Overwatch’s latest patch has brought Symmetra’s overhaul to the game’s live servers for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The rework has drastically changed the former support hero, shifting some of her abilities around, completely changing her ultimate, and reclassifying her as a defense hero.
This is Symmetra’s most extensive rework since Overwatch’s launch. The hero has remained a niche pick, and has seen no action at all on the professional stage. Her new kit, which makes Symmetra a bigger threat, could change that.
Here are Blizzard’s notes on the new and improved Symmetra.
Photon Projector
- No longer locks onto targets
- Range increased to 10 meters
- Damage ramping now takes two seconds per damage level instead of one second
- Damage ramp increased form 30/60/120 to 60/120/180
- Now generates ammo instead of spending it when hitting a barrier
- Ammo reduced from 100 to 70
Alternate Fire
- No longer pierces targets
- No longer locks onto targets
- Now explodes on contact
- Projectile speed increased
- Charge up speed increased
- Damage changed to 60 impact / 60 explosive
Sentry Turret
- Turret is now placed like a projectile instead of being set in place
- Can hold a max of three, down from six
- Can now deploy a max three, down from six
- Damage increased
- Amount of slowing effect increased
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, like Junkrat’s RIP-Tire or D.Va’s exploding mech
- Entrance can be destroyed, but if either the entrance or exit is destroyed, the other is removed
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
- Has 5000 health
All of these changes make Symmetra a much more flexible asset on the battlefield. She is capable of dealing some heavy damage, but can also set up some sneaky traps to help protect her team.
Even though the rework has been added to the live game, Symmetra won’t be playable in the Overwatch League playoffs.
There’s more to the game’s latest update than this massive rework, though. The patch also brings some new social features to Overwatch.
Social Features
- Endorsements: Designed for players to reward each other for good behavior. Endorsements are viewable on the Career Profile menu or the Groups menu. Players that have high endorsements levels will earn rewards.
- Looking for Group: According to Blizzard, this feature will help players “join a team of other like-minded players or lead a group of [their] own by creating a group with [their] personal preferences such as game mode, role enforcement, and more.” Players can assign themselves a role using this feature and it will then fill in roles with other teams.
Players have been anticipating these changes for a long time now, and they will hopefully change Overwatch for the better.