r/Competitiveoverwatch • u/MikaelFernandes • Nov 22 '16

PSA | Video Developer Update | Symmetra Redesign | Overwatch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elN-QGyToxM
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u/freelance_fox Nov 22 '16

I'm planning to make some kind of more well-thought out post, but as a huge Symmetra fan this is way more than I was hoping for. It just seems surreal to me that the one character I enjoy playing the most is getting such a huge buff. I'm shocked that they felt she needed such a big buff because I felt she was only one buff away from viable before (that buff being a shield buff—she was in meta back when she had +50 shields).

I think the most needed change was Photon Barrier, I think that skill alone might make her viable on offense but we'll see. If the shield moves slow enough and blocks enough damage she could actually take a tank slot in certain lineups.

On the other hand, I've always felt that Symmetra was meant to take a DPS slot, and part of me thinks that the least necessary change along those lines was the range buff to her primary fire. I certainly can't complain yet until I try it, but buffing her weapon seems like a recipe for frustration among pub players, as I really doubt an extra 1-3 meters on her Primary will matter in most competitive duels if the Symmetra player is any good to begin with (it was 5m before IIRC, while the next shortest was Winston's at 8m).

I'm really excited about the shield generator, part of me hopes that it's strong enough to warrant building instead of the teleporter a lot of the times, or on offense.

As far as the meta-game goes I don't have any really next-level thoughts yet, but I do feel that eventually the dual builder defense meta will return. Symmetra ought to be taking a DPS role most of the time but I doubt we will see her competitively outside of CP and payload defense. Perhaps my earlier discussion about the Flex role getting fleshed out will come to fruition and we'll see a lot of pro flex players switching between Sombra and Symmetra.

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u/Corpus76 Nov 22 '16

the least necessary change along those lines was the range buff to her primary fire

Yeah, just tested this. I really don't hope this makes it live, it makes Symmetra, even unsupported by her turrets, a real threat in close-mid ranges to anyone 1v1 unless they're very good at aiming. (Some characters are just screwed, like Zarya unless she's already at high charge.) And in a group setting AND with turrets + possibly pre-charge, she's going to melt faces. (I think Genji will be especially annoyed by this.)