Zenyatta

Zenyatta is a Support hero in Overwatch.

Overview
Zenyatta calls upon orbs of harmony and discord to heal his teammates and weaken his opponents, all while pursuing a transcendent state of immunity to damage.

Strategy
Zenyatta is a potent offense-focused Support. He stands out from the other supports due to his incredible killing power: his Orb of Destruction and Orb of Discord can let him shred through even the sturdiest of Tanks with well aimed shots. While not as powerful a healer as Mercy, his Orb of Harmony and Transcendence abilities are more than enough to let him keep a team alive when used smartly. All of this power is counterbalanced by a severe lack of mobility. Unless Zenyatta is using his ultimate, he moves at a relatively slow pace, and has no abilities to speed him up. This makes him vulnerable to agile flankers or large amounts of incoming fire.

Weapons & Abilities

 * Orb of Destruction: Zenyatta's primary weapon. The primary fire causes Zenyatta to shoot fast-moving orb projectiles at a reasonable rate, dealing damage to an enemy. The secondary fire is a charge ability: Zenyatta will gradually begin preparing up to five orbs, with the number of orbs increasing the longer he charges. He can let go of the secondary fire button at any time to release the stored orbs, firing them straight forward at his crosshairs, in a rapid burst. He will automatically fire his stored orbs if the secondary fire button is held down long enough.
 * The small size of the orbs Zenyatta fires masks their incredible damage potential. Zenyatta can out-damage many Offense heroes if he is accurate with his shots.
 * The orbs do have a small amount of travel time. As with other projectiles, lead your shots slightly so that they will hit moving targets.
 * Use the secondary fire to ambush stationary targets like Bastion or Widowmaker. The sudden burst of orbs will usually kill them instantly, not giving them time to react.


 * Orb of Discord: When activated, Zenyatta will place an Orb of Discord on the targeted enemy, causing them to take greatly increased damage from all sources. This ability automatically targets the enemy that is closest to Zenyatta's crosshairs. Orb of Discord is removed when the Zenyatta applies the Orb to a different target, loses line of sight for three seconds, or dies. Orb of Discord cannot be applied to targets who are behind a barrier.
 * A powerful basic ability. It has no cooldown and can be applied as often as Zenyatta likes, greatly increasing the damage the target takes.
 * Who you put this on usually depends on who the biggest threat to your team is at that moment. In general, Tanks like Winston or Reinhardt are prime targets. If your team is being harassed by a powerful Offense hero like Pharah, throw it on them and use Orb of Destruction to kill them, as they will take massive damage from your projectiles.


 * Orb of Harmony: When activated, Zenyatta will place an Orb of Harmony on the targeted ally, causing them to slowly regenerate health over time. This ability automatically targets the ally that is closest to Zenyatta's crosshairs. Orb of Harmony is removed when Zenyatta applies the Orb to a different target, loses line of sight for three seconds, or dies.
 * Orb of Harmony is not the strongest of heals, but it is still considerable, and it allows Zenyatta to turn his attention toward damaging enemies while still healing. Since it is not particularly strong, Zenyatta should prioritise healing to allies who have lower max health or are or closer to death, instead of tanks, as the latter will take very long to heal with Orb of Harmony (this does not mean to not heal your tank if they're dying.
 * The Orb of Harmony will remain on the target for several seconds after they leave Zenyatta's line of sight. Take advantage of this by constantly ducking in and out of sight with them to refresh the duration while still avoiding enemy fire.
 * Constantly swap the Orb between injured allies in order to keep everyone's Health topped up.
 * Pharah can make great use of the Orb, as she usually maintains constant line of sight with Zenyatta while in the air.


 * Transcendence (Ultimate): Zenyatta's Ultimate ability. When activated, Zenyatta becomes invulnerable to damage for several seconds and generates an aura around himself that rapidly heals any allies standing within it. Zenyatta cannot use any other weapons or abilities while Transcendence is active, though he can move at an accelerated rate. Zenyatta does still remain targetable, and so can be affected by knockbacks as normal, just not damaged.
 * This is Zenyatta's only real defensive ability. Use Transcendence when you are being attacked and are near to your team, as it will keep both you and them alive.
 * The healing from Transcendence is massive, able to easily outpace many Ultimates like Pharah's Barrage. Keep in mind that it will not keep an ally alive if they take a single packet of damage in excess of their maximum Health, such as from Tracer's Pulse Bomb.
 * Because of Zenyatta's active role in combat, this Ultimate tends to charge quickly. Don't be afraid to use it if it will help your team to consistently win small skirmishes.
 * Transcendence will not heal allies if they are not in line of sight or behind an enemy barrier.

