tank, support, or damage character in Overwatch 2, looking across the map and seeing an opposing Zarya charging her particle cannon behind her barrier is a stressful situation, to say the least. And with recent patches that have only made her stronger, it's more vital than ever to know what her counters are.
So to help you take down the Russian powerhouse Aleksandra Zaryanova, A.K.A Zarya, we've put together a full guide of all the best Hero counters (in all classes) to Zarya that you should choose the next time you load up a game of Overwatch 2. So let's dive right in.
Overwatch 2 - The Best Hero Counters for Zarya
As mentioned earlier, Overwatch 2 has specific characters in each hero role that can effectively counter Zarya. Below, you can find the counters for Zarya based on the role you are playing.
*Please note that this list is based on the current meta. If there are any changes due to nerfs, buffs, or other balance adjustments, we will promptly update this list.
Best Zarya Tank role counters
Junker Queen
Junker Queen is the ideal pick as she shares similarities with Reaper in her ability to swiftly engage in combat, forcing Zarya to use her barriers early in a fight. This can quickly deplete her barrier cooldowns, offering an opportunity to eliminate her before she can redeploy them. With her substantial damage output, Junker Queen's aggressive tanking style can be challenging for Zarya to handle, particularly considering Zarya's slower movement and potential difficulty in landing shots.
Doomfist
Doomfist presents a favorable matchup against Zarya due to his superior mobility compared to other tanks. His rocket punch and seismic punch abilities deal significant damage quickly, making him a dangerous threat to Zarya, especially when her shields are inactive. Additionally, his rocket punch allows him to reposition Zarya and push her away from the active combat, enabling him to target the enemy damage characters more effectively. However, it's crucial to keep an eye on Zarya's shields. Wait until she has used both charges and ensure they are on cooldown before executing your combo to attempt to eliminate her.
Ramattra
Lastly, Ramattra, the newest tank in the roster, possesses the ability to pierce Zarya's bubbles with his Nemesis form, providing an effective means to deal with well-placed bubbles that protect her team. While bubbles do counter some of his abilities, Ramattra remains a viable option as he can also slow Zarya down with his Vortex and impede her from reaching the opposing team's healer.
Best Zarya Damage role counters
Bastion
Bastion is among the best damage heroes to counter Zarya. In his Sentry configuration, Bastion can easily break through Zarya's barrier, making her a minor threat on the battlefield. While some players may assume her shield would absorb most of the damage, Bastion's Sentry mode can tear through it quickly, allowing you to swiftly eliminate Zarya. To ensure success, make sure you have a clear line of sight on her and that she has no escape route, and she will go down quickly.
Cassidy
Cassidy's modified grenade enables her to deal a significant amount of damage quickly. Despite nerfs to her magnetic grenade, it remains a potent tool for chipping away Zarya's health as your teammates focus on her. Once Zarya has used both her shields, Cassidy can stick a grenade on her, roll away, and then finish her off with well-aimed bullets, ideally going for headshots. Hitscan heroes like Cassidy are vulnerable to Zarya's ultimate, Graviton Surge, but during those moments, healers and the tank typically take responsibility for the team's survival.
Pharah
Pharah is listed as a solid counter to Zarya for one reason, her mobility and positioning. While she may be a challenging character to play, if you can master her, she becomes a valuable asset. Utilizing her range, Pharah can effectively counter Zarya by staying far away from her and continuously dealing damage when her shields are down. You can even use your concussive to push Zarya away from her team, where she can easily get picked off by your team. If you can execute this strategy, countering Zarya becomes relatively easy.
Best Zarya Support role counters
Zenyatta
Zenyatta's Orb of Discord, combined with his potent Orbs of Destruction, creates a formidable combination against Zarya. The additional 25% damage inflicted by Orb of Discord amplifies Zarya's already low-health pool, making her an easy target to prioritize. To be effective on Zenyatta, positioning is crucial. With good positioning and solid mechanical skills, a team can swiftly eliminate Zarya with little resistance.
Lucio
Lucio offers valuable utility to his team. Although he himself is difficult for Zarya to deal with due to his mobility, his ability to provide a speed boost and burst healing enables coordinated pushes. He stands as one of the best supports to counter Zarya. A well-timed use of his ultimate, Sound Barrier, can nullify the effects of Zarya's ultimate and any combos linked with it.
Moira
While Moira may not inherently "counter" Zarya, her close-range healing throughput enables her team to endure longer in battles. Additionally, Moira's purple orb presents Zarya with two options: either waste a bubble on chip damage that won't generate much bubble charge (which can be advantageous at the beginning of a fight), or endure the damage and start the fight with less than ideal HP, as Zarya isn't exceptionally tanky.
And there you have it, a quick and comprehensive overview of the best hero counters for Zarya in Overwatch 2. Of course, there are various strategies you can employ against Zarya, such as using Baptiste to ignore her and focus on the surrounding team or even opting for Torbjorn, whose turret can break through Zarya's bubbles if you are confident in surviving long enough for her shield to deplete. Nonetheless, the options provided above are highly recommended for taking out Zarya in the future.
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