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Symmetra
"From imperfection, we build a new world."

Real Name
Satya Vaswani (सत्य वासवानी)
Age
30
Nationality
India Indian
Occupation
Architech
Base
Utopaea, India
Affiliation
Vishkar Corporation
Anjali Bhimani (English)

Tulika Srivastava (French)
Sanam Afrashteh (German)
Deborah Morese (Italian)
Hitomi Nabatame (Japanese)
Lim Yun-seon (Korean)
Karina Dymont (Russian)
Guilene Conte (Brazilian Portuguese)
Carla Castañeda (American Spanish)
Silvia Sarmentera (European Spanish)
Elise Zhang (Mandarin (China))
Jhang Nai-wen(Mandarin (Taiwan))

Cosmetics
Cosmetic page
Quotes
Quotation page
Role
Damage
Health
100
Shields
150

Symmetra is a Damage hero in Overwatch. She is one of the 21 heroes included in the game's release on 24 May 2016.

Overview

Symmetra utilizes her light-bending Photon Projector to dispatch adversaries, shield her associates, construct teleportation pads and deploy particle-blasting Sentry Turrets.

Abilities

Role: Damage
Hero-ability-circle
OffenseIcon
Type
Passive Ability
Damaging an enemy temporarily reduces their healing received.
Duration:
2 seconds

Ability details:
  • Reduces the target's healing received by 20%.
  • Does not stack with itself or the passive from another damage role hero.
  • Stacks multiplicatively with other modifiers that affect healing received.
  • Objects that deal damage, such as turrets, may also apply the effect.
  • Self-damage does not apply the effect.


Photon Projector
Key mouse 1
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-symmetra1
Type
Weapon (Primary Fire)
Effect Type
Beam Beam
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Short-range beam weapon with increasing damage.
Damage:
65/130/195 per second
Headshot:
Ammo per shot:
10 per second
Ammo:
100
Reload time:
1.5 seconds animation
Max. range:
12 meters
Projectile radius:
0.25 meters
Symmetra’s weapon emits a ranged beam. It deals continuous damage that increases the longer it is connected.

Ability details:
  • Levels up by hitting an enemy or an enemy object (e.g. barrier, turret, mine, etc.) for 1 seconds. If the beam is not hitting anything, it decays from level 3 to level 2 in 2 seconds and from level 2 to level 1 in 1.5 seconds.
  • Deals 11.52 damage per 0.192 second. on 1 level.
  • Deals 23.04 damage per 0.192 second on 2 level.
  • Deals 34.56 damage per 0.192 second on 3 level.
  • When the beam starts or hits a new target, it temporarily does less damage than normal. If left uninterrupted on a single target, this will yield 23 less damage.
  • When damaging an enemy's barrier or shield health with her beam, Symmetra regenerates 10/20/30 shield health per second in proportion with her charge level. This does not regenerate her white health. Her available ammo will also increase at a rate of 10 per second instead of being consumed.


Photon Projector Alt Fire
Key mouse 2
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-symmetra1
Type
Weapon (Secondary Fire)
Effect Type
Projectile Projectile
Area of effect Area of effect
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
!
Partially blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
!
Partially blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
!
Partially affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Hold to charge, release to fire explosive orb.
Damage:
50 (direct hit)
50 (splash, enemy)
Headshot:
Rate of fire:
0.1 seconds recovery for reuse
0.25 s. recovery for use primary
Ammo per shot:
10 (max charge)
Ammo:
100
Reload time:
1.5 seconds animation
Cast time:
Up to 1 second (full charge)
Area of effect:
Up to 2 meters radius (explosion)
Projectile speed:
50 meters per seconds
Projectile radius:
0.115 - 0.575 meters
The projector can also release an explosive energy ball that deals high damage on contact.

Ability details:
  • Damage per second: 90.9 while firing (at full charge)
  • If the center of the projectile circle does not touch the wall, then the projectile will not explode against the wall. This allows you to shoot at enemies that are located at the edges of shelters.
  • The shots can be charged to increase their damage, projectile radius and explosion radius.
    • A shot takes 1 second to fully charge, and can be held for an additional 1 second upon reaching maximum charge before automatically firing.
    • Charge can be canceled by using any ability, including just entering the targeting mode. Any ammo that went to charging the shot is consumed.
    • The damage is scaled off charge time, not ammo consumption. As long as there is any ammo left, an energy ball can still be fired at full charge.
  • The projectile can be destroyed while in air by Ability-dva3 Defense Matrix, Abilities-sigma3 Kinetic Grasp and Ability JavelinSpin Javelin Spin and reflected by Ability-genji2 Deflect, but the explosion is unaffected.
  • Baptiste-ability4 Amplification Matrix affects all damage dealt, if the projectile passes through it. Splash damage alone going through is not amplified.


Sentry Turret
LSHIFT
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-symmetra2
10 seconds per charge
Type
Ability
Effect Type
Projectile Projectile (before deployment)
Beam Beam (turret beam)
!
Partially blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Deploy a small turret that damages and slows enemies.
Damage:
30 per second
Headshot:
Ammo:
3 stored
Max 3 on the field
Health:
50
Cast time:
0.22 seconds for throw + 0.28 s. recovery for shoot
~1 second (deployment)
Duration:
Until destroyed or replaced
Max. range:
10 meters (turret beam)
Move. speed:
−15% (slow)
Projectile speed:
20 meters per second
Symmetra launches a small turret that automatically fires speed-reducing blasts at the nearest enemy within range. Up to three turrets can be built on the battlefield at once.

Ability details:
  • If the ability throw is interrupted, the charge will not be spent.
  • Turrets are projectiles until they hit a wall, at which point they will deploy.
  • The turrets pass through enemy heroes, barriers and other objects.
  • While in the air, Sentry Turrets cannot attack but can still be destroyed.
  • Sentry Turrets reveal their target to allies while firing at the enemy and for 1 second afterward.
  • Sentry Turrets can detect and fire at Sombra if she attempts to use Ability Sombra Hack Hack from Ability Sombra Thermoptic Camo Stealth in their range.
  • Sentry Turrets can be placed and lifted by Petal Platform Icon Petal Platform if the latter was deployed first. When the platform is destroyed, the turrets will fall on ground.


Teleporter
E
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-symmetra4
12 seconds
Type
Ability
Create two temporary teleporters that enable instance travel between them.
Healing:
Regenerates 30 shields per second, after avoiding damage for 3 seconds
Health:
100 health
200 shields
Cast time:
1 seconds (deployment)
Duration:
10 seconds
Max. range:
30 meters
Area of effect:
1.5 meter (interact range)
Symmetra places a temporary teleporter exit pad at a distance and connects it to a teleporter entry pad at her current location. Allies (and some of their abilities, such as Junkrat’s RIP-Tire) can travel from the entry pad to the exit pad instantly.

Ability details:
  • After cast time starts, there is a 0.72 second recovery period where Symmetra cannot use her weapon or abilities.
  • Requires the player to use the Interact key to activate, unless it's an entity separate from a player, in which case it will teleport automatically. (Turrets, D.Va's MEKA when self-destructing, etc)
  • Cannot be used while in spawn.
  • Can be manually destroyed by pressing the ability key again, including while dead.
  • If the entrance and exit are more than 40 meters apart, they are automatically destroyed.
  • After Teleporting, there is a 1 second cooldown before it can be reused again for that same player.
  • You can hold down the interaction button before the teleport appears and teleport as soon as possible.
  • Teleporter can be placed on and lifted by Petal Platform Icon Petal Platform regardless of which was deployed first. When the platform is detroyed, the teleporter falls on ground.


