Can You Pop Zarya Bubble? A Comprehensive Overwatch 2 Guide

Yes, you absolutely can pop Zarya’s bubble. In Overwatch 2, Zarya’s Particle Barrier and Projected Barrier can each absorb up to 200 damage. Once that threshold is reached, the bubble breaks, and any further damage will affect Zarya or the teammate protected by the Projected Barrier. Understanding how to deal with these bubbles is critical for success against a Zarya on the opposing team. Let’s dive deeper into the intricacies of Zarya’s bubbles, effective strategies, and common misconceptions.

Understanding Zarya’s Barriers

Zarya’s kit revolves around her ability to absorb damage with her barriers and convert it into Energy, which directly increases her damage output. This mechanic makes her a formidable tank, especially when enemies carelessly shoot into her bubbles. However, intelligent play can exploit the limitations of her barriers and turn the tide of battle.

Particle Barrier: Self-Protection

This ability places a bubble directly around Zarya, shielding her from up to 200 damage. It’s often used aggressively to push forward or defensively to survive incoming burst damage. The key is to identify when to shoot through it and when to hold fire.

Projected Barrier: Teammate Support

Zarya can also project a bubble onto a teammate, granting them the same 200 damage absorption. This ability is crucial for protecting vulnerable allies, initiating engages, or even saving a teammate from certain death. It also charges Zarya’s energy, so its effective use can dramatically increase her damage potential.

Strategies for Dealing with Zarya’s Bubbles

The best way to deal with Zarya’s bubbles is situational and depends on several factors:

• Zarya’s Energy Level: A Zarya with high energy is significantly more dangerous. If she’s already charged up, sometimes it’s better to focus fire through the bubble to eliminate her quickly.
• Your Team Composition: Having heroes with burst damage or long-range capabilities can make it easier to pop the bubbles quickly.
• Zarya’s Positioning: Is she isolated, or is she supported by her team? A supported Zarya requires a more coordinated approach.
• Your Hero Choice: Certain heroes are naturally better at dealing with Zarya than others.

To Shoot or Not to Shoot: That is the Question

Here’s a breakdown of when to shoot and when to hold fire:

• Shoot: If Zarya is already high energy, and killing her quickly is a possibility. If a teammate is in immediate danger behind the bubble, popping it might be necessary.
• Don’t Shoot: If Zarya is low energy and you’re just feeding her charge. If you can easily focus fire on other targets instead.

Countering with Specific Heroes

Different heroes have varying degrees of success against Zarya’s bubbles:

• Ashe: Her Dynamite provides consistent pressure and area denial, making it difficult for Zarya to safely bubble. Landing headshots with her rifle after the bubble pops also increases her kill potential.
• Cassidy: His Peacekeeper can quickly burst down a Zarya, especially with well-placed headshots.
• Sojourn: Her Railgun offers high burst damage potential, especially when charged. Focusing a charged railgun shot on Zarya after her bubble breaks can be devastating.
• Sombra: Hacking Zarya completely disables her ability to use barriers, making her an easy target. Timing the hack is critical.
• Reinhardt: While his hammer doesn’t go through bubbles, the updated ultimate allows him to ignore Zarya’s bubbles.
• Winston: Winston’s Tesla Cannon does not go through Zarya’s bubble and charges her power.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

Many players make common mistakes when facing Zarya, which can inadvertently benefit her:

• Blindly Shooting into Bubbles: This is the most common mistake. You’re essentially giving her free damage and increasing her threat level.
• Ignoring Zarya: She may not be an immediate threat at low energy, but she can quickly become one if ignored.
• Not Focusing Fire: If you decide to shoot through the bubble, commit to it with your team. Otherwise, you’ll just end up feeding her energy.

Zarya’s Bubble Cooldown

It’s important to remember that Zarya’s bubble cooldown is dependent on the previous target that the bubble was cast on. If the last bubble was cast on herself, the cooldown is 10 seconds. If it was cast on a teammate, the cooldown is 8 seconds.

