Have you ever sat down after playing Overwatch and thought to yourself “Man, wouldn’t it be sweet if I could build Zarya’s particle cannon and use it to start my fire from across the room without leaving my seat?” Well, now you can, thanks to the use of some clever brains, grit, intrigue, and a dastardly 3D printer that is capable of making your dreams become reality.
This news comes from ReadySet, who writes that the The Hacksmith created their own Zarya’s particle cannon. As part of their Make it Real series, The Hacksmith has been the creative brains behind various weapons from sci-fi and fantasy media, such as Thor’s hammer from The Avengers as well as a Plasma rifle from BioWare’s sci-fi RPG Mass Effect. To say they’ve got some experience in creating weapons of fantastical mass destruction would be an understatement.
Zarya’s particle cannon is certainly a powerful, destructive weapon, but it isn’t a “realistic” one. Being based on lasers and science fiction makes it hard to envision how someone would try to emulate that style of firearm in real life. According to ReadySet, the weapon’s exterior was built through the use of 3D-printed plastic and was fitted with a Class 4 industrial CO2 laser that is capable of searing through plastic like paper and setting wood alight from a fair distance away. Or, as the video shows, a fake zombie bust.
The weapon weighs around 70 pounds, which means that even if you were allowed to try and take this particle weapon into a con (please don’t), your arms would be dead before lunch. That is, of course, if you’re not as built as Zarya is from Overwatch.
If you’re interested in seeing more of these awesome inventions, including the creation of Torbjörn’s turret, head on over to The Hacksmith’s YouTube page.