Photon Barrier
Q
Hero-ability-circle
Photon Barrier
2025 points
Type
Ultimate Ability
Deploy a massive energy barrier.
Health:
4000
Duration:
12 seconds
Max. range:
25 meters
Area of effect:
484 m × 50 m
Symmetra deploys a massive energy barrier which prevents ranged attacks and is big enough to cut through the entire map.

Ability details:
  • After cast time starts, there is 1 second recovery period where Symmetra cannot use her weapon.
  • Can be placed from anywhere (including from the spawn room), since it covers the entire map.
  • Orientation can be changed by pressing the Ultimate key again (like Mei's Ice Wall).


Hero-specific options

Setting name Options Description
Toggle Secondary Fire Off (default) Secondary Fire fires when player stops holding the button.
On Secondary Fire fires when player presses the button again.
Hold to deploy Sentry Turret Off (default) Redundant setting. Remnant from old Sentry Turret targeting scheme.
On
Teleporter and Photon Barrier confirmation input Primary Fire (default) Teleporter and Photon Barrier is activated by pressing the Ability key then Primary Fire. Secondary Fire to cancel. Ability key to rotate Photon Barrier.
Secondary Fire Teleporter and Photon Barrier is activated by pressing the Ability key then Secondary Fire. Primary Fire to cancel. Ability key to rotate Photon Barrier.
Ability press Teleporter and Photon Barrier is activated by pressing the Ability key twice. Secondary Fire to cancel. Primary Fire to rotate Photon Barrier.
Ability release Teleporter and Photon Barrier is activated by pressing and releasing the Ability key. Secondary Fire to cancel. Primary Fire to rotate Photon Barrier.
Default Photon Barrier rotation Horizontal Photon Barrier is deployed perpendicular to the direction the player is facing by default.
Vertical Photon Barrier is deployed along the direction the player is facing by default.
Hide Photon Barrier timer Off (default) Timer UI element is displayed to the left of the crosshair.
On Timer UI element is hidden.

Strategy

Symmetra's abilities provide both defensive and positional advantages to her team. She can cover chokepoints with her Sentry Turrents, deploy a Teleporter to provide teammates higher ground or ambush the enemy team, and split the map in half with her Ultimate. Her low health and mobility means that she must coordinate with her team in order to survive.

Weapons & Abilities

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector (weapon): Symmetra's main weapon. The projector has two modes of fire: a short range beam, and a chargeable, explosive energy ball.

  • Primary fire's range is rather lacking (at 12 meters), so it is best used in combination with Teleporter.
  • Primary fire also has a high tickrate, meaning it doesn't fare very well against armor, and it is a bit difficult to consistently maintain the beam on the target. However, given that attacking barriers recharges the weapon's ammo as well as helping ramp up its damage levels, it is a good idea to target nearby enemy barriers first, then firing at enemies, taking advantage of the fully charged and reloaded beam.
  • Secondary fire requires quite a bit of leading at longer ranges, but it makes up for primary fire's low range. A fully charged orb deals considerable damage (120), requiring only one full charge and one semi charged orb to secure a kill. Rapid firing orbs is only recommended if you need to hit very low health targets, since it has low damage per second.

Ability-symmetra2 Sentry Turret: Symmetra launches a small turret that fires slow beams at enemies.

  • Another very good ranged tool in her arsenal, her turrets can help cover different parts of the map at once, such as chokepoints.
  • Throwing turrets at a full enemy team is not very effective, as they can be shot out of the air.

Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter: Symmetra builds a teleporter between two locations.

  • This ability can give you free reign over high ground, or otherwise inaccesable parts of the map, for both you and your team.
  • It is a decent ambush tool, given you can teleport an unlimited amount of allies and things over its duration. A common tactic is to set up 3 turrets on the ground, and then placing a teleporter into the enemy team, giving them a sudden burst of damage that they have to deal with. However, it has drawbacks. The enemy can see (and hear) the ambush coming, since it has a lengthy deploy time. During this time, they can prepare for the attack, or plainly destroy the teleporter.
  • Synergises well with immobile compositions that consist of heroes like Ana, Bastion, Orisa, among others.

Photon Barrier Photon Barrier (Ultimate): Symmetra sets up a barrier that cuts the map in half.

  • Useful for blocking enemy snipers' line of sight, used reactively against enemy Ultimates, or to protect choke points from "poke" damage.
  • Given its infinite range and ability to change orientation, Symmetra can cast this ability from spawn, or anywhere else on the map and still be effective. A good tip for such usage is to point at the objective marker, and checking your teammates chevrons.
  • Not many heroes can break the barrier on their own before time runs out, but if the whole enemy team is dealing a large amount of damage, it will not stop them for long.

