This Week’s Focus: Zenyatta

TL:DR: The Rankings

Methodology

So how did I get those numbers? My thought process was pretty straightforward — measure the top Zenyatta players by each aspect of their role (that can be reasonably quantified by statistics), and see how they stack up. I had already collected all of the broadcasted data that’s available, and averaged it all out to a ‘per 10 minute’ basis, for easy comparison. So I started out with the basics — healing and damage.

Healing vs Damage: Raw Data

Fun Fact: According to my data, OWL Zenyattas do 13% more healing than damage, on average. There are only two players who average more damage than healing — Kariv (0.56% more), and Jjonak (15.92% more!)

Zuppeh leads the pack when it comes to healing (7,092/10min), separating himself nearly 32% above the bottom healer (Kariv: 5,160/10min). Not to be outdone, Jjonak (7,162/10min) outpaces the lowest damage dealing Zenyatta (Custa: 4,559/10min) by a margin of 44%!

Even though that accounts for all of the data that’s currently available, I wasn’t quite happy with it. Due to the limited schedule — each team currently only having played half of the other teams in the league — I couldn’t help but feel that these stats could potentially be a bit biased towards those who have had easier schedules. To put it bluntly, is a kill against Shanghai equally as impressive as a kill against Seoul?

Healing vs Damage: Weighted by Strength of Opponents

Adjusting the stats based on the strength of the opponents they faced in the data that is available.

So I took up the task of calculating the data from the games I had, weighting it based on each opponent’s win percentage, as well as the length of time that they played against them. This way, players who performed well against top competition are more highly rated than those whose best performances may be against lower-level teams.

Healing vs Damage: Raw Data vs Weighted Data

Here you can see who’s numbers increased and who’s decreased.

I was happy with the way this was looking, so I then continued measuring other aspects of the hero — both using raw data, as well as it’s weighted counterpart:

Offensive Assists: Raw Data vs Weighted Data

Orb of Discord is the bread-and-butter of Zenyatta’s kit. Utilizing it on the right targets, along with your teammates, to focus down targets is pivotal to success.

Eliminations Per Death: Raw Data vs Weighted Data

Staying alive with Zenyatta’s limited mobility isn’t always easy, but the best can not only minimize how often they die, but also maximize the amount of eliminations they get while they’re alive.

Killing Blows: Raw Data vs Weighted Data

Where good Zenyatta’s set themselves apart — whether it’s cleaning up kills with expert aim, or knowing when and where to send out a well-placed volley that can stop a fight before it even starts.

Transcendence Healing: Raw Data vs Weighted Data

While the value of Zenyatta’s ultimate goes beyond the amount it heals, it’s still a useful metric.

Summary: The Overall Rankings

So I took all of that data, both raw and weighted, and averaged it out on a per-player basis to fully rate each individual. I can’t say that I’m surprised to see Jjonak sitting up top, but I do appreciate that the stats ended up validating the eye-test. I was surprised to see Neko ranked so highly, as he’s a player that never particularly stood out to me, but statistically, he performs above-average in every category aside from Transcendence healing — which is quite impressive. Poor Shanghai, even here they’re stuck in last place.