5 best Overwatch 2 heroes to counter Zarya

Hailing from the cold deserts of Russia, Zarya is a formidable Tank hero in Overwatch 2. She uses Particle Barrier and Projected Barrier to shield her teammates and herself. With this ability, she manipulates enemy projectile damage and utilizes it for herself. Her Ultimate ability is one of the strongest in the game, allowing players to use it to deliver devastating combos.

Going up against her can be a challenging task, and players must be wondering who can counter Zarya. To answer this, they can refer to the guide below to absolutely crush her presence on the field. Below is a detailed list of heroes who can be used as effective counters for Zarya in Overwatch 2.

Countering Zarya - Top 5 effective heroes to stop her in Overwatch 2

Zarya's potential on the battlefield is extremely heightened when she gets access to closer-range duels. Considering her abilities, it is not an easy feat to counter her. Here is a list of her abilities to have a better understanding of the hero:

Particle Cannon (Primary): Zarya's primary weapon that delivers a short-range beam of energy.
Particle Cannon (Secondary): Zarya's weapon can be used to lob charged energy balls onto the enemy dealing splash damage.
Particle Barrier: Zarya bubbles herself up with an energy barrier that soaks up enemy projectiles and converts it to power her cannon. The cannon becomes more powerful the more energy the bubbles soak in.
Projected Barrier: Zarya can bubble her teammate to provide the same benefits as Particle Barrier provides herself.
Graviton Surge(ultimate): Zarya lobs a bomb that draws in any enemy within its radius and deals damage when they are stuck.

Zarya is a challenging tank to play, and despite her being a very strong close-range, she lacks a big health pool or any fundamental movement abilities that other tanks might have. Let us dive deep into the list of heroes who counter Zarya the best.

1) Bastion

Overwatch 2 - Bastion (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Bastion is one of the best damage heroes to counter Zarya. In his Sentry configuration, Bastion can easily shred through Zarya's barrier, making her nothing but a mere fly on the battlefield. While players might think it would be a good idea to absorb the damage with the Particle Barrier, they should be wary of how quickly it shatters and use cover appropriately.

2) Echo

Echo is a weasely aerial hero who proves to be a great counter against Zarya. Having the ability to go airborne swiftly, Echo can stay out of Zarya's effective range and poke her. A combination of her abilities can even eliminate Zarya if she is caught off-guard without her bubbles.

Echo possesses a very high DPS utility kit. She is an aggressive hero with the potential to secure wins when she duels easily. Furthermore, Echo's ultimate, Duplicate, can turn the tables of the fight if she manages to replicate her.

3) Pharah

Overwatch 2 - Pharah (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Much like Echo, Pharah's aerial dominance makes her a great pick against Zarya. Equipped with Concussion Blast and her Jump Jets, Pharah can stay out of Zarya's effective range and deal a lot of damage.

Pharah reigns supreme in a duel against Zarya whenever there is open ground. While the latter's barriers can shield against some of her splash damage, it isn't effective against Pharah's ultimate.

4) Zenyatta

Overwatch 2 - Zenyatta (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Orb of Discord, paired with extremely damaging Orbs of Destruction, makes for a gruesome pair for Zarya to deal with. The 25% extra damage that Orb of Discord entails makes Zarya's already low-health pool a very easy target to prioritize.

The key to being oppressive on a support hero such as Zenyatta is ensuring the player's position is adept. With good positioning and decent mechanical skills, a team can easily wipe Zarya out from the field without much resistance.

5) Lucio

Overwatch 2 - Lucio (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Lucio provides great utility to his team. While he is a slippery target for Zarya to deal with, his ability to provide a speed boost and simultaneously a burst of healing calls for great coordinated pushes. He is one of the best supports to counter Zarya.

A well-timed use of his ultimate, Sound Barrier, can negate any effects of Zarya's ultimate and any combo paired with it.

The trick to countering most heroes in Overwatch 2 relies on more than individual skill. Players must coordinate and synergize their abilities to make the most out of their kits. Being a team-based game, appropriate communication can take games a long way.