General Strategy

Match-Ups and Team Synergy

Tank

Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
Icon-dva
D.Va
Due to her high health, excellent close-range damage output, and supreme mobility, D.Va is one of your worst enemies. If she leads her team into battle, she can allow herself to be targeted by your Sentry Turrets and quickly take them out without any difficulty. Her Boosters let her engage and disengage at will; even if you're targeting her with your Photon Projector and have her near death, she can escape at a moment's notice to regroup and heal, leaving you few ways to pursue. That being said, her Defense Matrix can't protect her from your primary fire, and as she is a stationary, slow-moving enemy, you can very rapidly build up your power. If the D.Va isn't able to quickly take you out or if she chooses not to flee, your Photon Projector will eventually rip through her Mech. When D.Va's out of her Mech, her low health and complete lack of mobility makes her a prime target; whether you see a Pilot D.Va roaming around or take out her Mech yourself, make it your mission to finish her off before she gets her Mech back. This is especially easy if you take out her Mech with your Photon Projector; your increased damage will carry over, so you can target D.Va right after she jumps out of her Mech to finish her off in an instant. Photon Barrier can protect your team from an incoming Self-Destruct; just be sure to position the barrier so your team is safely behind it. If a friendly D.Va wants to be tricky with you, you can deploy a Teleporter behind enemy lines and she can send her Mech through it during Self-Destruct. If timed right, you can catch the opposing team off guard and wipe them out.
Icon-orisa
Orisa
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-reinhardt
Reinhardt
Your Photon Projector actually gains ammunition rather than using it when attacking an enemy barrier. With this in mind, if you keep your weapon trained on an enemy Reinhardt, you will rip through his barrier in seconds while charging yourself to maximum power; should he drop the barrier or have it be destroyed, you can follow up by running him down with your charged up Photon Projector. This makes Symmetra an effective counter to Reinhardt, drastically reducing the ability of his barrier to protect himself and his team. Just don't get too arrogant and up in his face, as a quick Charge or a few hammer blows can easily kill you. If he's caught by your Sentry Turrets, he can gradually take them down in a few hammer swings if they're close enough. Your turrets won't affect him much; he's already slow and bulky, so slowing him down further and dealing slight damage won't matter much in the long run. If you anticipate an oncoming Earthshatter, quick deployment of Photon Barrier can protect yourself and your team; if you attempt to do it in reaction to him using it, though, you'll most likely be a second too late. (To be added)
Icon-roadhog
Roadhog
Like most low health heroes, all it takes is a single Hook from Roadhog and you're down for the count. You can counter this by keeping your distance, but this won't help take him out any quicker. Like other Tanks, your Sentry Turrets won't effect him that greatly, and if left to his own devices he can take them out without much difficulty and follow up with Take a Breather. If you're forced into a close range fight with him and he doesn't hit you with his Chain Hook his large hitbox can allow you to rapidly charge up your Photon Projector; even if he heals himself with Take a Breather, you should be able to quickly run through his health, so long he doesn't hit you with his Chain Hook once its cooldown has worn off. In general, outside of close quarters team fights, keep your distance and let your team deal with him. (To be added)
Icon-sigma
Sigma
(To be added) (To be added)
link=http://overwatch.gamepedia
Wrecking Ball
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-winston
Winston
It's debatable whether D.Va or Winston is Symmetra's worst nightmare. Whichever is the case, Winston will spell instant doom for you and your efforts. His Tesla Cannon can track multiple weak enemies at a time, letting him instantly annihilate a clustered Sentry nest in seconds. Your Photon Projector may be able to quickly ramp up, but his Tesla Cannon will be able to track you even if you try to avoid it. A direct one on one fight comes down to who has higher health walking in, and considering Winston has 400 Health and 100 Armor compared to your 100 health and 100 Shields, a direct encounter will rarely end well in your favor. If you have a healer supporting you, your ramped up damage will prevail in a prolonged battle. Winston has his Projected Barrier to reduce incoming damage, and while attacking it can charge up your Photon Projector and refill its ammunition, in that amount of time he can either attack you from the safety of the barrier or use his Jump Jet to easily escape from an encounter that isn't going in his favor. Even if you bring him down to low health, don't assume the battle is over; he can trigger Primal Rage at a moment's notice, instantly restoring his health and letting him knock you away with ease. Try to stay with your team and never stray alone, otherwise you'll be easy pickings for Winston. (To be added)
Icon-zarya
Zarya
Due to the tendency of your Sentry Turrets to continue attacking the first target they see, an enemy Zarya can easily activate a Barrier to soak up damage and power up her Particle Cannon prior to destroying the Turret. This also provides a quandary on whether or not you should pressure her with your Photon Projector, increasing both your and her offensive output, or if you should wait until the barrier is down, entering a fight with a weaker Photon Projector. As a rule of thumb, whichever of you has a more charged-up weapon at the start of the fight will most likely win it. If you and your team are grabbed by Graviton Surge, you can quickly throw donw a Teleporter for you and your team to escape through. However, this not only requires instant reaction time from you, but also communication with your teammates so they realize what you're doing and to use your Teleporter. (To be added)

