Few characters have made the evolutions that Symmetra has going into Overwatch 2. At one time categorized as a support hero, her ultimate ability and skills have been dramatically altered. These changes have been for the better as Symmetra finds herself in a good place, even for those who loved her before.
What hasn't changed is her defensive talent. Symmetra punishes some of the most lethal heroes in Overwatch 2. She keeps the pressure coming for her entire team, quickly getting her allies back to the battlefield. With a little bit of advice, amateur gamers can become team favorites.
Playstyle
One of Symmetra's most underrated abilities should be used right away. Place a portal from the entrance to as far as Symmetra can see. When she or her allies die, they can use this to get back to the front a few seconds faster. That might not sound big, but in a game balanced on death timers, it throws the balance of the game off at its core.
Those who don't consider Symmetra one of the best DPS heroes should consider firing from range. Create a safe zone with turrets, then use the secondary attack from afar, targeting the center of the team. She's not mobile, but that's not an issue when she can protect herself this well.
Abilities
Photon Projector
- Primary Fire: Short-range beam weapon with increasing damage. Damaging barriers does not consume ammunition.
- Alt Fire: Hold to charge, release to fire explosive orb.
Even the best tank heroes hate going up against Symmetra. Her primary fire lasts forever when attacking their shields. But it's her alternative fire that hurts even worse as the released orb will bypass their shields entirely, potentially hitting themselves or an ally.
Teleporter
- Create two teleporters that enable instant travel between them.
The first teleporter is automatically placed at Symmetra's feet when she uses this ability. The other one is placed where she is aiming. There are some substantial limits on valid placement, but over a flat distance, it can be a moderate way off.
Sentry Turret
- Deploy a small turret that damages and slows enemies.
Stacking up to three at a time, it's Symmetra's turrets that give enemy DPS units fits. The effect is automatically targeted and works as a laser, so negating the beams is not so easily done. They don't have much health and require some creativity, but all three on a single unit are deadly.
Photon Barrier
- Deploy a massive energy barrier which prevents ranged attacks and is big enough to cut through the entire map.
Symmetra's ultimate allows allied projectiles to pass through while negating enemy attacks. The effect spans the entire map and cuts off snipers and ranged units from protecting their allies. The shield is not based on health, so dealing damage to it is fruitless, it's up and immune until the effect expires.
Tips & Tricks
Gamers who are new to the franchise never remember a time when Symmetra was a mostly melee hero. She's best used now as a ranged attacker, using her turrets to protect her and her allies on the backline or setting up traps around the corner.
Don't overthink the Teleporter ability. Put the first teleporter right at the entrance of the spawn point and send it out toward the battlefield. While this can be used somewhat creatively, the Teleporter is easy to kill. Plus, not all allies want to go to obscure locations.
Mix up turret locations. Enemy teams are quick to learn Symmetra's tricks. By keeping them guessing, they'll never know which corners are dangerous. Keeping them off-balance is what keeps the turrets deadly.
Combos
- Torbjorn
There have been some big changes since the initial game, but the combo of Symmetra and Torbjorn remains one of the most impossible defensive lines to get behind. Their turrets can protect each other's turrets, giving enemies no good option to take down first.
- Bastion
Another defensive stalwart, Bastion is elite at taking down the skies and enemies from range while Symmetra braces to deal with closer opponents. They both tend to handle the kind of heroes that counter each other, leaving enemies in a tough spot.
- Roadhog
It's not cheesy if it works. Roadhog can hook players over to Symmetra's turrets, all but guaranteeing their demise. If Roadhog has an ultimate, he can push them into this danger zone, giving Symmetra more than enough time to take out multiple targets at once.
- Lucio
Similar to Roadhog, Lucio can bump players into danger. He's also quick, so if Symmetra does get into trouble, Lucio can drop back for some quick healing before heading back out to the frontlines.
- Windowmaker
Widowmaker's ultimate ability is helpful to most players, but Symmetra especially. It enables her to time her alt fire as enemies approach corners. Also, that gas mine deals additional damage and creates another hazard for enemies to deal with in addition to the turrets.
Advantages & Counters
Heroes that push the backlines are going to hate Symmetra more than anyone. Tracer, Reaper, Genji, and other infiltration-style heroes try to make a living at the backlines of the other team, Symmetra removes this from the realm of possibility. As players unlock all the heroes, they'll find that dealing with Symmetra face-to-face is often a losing proposition.
Although Symmetra's attacks go through shields, Winston and Sigma are considered hard counters to Symmetra since their attacks can wipe out all of her turrets without directly targeting them. Mei can provide safety walls for the team. Pharah's area damage will kill Symmetra's turrets by accident. Maybe the worst of all, an enemy Zarya can intentionally run into the turrets with her shield out and get charged up. If too many of these heroes get selected, consider an early change or enlist some help from teammates.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.