TERM_DEFINITION · ID: zoning

Zoning

aka ゾーニング · Zone · エリア拒否 · 牽制エリア

Using ability or ult threat to deny access to an area, narrowing the enemy's movement options without necessarily landing damage.

DIFF
3/5
PRO
4/5
Role TankDPSSupport
Style PokeHybridBrawl
Phase MacroMid-Fight
§ Breakdown [AI-translated — feedback channel coming soon]

Even with no damage actually landing, the threat of "walk in there and you die" alone restricts the enemy's rotation paths and the locations they can hold. Pharah raining rockets, a Mei wall cutting the sightline, and Reaper's pressure inside shotgun range are the textbook cases of zoning. It is inseparable from taking space: your team taking an area is the same statement as denying the enemy that area. Choke management is a form of zoning too — pressure in front of the choke alone shrinks the attacking side's approach options. Taking high ground and widening space while zoning off it is the standard strong version of the move.

When to Use [AI-translated — feedback channel coming soon]

Restricting the enemy's route choices from high ground or in front of a choke. Forcing them out of an area on Ult threat alone (Coalescence, Blizzard, etc.). When one wing of a split push is assigned to cut off the enemy's path.

Failure Modes [AI-translated — feedback channel coming soon]

Focusing so hard on zoning that no damage lands, so the enemy ignores the zone and walks in. Once the CDs that create the threat are spent, the zone collapses and you're exposed to every sightline at once.

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