Damage

Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
Icon-ashe
Ashe
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-bastion
Bastion
You can't do much against a planted Bastion. You can heckle him with secondary fire from your Photon Projector, but if he doesn't gun you down while you peek your head around corners, he can heal himself in the period between your shots. Your Sentry Turrets won't effect him quite as much since he most likely won't be roaming the battlefield. If your Sentry Turrets catch him by surprise, he can Self-Repair to withstand long enough to focus fire on them. You can deploy a Teleporter behind him to catch him off guard, but if he notices and snaps around, he can gun down both the Teleporter and any teammates who have traveled through it. Your best bet is wait for your team to take him on together. (To be added)
Icon-Cassidy
Cassidy
When fighting Cassidy at close range, it is crucial to avoid his Flashbang, as this will spell instant death. While you can use your secondary fire to launch energy balls his way, it's generally best not to engage him at long range where he has the advantage unless you're protected behind a barrier. Instead, try to lure him into one of your Sentry traps; his slow but powerful fire won't matter if he's being targeted by multiple Turrets, making him easy to take out. In the time between when you hear Cassidy announce his Deadeye and when he shoots, you can quickly deploy your Photon Barrier to completely block his attack. (To be added)
Icon-doomfist
Doomfist
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-echo
Echo
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-genji
Genji
Genji's Deflect ability does nothing to counteract your Photon Projector's primary fire, leaving him with only Swift Strike and his Shuriken. However, as Genji can use his agility to constantly jump around, it may be difficult to keep your laser trained on him. Your Sentry Turrets will lock on to Genji and slow him to a crawl, so if possible try to draw him into an enclosed area where you have turrets set up. His Shuriken can't easily deal with your Turrets, meaning a well-placed trap can cause instant death for him, especially if your team can pressure him before he can escape. (To be added)
Icon-hanzo
Hanzo
At range, Hanzo easily has you beat. One lucky shot can instantly take you out. If you manage to sneak up on him and bring the fight to close quarters, you still have Storm Arrows to worry about. Should you avoid them, you may stand a chance if you can efficiently avoid his shots. He will have difficulty with turrets, needing to charge his bow to take them out one at a time; if you catch him trapped in a turret nest, you can take this opportunity to ambush him and take him out. (To be added)
Icon-junkrat
Junkrat
With access to a large number of area of effect abilities, Junkrat can quickly destroy Sentry Turret nests as well as your Teleporter. Even if kill him at close range, his death will trigger Total Mayhem, which can be difficult for you to escape from alive. Be extra cautious around Junkrat. (To be added)
Icon-mei
Mei
You and Mei both have abilities that are more effective the longer you're in combat. Mei's Endothermic Blaster will freeze you if she hits you with it long enough, and your Photon Projector will get more and more powerful the longer you're targeting her with it. However, if Mei is close to death, she can enter Cryo-Freeze to restore health. During this time, your Shields will regenerate, albeit not at the same rate of her self-healing. Mei can't do much against your Sentry Turrets, so rather than following her into a fight, try to goad her your way so you can lure her into a trap. (To be added)
Icon-pharah
Pharah
The splash damage from Pharah's rockets makes it easy for her to destroy Sentry nests as well as your Teleporter without putting herself at risk. In addition, Pharah can easily avoid both the primary and secondary fire from Photon Projector while she is in the air, making her extremely difficult to attack. However, if Pharah uses Barrage against your team while Photon Barrier is ready, you can quickly break it down to negate all of the damage and/or cause Pharah to take recoil damage and kill herself. If you catch Pharah at a low altitude, especially if she's being hit by one of your Turrets, you may be able to quickly finish her off before she takes to the skies; otherwise, be extremely cautious around her and stay out of sight. (To be added)
Icon-reaper
Reaper
You may be lethal at close range with a charged Photon Projector, but Reaper can hit even harder without the need to charge his weapon up. Even if you get him near death or catch him in a Sentry trap, he can simply enter Wraith Form to regain his lost speed and make a hasty retreat, whereas you have no means of escape if you're close to death unless you happen to be near your Teleporter. If he flees with Wraith Form, do not attempt to follow him unless none of his allies are around to protect him, and even then you should only chase him if he's on the brink of death. You can attempt to heckle him with secondary fire from your Photon Projector at a distance, but he may be able to avoid your attacks. Only engage if he's at low health, if you're in a group fight protected by your team, or if he's caught in a trap and hasn't activated Wraith Form yet. A quick Photon Barrier can protect your team from being hit by Reaper's Death Blossom. (To be added)
Icon-Soldier 76
Soldier: 76
Soldier: 76's Helix Rockets can make quick work of a Sentry Turret or a cluster grouped close together, though their long recharge means he'll have to rely on his Heavy Pulse Rifle to deal with any remaining turrets. Due to the thin effective range of your Photon Projector, a jumpy Soldier: 76 may be able to avoid your attacks while hitting you with his own, making a one on one fight dangerous. If he attempts to Sprint away, only try to follow him and finish him off if he's near death; if he gains too great of a distance or still has substantial health, let him go and deal with him later. Be certain not to leave your Turrets or Teleporter out in the open, or else he can pelt them with his Helix Rockets without breaking a sweat. If possible, try to trick Soldier: 76 into fleeing to an area where you have turrets set up; in the time it takes him to react to him, you should be able to catch up and finish him off. Photon Barrier can help protect your team when Soldier: 76 activates his Tactical Visor. (To be added)
Icon-sombra
Sombra
Sombra's Hack barely affects you; you lose the ability to deploy Turrets, your Teleporter and your Photon Barrier for a time, but if you're caught in a firefight with her, that means very little. Your Sentry Turrets will strip her of her exceptional mobility, making her an easy target. If she wishes to escape, she can fling her Translocator away and warp to safety. If this happens, it's usually not worth chasing after her; with Thermoptic Camo, she can easily outrun you and regroup with her team. Be cautious of where your Sentry Turrets and Teleporter are located, as she can sneak behind enemy lines to hit them from a distance. Her EMP can be devastating to you; not only will it disable any Sentry Turrets and your Teleporter within line of sight, it will remove Shields on both you and your allies, reducing you to a measly 100 health, and it will destroy your Photon Barrier Ultimate in an instant. If you're hit by EMP, try to take cover until it wears off; at 100 health and no turrets to assist you, you'll be an easy target for any opponent. (To be added)
Icon-symmetra
Symmetra
Symmetra mirror matches are rare, but they always come down to who lures who into whom's trap. Unless the enemy Symmetra is on the verge of death, do not follow her past a choke point, or else you'll be playing right into her hand and stepping into a probable Sentry Turret nest. When an enemy Symmetra uses Photon Barrier, it may be tempting to just fire away at it with your Photon Projector to power it up to maximum strength. However, you'll never run through its massive health in time, so instead you should briefly use the Photon Barrier to charge up your Photon Projector before turning your weapon on any foes who are on your side of the enemy barrier. If they are all staying on the opposite side of the barrier, don't pass through it without your team nearby, because even with your maximum-power gun you'll still be torn apart. Keep the inverse of these tips in mind regarding the opposing Symmetra; try to lure her into your own Sentry nest if possible, and be wary of her having a fully-charged Photon Projector if you've activated your Photon Barrier. (To be added)
Icon-torbjörn
Torbjörn
You can heckle Torbjörn's Turret from a distance with your secondary fire; this will deal a decent amount of damage, but not so great that the Torbjörn can't repair it. This also requires you to peek in and out of corners, and unless you're being protected by a shield, the Turret can chip away at your health at a distance. If you manage to close the gap on Torbjörn, you'll have a better shot at fighting him up close than at a distance. Just try not to fight him and his Turret at the same time; wait until his Turret is down, or wait until you have teammates to help you take him down. A Turret deployed by Torbjörn through your Teleporter will come out on the other end; this can be handy if you wish to deploy his Turret at a far away location, or even at a higher altitude where he normally wouldn't be able to reach.
Icon-tracer
Tracer
Tracer's high mobility allows her to avoid your Photon Projector. She can also Blink through Sentry Turret nests and can quickly find and destroy your Teleporter. Your best bet to combat Tracer is to have Turrets nearby, which will slow her to a crawl and make her easier to pin down. Tracer will have difficulty destroying your turrets unless she attacks them at extremely close range, which will leave her weak enough to kill of if you reach her before she can Blink or Recall away. (To be added)
Icon-widowmaker
Widowmaker
A fully-charged headshot from Widowmaker is enough to take you out; if you stand in the open, your lack of mobility makes it incredibly easy for Widowmaker to kill you in a shot or two. You can handle yourself much better at close range, but Widowmaker's Grappling Hook can make it difficult to keep her pinned down. She will also most likely be keeping away from close corridors, making your Sentry Turrets less viable against her (not to mention if you leave them out in the open, she can easily take them out from a distance). If you leave your Teleporter unprotected, Widowmaker can destroy it from a distance as well. If an enemy Widowmaker uses Infra-Sight, you can use Photon Barrier to keep your team safe from enemy fire if the situation calls for it. (To be added)

Support

Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
Icon-ana
Ana
If you leave your Turrets in the open, Ana can take them out from a distance. However, should you close the gap on her, or lure her into a Sentry nest, you should have the upper hand. Biotic Grenade can cause trouble, though, so be cautious. (To be added)
Icon-baptiste
Baptiste
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-brigitte
Brigitte
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-lúcio
Lúcio
One of Lúcio's greatest strengths is his ability to glide around an objective consistently out of reach to confuse his opponent. Your Turrets will be a great boon in lowering his speed and unpredictability, helping you keep a consistent aim to take him down. When fighting a Lúcio, it's best to keep your turrets spread out so they can't be destroyed in succession; even one turret's slowdown will be enough for your team to take the shot and take him out. (To be added)
Icon-mercy
Mercy
Mercy's Guardian Angel will allow her to flee from a fight with you, but often not so far that you can't chase after her. If she's being protected by her team, don't go charging in after her. If possible, try to lure her into a position where you have turrets set up, which will slow her down enough for you to get an easy kill. (To be added)
Icon-moira
Moira
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-zenyatta
Zenyatta
Zenyatta is easy enough to take down at close range, but at mid to long range, he has you beat. He can hit you with an Orb of Discord and swiftly take you out with a couple of shots. Use your Teleporter to close the gap or take him by surprise, and you should have little difficulty eliminating him. Otherwise, try to lure him into a Sentry Turret nest where he'll be brought to a crawl and can be easily disposed of. (To be added)

Story

Icon-symmetra
"The true enemy of humanity is disorder."

Symmetra literally bends reality,[1] and she is the Vishkar Corporation's premier hard-light architech.[2] By manipulating hard-light constructs, she crafts the world as she wishes it to be, in hopes of engineering a perfect society. Symmetra believes her actions serve the greater good in society, though there are times when she wonders whether the control and order she desires are truly best for humanity.[1] When light-bending, Symmetra uses Kathak dance movements.[2]

Symmetra is on the autism spectrum;[3][4] she has demonstrated traits associated with the condition such as having trouble with social interactions, suffering from sensory overload and preferring environments that are structured and harmonious.[3] She finds it hard to sit still and has set routines, which ensure there is always order and calm in some part of her life. Even in hotels, she has time alone and cleaves to her routines as much as possible. As a child, she struggled with understanding metaphors, though as an adult, she is more adept at understanding such figures of speech.[2] She regularly creates hard-light snowflakes, as their repetitive patterns bring peace to her mind.[5]

While Symmetra does not hesitate to carry out missions of dubious morality for her company (such as digging up blackmail material to sabotage competitors), she dislikes killing and only resorts to lethal force if she has to.[3]

Background

Satya Vaswani grew up in desperate poverty[2] in Hyderabad, India. By her recollection, it was not a pleasant environment to grow up in;[3] hunger was a constant issue, the village was overcrowded, and the drinking water was murky. As a child, she danced, finding it would calm her anxiety. She was able to make a few visits to temples, but over time, she forgot about them. She would later reflect that she was not old enough to understand faith and religion at the time.[2]

Vishkar

You know, you were the best roommate I've ever had.
Your were third best. The other two went to bed at appropriate times.
4AM is perfectly appropriate if you're working on a great idea!
~ Vaswani and Pruksamanee on their time at the Academy

Following the Omnic Crisis, the Vishkar Corporation of southern India began the laborious process of creating new, self-sustaining cities to house the nation's displaced population. One such city, Utopaea, was created using radical hard-light technology that enabled its architechs to shape the city's streets, utilities, and living spaces in the blink of an eye.

