Barrier

Barriers are semi-transparent, semi-permeable structures that block incoming damage and most projectiles. Barriers can also block line of sight for certain abilities. They do not prevent heroes from crossing, nor block any melee attacks. Some attacks can pierce barriers. Barriers only affect the opposing team.

Barriers have shields for their HP. Unlike the shields on heroes, barriers' shields only regenerate while the barrier is inactivate, and with a 2 second delay instead of 3. Since most barriers are always active once deployed, the only barriers that can regenerate are the ones that can be recalled back. Like all shields, they are destroyed by EMP.

Projectiles that bounce off barriers
These abilities will not stick to, or activate on a barrier. Instead they will continuously move or fall until they reach the floor or a wall.

Trivia

 * Unlike most barriers, Zarya's barriers are pink and smooth on the surface.
 * Originally, they were blue with hexagonal patterns like all the other barriers.
 * Bastion used to generate a curved barrier in front of him while in Sentry mode.
 * Symmetra could previously generate a moving barrier, similar to Sigma's. This ability was also named Photon Barrier.
 * Barriers are often informally called "shields."
 * This confusion comes as many voice-lines in the game do not distinguish between HP Shields, and Barriers.
 * One such example is the command for needing assistance when activated on Zarya, will request a Shield.
 * Reinhardt also refers to his Barrier as a Shield, in several voicelines.