Understanding this distinction can give you a slight advantage in predicting when her barriers will be available again.

The Psychological Game

Dealing with Zarya is not just about mechanics; it’s also about playing mind games. Baiting out her bubbles, predicting her movements, and knowing when to apply pressure are all crucial aspects of countering her effectively. A good Zarya player will adapt their playstyle based on your reactions, so it’s important to vary your approach.

Remember that Overwatch 2 is constantly evolving with balance changes and new hero additions. Staying informed and adapting your strategies accordingly is essential for continued success. Learning about the game and the science behind it is important, you can do so by researching organizations such as the Games Learning Society. You can find more information about them at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does Reinhardt’s hammer go through Zarya’s bubble?

No, Reinhardt’s hammer does not go through Zarya’s bubble. However, his Earthshatter ultimate now deals enough damage at the impact point to break through the bubble entirely, effectively ignoring it in that specific scenario.

2. Does Winston’s Tesla Cannon go through Zarya’s bubble?

No, Winston’s Tesla Cannon does not go through Zarya’s bubble. In fact, shooting the bubble with Tesla Cannon will only charge Zarya’s energy, making her more powerful.

3. Can Ramattra punch through Zarya’s bubble?

No, Ramattra’s punches do not go through Zarya’s bubble in Overwatch 2. His punches are designed to penetrate shields, not barriers like Zarya’s bubble.

4. How much damage can a Zarya bubble take?

A Zarya bubble, whether it’s the Particle Barrier or Projected Barrier, can absorb a maximum of 200 damage.

5. What heroes are strong counters to Zarya in Overwatch 2?

Several DPS heroes are strong against Zarya, including:

• Ashe: Consistent pressure with Dynamite and pick potential.
• Cassidy: High burst damage with Peacekeeper.
• Sojourn: High burst damage with the Railgun.
• Sombra: Hacking disables her barriers.

6. How can Sombra counter Zarya’s bubble in Overwatch 2?

Sombra can hack Zarya, preventing her from using either of her barrier abilities. This leaves Zarya vulnerable and unable to protect herself or her teammates.

7. What is the cooldown of Zarya’s bubbles?

Zarya’s bubble cooldown depends on which target was previously bubbled. Bubbling herself results in a 10 second cooldown. Bubbling a teammate results in a 8 second cooldown.

8. Why does Zarya do so much damage?

Zarya’s damage scales with her Energy level. She gains Energy by absorbing damage with her barriers. The more damage she absorbs, the higher her Energy, and the more damage she deals.

9. Can you shoot Zarya while her shield is up?

While Zarya’s bubble is active, you can shoot it, but this will charge her Energy. If you can break the bubble quickly and finish her off, it’s a viable strategy. Otherwise, it’s often better to focus on other targets.

10. Does Symmetra charge Zarya’s bubble?

No, Symmetra’s Photon Projector does not charge Zarya’s bubble.

11. What is the rarest Zarya skin in Overwatch 2?

The Alien Zarya skin is considered the rarest due to its limited availability.

12. How do I counter Zarya as DPS?

Focus on heroes that can burst through her bubbles quickly or ignore them entirely. Ashe, Cassidy, and Sojourn are good choices. Coordinate with your team to focus fire.

13. Does D.Va counter Winston?

D.Va is often considered a soft counter to Winston. She can interrupt his Leap, pressure him off high ground, and absorb his damage with Defense Matrix.

14. Why was the Alien Zarya skin removed?

The Alien Zarya skin was created for a specific player and was removed due to the player being condemned for abuse allegations.

15. Is it always bad to shoot Zarya’s bubble?

No, it’s not always bad to shoot Zarya’s bubble. If Zarya is already high energy and killing her quickly is possible, shooting through the bubble is a viable strategy. The key is to assess the situation and make an informed decision.