After she was identified as one of the few capable of becoming a light-bending architech, Vaswani was plucked from extreme poverty and placed in the care of Vishkar's Architech Academy, never to return home. Isolated and lonely in her new life, Vaswani immersed herself in her education and training. She quickly grasped the applications of the technology and was one of the top students in her class. Vaswani approached hard-light manipulation differently than her peers, with their more procedural, mechanical constructions, instead weaving her constructs in the motions of the traditional dance of her homeland.[1]

While at the Academy, Vaswani had Niran Pruksamanee as a roomate. While the two rarely agreed on anything, they became inseparable friends within a few weeks, and grew to respect each other greatly.[6] They shared a dorm with two other students, and to Vaswani's chagrin, Pruksanamee would often stay up past midnight while she and the other students tried to sleep. Also, his snoring didn't help matters, and much to her chagrin, he often left dishes in the sink.[7] However, Pruksanamee's fortunes took a turn for the worse when he created biolight, and refused to hand the technology over to Vishkar. Ignoring Vaswani's advice, he fled the academy, and took the technology with him.[6]

Though she was one of Utopaea's top architechs, the Vishkar Corporation saw far greater potential in Vaswani's abilities. Giving her the moniker "Symmetra," Vishkar sent her on clandestine missions around the world to uphold its corporate interests and expand its influence into other countries.[1]

A Better World

We're making the world a better place...
~ Symmetra
SymmetraBetterWorld1

Vaswani in the mayor's office

Vaswani was present in Rio de Janeiro as Vishkar tried to secure a deal with the mayor to re-develop the city's slums with its hard-light technology. However, the mayor favored a deal with Calado, a prospect that left Vaswani frustrated, as she believed Calado's proposal to be inferior and impractical. Storming out of the mayor's office, she came across a crowd of protesters who were against the re-development of their neighborhoods. Due to her own childhood experiences, Vaswani couldn't understand how they could bear to live in such "disgusting" conditions. As she tried to navigate through the protesters, she became overwhelmed by the sounds and the smells, leading her to lose her way. Then, a young girl called out to Vaswani and offered to guide her back to her hotel. Motivated by the encounter, Vaswani vowed that Vishkar would secure the deal and help Rio's people, no matter what.

Symmetra Rescue

Vaswani rescuing Rosa

That night, Vaswani, on the orders of Sanjay Korpal, infiltrated the Calado building to find information Vishkar could use against him. Breaking into Calado's vault, she managed to find some compromising material, but nothing substantial. Vaswani was then discovered by Calado's guards, but she created a barrier to deflect their shots, following which she used her photon projector to drain their energy. Sanjay questioned why she didn't just kill them, but Vaswani insisted she only resorted to lethal force if she had to. She subsequently escaped the building, with her pursuers being impeded by traps she had set up in advance.

Outside, Vaswani contacted Sanjay, confirming that she didn't have enough on Calado to bring him down and suggesting they try to get to the mayor instead. Sanjay simply responded with "so be it," and a second later, the Calado building was consumed in a fiery explosion. While Sanjay explained that Calado wouldn't stand in their way, Vaswani stared in shock as the building collapsed, with debris falling into the adjacent slum that she had passed through earlier that day. Vaswani made her way down to the favela, which had become enveloped in flames, and spotted a woman that was pointing towards a house while crying for help. Realizing there was still someone inside, Vaswani used her photon projector to forge a path and protect herself from the fire. Eventually, she found the young girl from before, trapped underneath debris, and freed her. Upon carrying her back to her mother, Vaswani realized the girl's face had been severely burnt and feebly hoped Vishkar could "fix it," along with the favela.

SymmetraSanjay

Sanjay and Vaswani at the ceremony

A few months later, the situation had indeed been "fixed," as Vishkar had carried out its redevelopment of Rio's city center, now that Calado had been taken out. Standing with Sanjay as the mayor gave a speech, Vaswani observed that new housing had yet to be provided. Sanjay affirmed that "appropriate" housing would be provided in time, to which Vaswani responded by questioning whether the favela's destruction by fire had been intended by Vishkar. To this, Sanjay stated it was "the price of rebirth and growth." Looking out over the crowd, Vaswani tried to convince herself that Vishkar was indeed, making a better world.[3]

Stone By Stone

Dispatch

We'll send you over now. Find out what they want. A retreat center, a nice lump sum for repairs—we’ll even rebuild the temple ourselves. Whatever it costs, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the loss of development rights.
~ Sanjay's orders to Vaswani

Vaswani attended a Vishkar meeting with Sanjay, head geologist Harita Patel, and PR rep Tamir Chada. Development in Roshani had triggered a tremor in the region, which had caused damage to a temple in the neighboring village of Suravasa, and a statue inside said temple to collapse. Chandra stated that if Vishkar didn't sort the issue out soon, they could kiss development rights in the area goodbye. Sanjay turned to Vaswani, 'suggesting' that she could volunteer in the village, pointing out her small village background, and her role as Vishkar's premiere hard-light architech. She would give the villagers anything they wanted, as no matter the cost, it would be a drop in the bucket compared to the financial loss of losing development rights.

Going over the hologram of the site, Vaswani asked who the statue was of. Chandra stated that it was of Aurora; the first omnic to achieve sentience. Vaswani, familiar with Aurora's history, told them that the villagers would want more than just money, that they would want something better. Sanjay told her to find out what that was, and do whatever it took to make it happen.[2]

Suravasa

Vaswani arrived in the village. Word of her coming had spread ahead, and Sarpanch Ranesh Grewal, head of the local government, told her that they wanted nothing to do with Vishkar. The gathered crowd was just as antagonistic. Still, she was granted access to the temple at her request, for despite Grewal's antagonism, the temple was open for all. An omnic led her inside, and Vaswani found herself reminded of her childhood, when she had visited temples when the rare opportunity had presented itself.