General Strategies

 * Zenyatta is a challenging Support to play. With an average health pool and no way to speed himself up or dodge attacks beyond moving erratically, he has the potential to be instantly killed by a wide variety of heroes (with Hanzo and Widowmaker being the most prominent). While his abilities are rather simple, his gameplay is not, requiring you to balance helping your team by dealing damage while staying alive so that Orb of Discord and Orb of Harmony remain active.


 * Due to Orb of Harmony's low health regen rate, it is encouraged to play Zenyatta when you have another healer on your team (i.e. Mercy, Lúcio) or on a team that is prevalent in multiple healing abilities (e.g. Roadhog's Take A Breather, Soldier: 76's Biotic Field, etc.).
 * Due to Orb of Destruction's lack of damage falloff, Zenyatta can be very powerful if played in a sniper position. Do be aware though that if you are too far away, you will not be able to use Orb of Harmony or Orb of Discord. Target enemies that struggle to deal with snipers such as Tracer, Reaper, Junkrat, Bastion, and Torbjörn's turret (if you can outrange it). Also be aware that if someone moves behind you, you will die very quickly if caught off-guard.


 * As above; Zenyatta's projectiles are a very effective way of dealing with an enemy Bastion in Sentry mode. If the Bastion's teammates are not protecting him with a shield, Zenyatta can place a Orb of Discord on the stationary Bastion and take him out a lot more effectively than other ranged offensive heroes due to the lack of damage falloff. The lack of damage falloff coupled with Zenyatta's usual positioning of being behind his team and Bastion's high damage falloff with his Sentry minigun means that an enemy Bastion will do very little damage to you (Damage Falloff + Large bullet spread). This strategy can be used to "snipe" a stationary Bastion and remove the effective defensive ability he can bring to a teamfight.


 * Try to position yourself so that you minimize the number of directions the enemy team can fire at you from. This is especially critical if the enemy team has a good Widowmaker, as a charged bodyshot will take off a large amount of your health. Keep a constant eye on nearby side routes and listen for the sounds of approaching flankers so that you can be prepared for them.


 * Try to always stay at the back of your team to minimize the amount of damage you take. Your Orb of Harmony can heal targets who are far away from you, so long as you can continue to maintain line of sight with them, and your Orb of Destruction has no damage falloff (meaning it will deal full damage no matter how far away an enemy is). If you are being constantly harassed by flankers, however, it can be better to stay closer to a Tank like Reinhardt who can block their damage and drive them away from you.


 * If an enemy flanker (such as Genji or Tracer) manages to get behind you, don't try to run; Zenyatta cannot outrun mobile heroes like them. Instead, hit them with Orb of Discord and move erratically while firing your Orb of Destruction at them. One headshot and one bodyshot from a Discord-empowered Orb of Destruction is enough to kill both Tracer and Genji, assuming they don't have bonus Health from Brigitte or Torbjörn.


 * The majority of Zenyatta's Health is composed of shields. If you take damage, retreat into cover for a few seconds to allow it to regenerate.


 * The autotargeting reticle from Orb of Discord can be useful when firing at distant enemies, as it will give you a general idea of their location. This is especially helpful if they are obscured by large particle effects (such as Hanzo's Dragonstrike). On top of that the reticle still shows through walls which can help you predict an enemy emerging from cover to shower them with an Orb Volley.


 * Transcendence still allows you to be targeted by enemy abilities. Though they will deal no damage to you, they can still knock you back and away from your team, nullifying the healing on your allies. If up against enemies with strong knockbacks like Pharah or Roadhog, try to position yourself so that you will be flung into a corner or a nearby wall in order to stay near to your allies.
 * Like Junkrat, Zenyatta can easily fire down a choke point and prevent easy movement through. His large clip size and projectile weapon can provide almost constant sustained fire.
 * If an enemy is on the other side of a corner, it's sometimes a good idea to use a charged shot to take them by surprise before they can react.

Story
"True Self Is Without Form."

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. He believes that by forming people into relationships, the world can be healed, and a better society created. But, when necessary, he will fight to protect the innocent, be they omnic or human. The orbs he uses were hand-carved at the Shambali monastary and serve as a means to channel omnic energy.

Zenyatta found humans' manner of speech perplexing at first, having little grasp of metaphors. He still occasionally struggles with their figures of speech.

Like all Shambali, despite being unable to eat, Zenyatta knows how to prepare food.

Background
A former member of the Shambali, Zenyatta disagreed with the group's approach. 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.

At some point either before or after leaving the monastery, he encountered Genji, who had left Overwatch and was conflicted with his nature as a cyborg. Though Genji initially rejected Zenyatta's wisdom, the benevolent omnic would not be deterred. In time, Zenyatta became his mentor, and under the monk's tutelage, Genji reconciled his dual existence as both man and machine. Zenyatta would later consider Genji to be one of his brightest pupils.

