‘Overwatch’ update: ‘Experimental’ Zarya buff is so OP

“Overwatch” has been finding ways to deliver new gaming experiences to its millions of players. For instance, there’s a new feature called the “Triple Damage” Experimental mode that changes the mix of heroes in a team.

New 1-3-2 ruleset in “Triple Damage” mode

A recent “Overwatch” update introduced a new card labeled “Experimental,” which can be found in the game’s Play menu. Players can try out new game modes, balance updates and rulesets via this experimental card.

One of the exciting changes brought by the recent “Overwatch” update is a new mode called “Triple Damage.” In this mode, teams will be composed of 1 tank, 3 damage and 2 support heroes instead of the usual 2-2-2 combination, as announced by Blizzard community manager Josh Nash.

Buffed Zarya

With only 1 tank in the team, things needed to be rebalanced a bit. Blizzard did just that by buffing the sole tank hero in the team while in this mode.

One of the most talked-about tank heroes in the Triple Damage mode is Zarya. According to Inverse, the hero’s buffed bubble shield could potentially be game-breaking.

As explained by Dash, Zarya’s Particle Barrier (Self) cooldown period has been reduced from 10 to 8 seconds. This means that she can now use the barrier more often to protect herself and enhance her attacks.

Zarya’s Particle Barrier to her allies has been vastly enhanced as well. Instead of shielding just one ally, she can now create barriers for all of her allies within 8 meters. The bubble’s duration is also increased from 2 to 3 seconds.

The maximum energy gain per barrier has been decreased from 40 to 30. But with multiple barriers protecting all of her teammates, Zarya’s Particle Cannon and Explosive Charge can now be charged faster. In addition, Shield health pool has been increased to 300 from 200, which means that total health is now 500.

Unfortunately, it’s not yet certain if the buffs will eventually make their way to the main “Overwatch” game. “Some of the changes we test will be vastly different than what you’re used to, but we want to reiterate that the changes we will be testing are not guaranteed to reach the retail version you’re used to playing,” Nash wrote.