The omnic who led her inside introduced himself as Zenyatta; a pilgrim to the temple. He told her that it was good that Vishkar was taking responsibility, but that it would mean nothing if the help wasn't actually helpful. He told her that she was welcome to stay if it helped her understand the people here and their faith. She was taken aback, pointing that she was an architech who had come to fix a problem, not a pilgrim, but Zenyatta asked what was a pilgrim, but someone who had embarked on a journey to a holy place? She was taken aback at the invitation, but she knew that Sanjay's suggestions of financial compensation wouldn't work, so perhaps following Zenyatta's advice would be a better outcome. Despite her anxiety at the prospect, she accepted Zenyatta's offer.[2]

The Temple

Kintsugi urges us to think differently. Instead of hiding something broken, celebrate it. Your passion for what you do elevates architecture beyond simple construction. Without blemishes, a house is just a building. Flaws and joys are what make it a home. Your dancing may be imperfect, but imagination, creativity—these things are not unharmonious with faith. They are expressions of it.
~ Zenyatta to Symmetra
ZenyattaSymmetra

Zenyatta and Vaswani inside the temple

Zenyatta led her through the temple. He told her about Mondatta, and the two bonded over their shared trouble with human figures of speech. Reaching the main shrine, they came to the remains of Aurora's statue. He told her of Aurora's history, helping her understand why the villagers were so bereaved that it had been damaged. Moved by the story, Vaswani blurted out that Vishkar wanted to help, but Zenyatta stated that help could come in many forms. Building a retreat center would do little good, and there was no need to build a new temple given that this one was still standing, even if it was damaged. Its history, after all, stretched back over a thousand years.

The two retired for midday meal, where Zenyatta told her more about Aurora. Afterwards, Zenyatta took her to a bas-relief of Aurora. Come night, she retired to one of the temple's outlying buildings, where she was given a sleeping mat and temple robe. While she didn't want to wear it at first, as she wasn't a pilgrim (despite what Zenyatta said), she found herself attracted to the colors and changed. The following morning, she met with Zenyatta, admitting that while she didn't want to wear it, she wanted to demonstrate her sincere desire to help. Over the next few days, she moved with the other pilgrims; tidying the main shrine, picking up pieces of stone, and tidying the main area. She was told that a team of workers would remove the larger, heavier pieces in a few days time.

SymmetraZenyatta-box

Symmetra and Zenyatta bond

To her surprise, the priests didn't meditate, but were given orbs to ponder. Zenyatta gave her the Orb of Perception, so that she might perceive what she needed. Over the following days, she found herself adjusting to life in the temple, falling into a routine that suited her. On the fourth day, she and the priests went into the village where they served food to anyone who was hungry. The villagers were still antagonistic to her, but Zenyatta stood beside her, giving her silent support. That evening, discussing events with him, she stated that the scene reminded her of her childhood. They discussed the nature of faith, and Vaswani's architech background, before moving on to discuss the concepts of Wabi-sabi and Kintsugi. She was moved by Zenyatta's words, and wished that she had heard of such ideas long before now. Reflecting on his words and the concepts he had imparted to her, she realized what she...they...had to do.[2]

Union

What is a pilgrim, but someone who has embarked on a journey to a holy place? It is true that I did not intend to become one. Yet...here I am. This is the woman who learned about Aurora. So this is who I wish to be when I present my work to the world. Perhaps I will be her more often going forward, too. You have taught me that much in the world is sacred, even if it first seems ordinary. And there is always more to learn, especially from good teachers.
~ Vaswani to Zenyatta
Symmetra-weaving

Vaswani light-weaves

Over the next few days, Vaswani worked with labourers who had come to remove the chunks of the Aurora statue, instead inviting them to reassemble them. They, the priests, and pilgrims, all worked together while she used hard-light to fix the statue.

The day came when Vaswani presented her work to the world. She donned the robe she had worn for her stay rather than her corporate attire, as she felt the robe best represented what she had learned during her stay. In the courtyard, she met with Grewal and Sanjay, before leading them and the crowd to the Aurora statue. It was unveiled, revealing how Vaswani had used hard-light to fix it, arguably even improve it, given how it now glowed with light. Grewal was in awe, and Zenyatta gifted her with incense, and told her that she would always be welcome at the temple. Sanjay too was impressed, but was curious why she'd chosen yellow light rather than gold. Vaswani answered that blue was a beautiful color, but cold, and not fitting of a temple dedicated to an act of love. Love, in Vaswani's words, was warm. She went on to tell Sanjay that there was more Vishkar could do, but they had to understand, and be understood, to perceive how to do it. That they should act with respect, and be welcomed as friends.

Sanjay told her that she could be right.[2]

Achievements

Name Icon Description Reward
The Car Wash
Achievement The Car Wash Hit an enemy with 3 beams simultaneously as Symmetra in Quick or Competitive play. Spray Symmetra Pixel
Pixel
Huge Success
Ability-symmetra4 Teleport 15 players in a single Quick or Competitive play game as Symmetra. Spray Symmetra Cute
Cute

Trivia

Vampire Symmetra-pop

Vampire Symmetra figure

  • Chris Metzen has hinted at Symmetra possessing ulterior motivations.[8] According to Michael Chu, Symmetra is not an "evil" character in the same vein as Reaper or Widowmaker, though her actions could lead individuals within the setting to view her as a villain.[9]
  • A magazine image of Symmetra could be found in an outhouse on Route 66. The image was removed in a later patch.[10]
  • Symmetra is an amputee, missing her left arm. It is unknown how or when she lost it, and whether or not her glove is a permanent prosthetic replacement or simply a glove.[11]
  • As of September 2016, Symmetra was the least played hero in Overwatch.[12]
  • Prior to her June 2018 rework in Patch 1.25, Symmetra was the only hero to have a choice between two Ultimates: Teleporter and Shield Generator.
  • As of June 2018, Symmetra is currently the only hero to receive more than one total rework. The Developers have hinted that Symmetra may be reworked a third time in the future.
  • Symmetra can place sentry turrets on a basketball in spawn rooms, and then carry said ball out onto the field using her Photon Projector. However, the turrets will be destroyed if they make contact with any walls, floors, and objects in the environment.
  • A "Vampire Symmetra" Cute but Deadly figure was made available during the Halloween Terror 2018 Event.[13]

Development

Architect

The Architect class

S-900 Sentry

S-900 Sentry skin concept art

Symmetra's design originated as a playable class called the Architect in the cancelled Project Titan. In the original pitch for the game that would become Overwatch, she was envisioned as wielding an arc welder and blaster, and could deploy sentry turrets and shield generators. In a later pitch she was given "orb buffs," which were ultimately given to Zenyatta. Her arc welder and blaster were later changed when the idea of hard light constructs were incorporated into her design. Her teleporter was taken from the Engineer class, which served as the basis for Torbjörn, and she would eventually receive the Architect's shield generator as a second ultimate in Overwatch.[14]

Symmetra's backstory was expanded through the development of Lúcio, as his backstory includes involvement with Vishkar as well.[15] Symmetra being autistic was initially hinted at in the "A Better World" comic, and later officially confirmed by a letter from Jeff Kaplan to a fan.[16]

Symmetra is the only hero so far to have been recieved two significant ability reworks since the game launched; one in patch 1.6.2 (2017) and another in patch 1.25 (2018).

Removed Abilities

Photon Shield
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-symmetra3
1 second
Type
Ability
Symmetra surrounds an ally with a hard-light shield that absorbs damage and persists as long as that ally remains alive.
Health:
+25 shield
Duration:
Until target dies
Max. range:
20 meters

Ability details:
  • The shields will deactivate if Symmetra is switched to another hero.

Example Video


Photon Barrier (old)
Hero-ability-circle
Ability Symmetra Photon Barrier
10 seconds
Type
Ability
Symmetra projects a moving barrier that absorbs damage as it travels forward.
Health:
1000
Duration:
Until impact
Area of effect:
5 meters width
Projectile speed:
5.5 meters per second

Ability details:
  • The barrier moves at the same speed as most heroes, with the exception of Tracer, Genji and Lúcio with Crossfade: Speed.