Reflections
Zenyatta and Genji spent Christmas together in a monastery.

Stone By Stone
"It is true that you do not know what we want. No one knows what another wants without getting to know them first. Are you a priest here? Only a pilgrim. My name is Zenyatta."

- Zenyatta meets with Satya Vaswani

Zenyatta was on pilgrimige in Suravasa, intending to reflect on Mondatta's teachings, when the Vishkar Corporation's ground breaking caused a tremor that destroyed the statue of Aurora in a temple. Later, inside the temple, he met with Vishkar agent Satya Vaswani, who'd come on Vishkar's behalf. He told her that it was good that Vishkar was taking responsibility for the damage they'd caused, but it would mean nothing if the help they provided wasn't constructive. He offered her lodging at the temple so that she may better understand the community and the temple's faith. She agreed to stay, and he guided her through the temple, also informing her about Aurora's history.

Zenyatta greeted Vaswani the next morning, noting that she had put on a temple robe. She stated that while she had not come as a pilgrim, she was sincere in her efforts to provide recompense; an intention that Zenyatta had never doubted. Days passed before Zenyatta gave her the Orb of Perception, and told her to study it. On the fourth day, she watched Zenyatta and the other omnic priests prepare food for anyone in the village who was hungry. Noting the angry whispers directed at Vaswani, served her food himself, as a gesture of silent support. Later in the evening, after meditation on the orbs had finished, Zenyatta asked Vaswani to stay behind, asking her for her thoughts on the day's events. The conversation turned to her role as a hard-light architech. At the end of their conversation, Vaswani stated that she now knew what she had to do.

A week after Vaswani's arrival, she and Zenyatta walked into the temple's courtyard, where they met with Sarpanch Ranesh Grewal, along with a crowd of priests, pilgrims, villagers, and Vishkar personnel. She revealed that she had used hard-light to fix the shrine, giving it a new luminescence. After the event, she met with Zenyatta outside, who gave her incense as a parting gift, telling her that she was always welcome. To Sanjay Korpal of Vishkar, he stated "every dawn brings a new chance to choose our paths. I hope Vishkar Corporation sees that now."

Reunion
"I knew you would return one day. It has been too long, master."

- Zenyatta and Genji

After helping thwart Null Sector's attack on Paris, Genji returned to Zenyatta.

Trivia

 * Zenyatta is one of Chris Metzen's favorite heroes in the game.


 * The idea for Zenyatta came from a piece of omnic concept art.


 * The healing aspect of his orbs and the chime-like sound they make may take inspiration from Baoding balls, also known as Chinese medicine balls, among other names. They are popular among advocates as a form of alternative medicine for stress relief and improving dexterity and strength in the hands.


 * Zenyatta's name has been observed to be a combination of the word "Zen", which is the Japanese name for Chan Buddhism, and "Śūnyatā", which means "emptiness" in Pali, a Buddhist concept referring to the idea that the world is without a true essence or sense of self.
 * It's also likely a reference to the The Police album Zenyatta Mondatta, considering his late counterpart's name is Mondatta.
 * The name they share between Mondatta and Zenyatta, "Tekhartha," could play off of the name of the Buddha before he achieved nirvana, Siddhartha Gautama, and "Tek" pronounced like "Tech" as a play on the fact that they are robots.


 * Zenyatta is the first hero to have his total hit points changed (from 50 Health/100 Shield to 50 Health/150 Shield) through a patch in July 19, 2016. This was followed by D.Va in September 1, 2016.


 * Zenyatta is one of three heroes with no footstep sounds, as he floats instead of walking. The others are Sigma and Echo.

Merchandise

 * A Zenyatta Figma statue is available.


 * A Zenytatta statue is available from the Blizzard store.


 * Zenyatta is one of the first officially revealed Overwatch POP! vinyl with a skin, specifically the Cultist Zenyatta skin, it was released during Halloween Terror 2018.

Balance Change Logs
''Developer Comment: While Zenyatta has never had the healing abilities of Lúcio or Mercy, he made up for it by dealing more damage. However, his lack of mobility and low health has meant he’s struggled to find a place in many games. To increase his effectiveness, we've made several changes, the biggest of which is an increased shield pool. This will allow him to go head-to-head with more enemies. The Orb of Harmony and Discord changes are also a quality of life change, helping Zenyatta move his orbs around and apply their effects more quickly. And lastly, we’ve increased Transcendence’s healing throughput. This ultimate was designed to be the most effective against sustained, high-damage fire and least effective against short, high-damage bursts (like D.Va’s or Junkrat's ultimates). But, due to the amount of healing it provided, there were times when it was possible for even sustained fire to overcome Transcendence’s output. We’ve made the heal powerful and also allowed Zenyatta to move around more quickly while it’s active.''