Overwatch Tips: How to Play Zenyatta

ZENYATTA IN OVERWATCH

Zenyatta is a support character through and through, and he’s most useful when linked with other teammates. You’ll want to stay right near your team throughout a match as this allows you to provide support, and help keep yourself alive. He’s a fairly quick character, but lacks any particular mobility boosting abilities like Soldier 76’s sprint or Lucio’s speed boost.

Zenyatta’s regular attack is the Orb of Destruction, a medium range projectile that fires a single orb in a straight line. The attack button can also be held down to charge up multiple orbs and fire them all at once. The charge attack is useful if you’re in close quarters with an enemy and having a hard time hitting them. The orbs cause low damage and have pinpoint accuracy but it’s easier to land hits at mid range. Zenyatta will want to be in mid range anyway, supporting allies with his abilities, although his attacks can land from any distance.

The first of those abilities, the Orb of Harmony, allows Zenyatta to apply a healing orb to any ally. The orb will continuously heal whichever character it’s applied to, but the catch is that character must be in Zenyatta’s line of sight. Only one Orb of Harmony can be applied at a time, and putting one on another teammate will remove the previous orb. An effective strategy is to apply an orb on an attack or tank ally, then travel with them hanging behind and supporting their attacks on the enemy team.

Zenyatta also has the Orb of Discord that provided the opposite effect of Harmony, allowing you to increase the damage an enemy takes. The same rules as the Orb of Harmony apply, as only one Discord can be applied at any time and that enemy must be in Zenyatta’s line of sight in order for the debuff to work. The two orbs working in unison provide Zenyatta with a deadly power. He can travel with allies healing them with Harmony, then debuff enemies they run into with Discord. Pay attention to the location of enemies on the map, and if you might be able to help an ally break through a chokepoint or take down an enemy tank.

Finaly, Zenyatta has a powerful Ultimate called Transcendence that can save your team in a tight situation. With this ability he enters a higher state of being, becoming immune to all damage for a short time and providing massive healing to all allies near him. Once the ability is charged it’s best to save it for a useful time. If your team’s on offense you could pop Transcendence as everyone charges into the enemy base to capture it, or if you’re on defense and find your team overwhelmed the ability can help give your team a brief boost to try and hang on. 

ABILITIES

Orb of Destruction

Zenyatta’s main attack fires off a single orb in a straight line repeatedly, or can be charged to fire off several at once.

Orb of Harmony

Applies to healing orb to one ally, but the ally must remain within Zenyatta’s line of sight to receive its effects. Only one can be applied at a time. Great for supporting a strong offense or tank hero.

Orb of Discord

Applies a debuff orb to one enemy, causing them to take more damage from any character. The enemy must remain withing Zenyatta’s line of sight for the orb to take effect. Only one can be applied at a time. Good for helping to take down strong enemy characters that might be causing trouble with your team

Transcendence

This ultimate is great for helping your entire team out of a tight spot. Zenyatta is completely invincible while it’s in use, and teammates around him get huge healing. The ability can help out if your team is attacking or defending a base, or if an enemy has just unleashed their ultimate on your team. 

BACKSTORY

Here’s Zenyatta’s official backstory in Overwatch, straight from Blizzard:

• Real Name: Tekhartha Zenyatta, Age: 20
• Occupation: Wandering Guru, Adventurer
• Base of Operations: Shambali Monastery, Nepal (formerly)
• Affiliation: The Shambali (formerly)

Zenyatta is an omnic monk who wanders the world in search of spiritual enlightenment. It is said that those who cross his path are never the same again.

Years ago, following the Omnic Crisis, a group of outcast omnic robots experienced what they described as a spiritual awakening. They abandoned their preprogrammed lives to establish a communal monastery deep in the Himalayas. After many years of meditation on the nature of existence, they came to the belief that they were more than artificial intelligences and that, like humans, they possessed the essence of a soul.

Recognizing the spiritual equality they held with humans, the monks, led by the enigmatic robot known as Tekhartha Mondatta, sought to heal the wounds caused by the Omnic Crisis a generation earlier and bring humans and robots back into societal harmony. Their message was embraced by millions around the world, and they became global celebrities.

But one monk, Zenyatta, disagreed with this new direction. He believed that the way to repair the problems between humans and omnics was not through dogmatic teaching but through interpersonal connection and engagement.

Ultimately, Zenyatta followed his own path. He chose to leave the monastery and wander the world, helping those he meets to overcome their personal struggles and find inner peace. But, when necessary, he will fight to protect the innocent, be they omnic or human.