Teleporter (old)
Q
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-symmetra4
1000 points
Type
Ultimate Ability
Symmetra places a teleporter exit pad at her current location, and connects it to a teleporter entry pad at her team’s starting point. Allies can travel through the entry pad to the exit pad instantly, enabling them to return to the fight swiftly after being defeated.
Ammo:
6 uses
Health:
50 health
350 shield
Cast time:
2 seconds
Duration:
Until destroyed or out of uses

Ability details:
  • Symmetra does not gain Ultimate charge while the Teleporter is active.
  • The teleporter is refunded if there is a change in objective (e.g. point captured/lost).
  • It can be interchanged with Shield Generator using the Ultimate key before deployment.

Example Video


Shield Generator
Q
Hero-ability-circle
Ability Symmetra Shield Generator
1000 points
Type
Ultimate Ability
Symmetra deploys a wide-radius generator that provides increased shielding to her entire team.
Health:
50 health
350 shield
+75 shield to allies
Cast time:
2 seconds
Duration:
5 seconds fade delay
Until destroyed (Generator)
Area of effect:
50 meters

Ability details:
  • Symmetra does not gain Ultimate charge while the Shield Generator is active.
  • The shield generator ignores line-of-sight, meaning that it can be placed in a concealed position or behind cover while still providing the full shield effect.
  • It can be interchanged with Teleporter using the Ultimate key before deployment.
  • The generator is refunded if there is a change in objective (e.g. point captured/lost).
  • It can be destroyed just like the teleporter


Videos

Official

  • Old abilities

Balance Change Logs

For more information, see Patch Notes.

Overwatch 2 PvP
Patch
Description
General updates
  • Global projectile size modifier for travel time projectiles with a speed greater than 50 meters per second reduced from 0.1 to 0.075 meters.
Hero updates

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector

  • Primary fire damage per second increased from 60 to 65, scaling with each stage. The new maximum damage per second is 195.

Ability-symmetra2 Sentry Turret

  • Health increased from 30 to 50.
  • Damage per second increased from 25 to 30.

Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter

  • Health increased from 50 to 100.
  • Shields increased from 150 to 200.
General updates

Most damage-dealing projectile sizes have been increased by a new global modifier added to their base size.

  • +0.05 meters for hitscan projectiles with a high rate of fire or spread (e.g., Tracer's Pulse Pistols or Reaper's Hellfire Shotguns).
  • +0.08 meters for hitscan projectiles that are more precise (e.g., Cassidy's Peacekeeper or Soldier:76's Heavy Pulse Rifle).
  • +0.05 meters for travel time projectiles that are shotguns or have a very high rate of fire (e.g., Roadhog's Scrap Gun or Ramattra's Void Accelerator).
  • +0.10 meters for travel time projectile with a speed greater than 50 meters per second (e.g., Zenyatta's Destruction Orb).
  • +0.15 meters for travel time projectile with a speed less than or equal to 50 meters per second (e.g., Pharah's Rocket Launcher).
  • Very large projectiles with a base size greater than 0.5 meters have been excluded from these increases (e.g., Orisa's Energy Javelin or Reinhardt's Fire Strike).

Hero combined HP (base health/armor/shields) increased by 15-25%.

  • 150-175 HP heroes increased by 25 HP.
  • 200-300 HP heroes increased by 50 HP.
  • 300+ HP (Tanks) increased by 75-100 HP.
  • Each hero's precise health increases are listed in their patch notes below.

Ultimate Charge

  • All Ultimate ability costs increased by 10%.

Regenerative Passive for All Heroes

  • All heroes now regenerate 20 health per second after 5 seconds of not taking damage.

Support Role Passive

  • Now reduces the delay before regeneration begins by half (2.5 seconds).

Damage Role Passive

  • Reload speed bonus on elimination has been removed.
  • New role passive: Dealing damage reduces enemy healing received by 20% for 2 seconds.

Quick Melee

  • Damage increased from 30 to 40.
Hero updates
  • Shields increased from 100 to 150.

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector

  • Primary fire beam width increased from 0.2 to 0.25 meters.
Developer comments: With Symmetra recently gaining more lethality in her long-ranged secondary fire, she's no longer as reliant on playing at close range, so we're reverting her total health back to 200.
  • Base shield health reduced from 125 to 100 (total 200 HP).
Developer Comments: Symmetra is exceptionally map dependent, to the point where she is oppressive in certain situations yet ineffectual in others. The following changes increase her weapon effectiveness while lessening some of the frustrations caused by her turrets. The Photon Projector primary fire is now an even more pointed counter against certain heroes due to its conditional shield health regeneration, and the secondary fire now takes one less fully charged projectile to eliminate most heroes. Symmetra's turrets are especially powerful when focusing on the same target due to their combined total damage output coupled with their slowing effect. We are lowering their raw damage and angling them towards utility to make spreading them out a more viable option.

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector

  • Secondary Fire maximum impact damage increased from 45 to 50.
  • Secondary Fire maximum explosion damage increased from 45 to 50.
  • Regenerate up to 30 shield health per second when primary fire deals damage to barriers or enemies with shield health.

Ability-symmetra2 Sentry Turret

  • Damage per second reduced from 40 to 25.
  • Turrets now reveal enemy heroes to allies while dealing damage and for 1 additional second afterwards.

Photon Barrier Photon Barrier

  • Ultimate cost increased 10%
The changes to Symmetra's primary fire will make her gameplay faster by enabling her to charge the beam up to dangerous levels more quickly. However, it will also drain to less lethal levels at an increased rate when not damaging a target. We're reverting the adjustments to her ammo management because, while it helped with matchups where there were no barriers, it lost something interesting to its interactions.

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector Primary Fire

  • Beam charge rate and decay rate increased by 20%
  • Primary fire ammo consumption rate increased from 7 to 10 per second
  • Primary fire gains ammo from damaging barriers again

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector (Secondary Fire)

  • Charge time reduced from 1.2 seconds to 1 second
  • Projectile radius increased from 0.4 to 0.5 meters

Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter

  • Cooldown reduced from 16 to 12 seconds

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector (Primary Fire)

  • Maximum ammo increased from 70 to 100
  • No longer generates ammo when damaging barriers

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector (Secondary Fire)

  • Projectile speed increased from 25 to 50
  • Max damage reduced from 120 to 90 (45 impact, 45 explosion)
  • Max charge projectile size reduced from 0.5 to 0.4
  • Ammo cost increased from 7 to 10
  • Charge time increased from 1 to 1.2 seconds

Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter

  • Build time reduced from 2 to 1 second
  • Now has a maximum lifetime of 10 seconds
  • Cooldown increased from 10 to 16 seconds
  • Cooldown starts when Teleporter is placed
  • Health reduced from 300 to 200 (50 health, 150 shields)

Ability-symmetra2 Sentry Turret

  • Travel speed increased from 15 to 20
  • Movement speed reduction on targets reduced from 20% per turret to 15% per turret

Overwatch 1
Patch
Description

Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter

  • Cooldown reduced from 12 to 10 seconds

Developer Comment: We're reducing the cooldown of the Teleporter to help lower the friction between needing to use it as both a personal and team-focused mobility tool.

