Symmetra

Symmetra is a Damage hero in Overwatch.

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

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
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, as if used otherwise, it has low damage per second.

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.

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 (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.

Story
"The true enemy of humanity is disorder."

Symmetra literally bends reality, and she is the Vishkar Corporation's premier hard-light architech. 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. When light-bending, Symmetra uses Kathak dance movements.

Symmetra is on the autism spectrum; 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. She finds it hard to sit still. She 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.

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.

Background
Satya Vaswani grew up in desperate poverty in Hyderabad, India. By her recollection, it was not a pleasant environment to grow up in; 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.

Vishkar
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.

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.

A Better World
"We're making the world a better place..."

- Symmetra

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.

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.

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.

Dispatch
"We'll send you over now. Find out what they want. A retreat center, a nice lump sum for repairs&mdash;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 Chandra. 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.

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.

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&mdash;these things are not unharmonious with faith. They are expressions of it."

- Zenyatta to Symmetra

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.

To her surprise, the priests didn't meditate, but were given orbs to study. 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.

Trivia

 * Chris Metzen has hinted at Symmetra possessing ulterior motivations. 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.


 * A magazine image of Symmetra could be found in an outhouse on Route 66. The image was removed in a later patch.


 * 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.


 * As of September 2016, Symmetra was the least played hero in Overwatch.
 * 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.

Development
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.

Symmetra's backstory was expanded through the development of Lúcio, as his backstory includes involvement with Vishkar as well. 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.

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).