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector (Secondary Fire)

  • Damage increased from 120 to 140

Developer Comment: Increasing Photon Projectors max damage allows Symmetra to play more effectively at a safer range when necessary.

Photon Barrier Photon Barrier
  • Duration reduced from 15 to 12 seconds
  • Health reduced from 5000 to 4000

Ability-symmetra2 Sentry Turret

  • Damage per second reduced from 50 to 40

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector

  • Players impacted by the primary fire beam should now hear a louder impact sound
Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector (Primary Fire)
  • Beam width lowered from 0.3 meters to 0.2
  • Beam DPS per level lowered from 65/130/195 to 60/120/180
Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter
  • Now lasts an infinite duration until destroyed
  • Players can destroy their Teleporter with the ability 2 input
  • Cooldown now starts when Teleporter is destroyed
  • Maximum range increased from 25 to 30 meters
  • Teleporter is destroyed if the entrance is more than 40 meters from the exit
Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter
  • Teleporter interact range increased from 1 meter to 1.5 meters.
Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter
  • Railings and other breakable objects no longer block teleporter placement and teleporting
Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector
  • Primary Fire’s damage ramps up 20% faster
Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector
  • Primary fire beam charges up 20% faster
Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector
  • Primary fire range increased from 10 to 12
Role Update
  • Now a support hero

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector

  • No longer locks onto targets
  • Range increased to 10 meters
  • Damage ramping now takes 2 seconds per damage level instead of 1 second
  • Damage ramp increased from 30/60/120 to 60/120/180
  • Now generates ammo instead of spending it when hitting a barrier
  • Ammo reduced from 100 to 70

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector (Secondary Fire)

  • No longer pierces targets
  • Now explodes on contact
  • Projectile speed increased
  • Charge up speed increased
  • Damage changed to 60 impact / 60 explosive

Ability-symmetra2 Sentry Turret

  • Turret is now placed like a projectile instead of being set in place
  • Can hold a max of 3, down from 6
  • Can now deploy a max 3, down from 6
  • Damage increased
  • Amount of slowing effect increased

Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter

  • Can now place the exit up to 25 meters away from Symmetra
  • Entrance will automatically be built in front of Symmetra, rather than at her team’s spawn point
  • Lasts 10 seconds
  • Health lowered to 300
  • More things can teleport through it (e.g. Junkrat’s RIP-Tire)
  • Entrance can be destroyed
    • If either the entrance or exit is destroyed, the other is removed

Photon Barrier New Ultimate: Photon Barrier

  • Deploys a barrier that is big enough to span and cut through an entire map
  • Orientation can be changed by pressing the ultimate button again
  • Lasts 15 seconds
  • Has 5000 health
Photon Barrier Photon Barrier (New Ability)
  • Replaces her existing Photon Shield ability
  • Generates a large energy barrier in front of Symmetra that blocks enemy fire as it travels forward

Shield Generator (New Ultimate Ability Option)

  • Symmetra's Ultimate ability now offers a choice between Teleporter and a new option: Shield Generator
  • Shield Generator places a device that grants additional shields to allies within its effective radius (regardless of barriers, walls, or obstacles between them and the Shield Generator)

Ability-symmetra1 Photon Projector (Primary Fire)

  • Range has been increased from 5 meters to 7 meters

Ability-symmetra2 Sentry Turret

  • Turrets that can be carried have been increased from 3 turrets to 6 turrets
  • Cooldown has been reduced from 12 seconds to 10 seconds

Photon Shield

  • Replaced with the new Photon Barrier ability

Ability-symmetra4 Teleporter

  • Health has been decreased from 200 to 50
  • Shields have been increased from 0 to 350

Developer Comments: We wanted to address two main issues with Symmetra. First, on the whole, we felt that she didn’t feel active enough. Second, due to the nature of her Teleporter, she felt weak in certain situations on different maps and game modes. To address the first point, we replaced her more passive Photon Shield ability with a much more active ability: Photon Barrier. Now, Symmetra can help lead the charge on offense or help shut down a big push on defense by actively blocking damage for your team. For the second point, we noticed players would often switch off of Symmetra once they found themselves in a situation where her Teleporter wasn’t as useful. For example, when playing her on defense on an Assault map, players often used her to defend the first capture point, then quickly switched to another hero if that point fell. To help her feel more useful in more situations, we've given her an alternative to her Teleporter. The Shield Generator is just as important for the enemy to deal with, but is useful in more situations. The turret changes allow her to rebuild her turret nests faster. Even if all her turrets are wiped out, it's now easier for players to build them all back up before the next push. We’re also increasing the range on her Photon Projector to make it easier for her to build up and keep a powerful charge on her target.

*Ultimate costs have been increased by 25% for all heroes

Developer Comment: Game-changing ultimate abilities were coming up a bit too frequently. This change helps keep them in check while still allowing them to be powerful.

General Update
  • When activating the "Ultimate Status" communication, Symmetra now reports the number of charges left on her teleporter
Hero Balance Update
  • Ultimates that consume the ultimate meter when activated will now drain the meter more quickly (.25 second instead of 1 second)
  • Reverted a recent change that reduced the size of heroes' projectiles
  • Most hero abilities will no longer interrupt quick melee attacks
  • Ultimate abilities will now interrupt quick melee attacks

Developer Comments: Altering the size of projectiles in flight had too many unintended side effects to keep in the game, at least in its current form. We will continue watching this and make additional changes if necessary. We’re also making quick melee more consistent when interacting with enemy abilities.

;Hero Balance Change (PS4 and XB1 exclusively)
  • Turrets damage decrease by 30%

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Symmetra (Overwatch), Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2015-03-09
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named StoneByStone
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Overwatch: Symmetra: A Better World
  4. 2016-05-13, Confirmation of "spectrum" in A Better World referring to the autism spectrum ("ASD" refers to "Autism Spectrum Disorder"), Twitter.
  5. Overwatch 2, Symettra Quotes
  6. 6.0 6.1 Lifeweaver, PlayOverwatch. Accessed on 2023-04-12
  7. Overwatch 2, Lifeweaver Quotes
  8. 2014-11-24, BlizzCon 2014 – Overwatch Unveiled Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2015-03-08
  9. 2015-08-16, Reddit Q&A about Solider[sic] 76 | Overwatch. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2015-08-06
  10. 2016-03-26, Blizzard Patches Masturbation Gag Out Of Overwatch. Kotaku, accessed on 2016-03-26
  11. 2016-12-10, Blizzcon 2016 Overwatch Q&A Panel Transcript. BlizzPlanet, accessed on 2018-11-16
  12. Game Informer #81: Designing Overwatch: From Titan to Torbjörn
  13. 2018-10-09, OVERWATCH HALLOWEEN TERROR GEAR AVAILABLE NOW. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2018-10-10
  14. Blizzcon 2017, Overwatch: Archives
  15. 2015-12-10, How Blizzard is making up Overwatch's story as it goes. PC Gamer, accessed on 2015-12-24
  16. 2017-03-09, Overwatch fan theory about Symmetra finally confirmed by Blizzard. Polygon, accessed on 2017-03-10

External links

Heroes in Overwatch 2
 
Icon-symmetra
Symmetra
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