Latest Overwatch Update Gives Symmetra Two Ultimates

In Overwatch, a hero’s ultimate is usually their most powerful/useful ability, and every hero usually has only one ultimate. Until now.

As part of the latest update, Blizzard has given Symmetra, the light-bending support two ultimates. Lead Designer Jaff Kaplan discusses it in the latest Developer Update video, which you can watch below.

“Symmetra is going to be the first character in Overwatch to actually have a choice of ultimates,” Kaplan said. When the ability charges up, it’ll light up as it used to, but now players can do one of two things. Either they can use the teleporter ability (the old ultimate) or use a Shield Generator that can protect the entire team.

Blizzard is making more changes to the moveset. Symmetra can now use a Photon Barrier, which Kaplan comares to Reinhardt’s and Winston’s shields. The difference being, Symmetra’s barrier is elliptical and will move along a trajectory. It has both offensive and defensive uses. “It’s really effective if you’re hanging behind your time and they don’t have somebody like a Reinhardt,” Kaplan said. “Maybe they have a Roadhog and Zarya as their tanks up front, you can send this projected barrier out in front of you and it sort of signals your whole team to … follow with it.”

Symmetra can also be expected to be more offensive, as the latest update increases the range of her primary weapon. She can also stock up to six turrets.

The update is live for the PC players on the PTR. Read the patch notes for more details:

HERO BALANCE UPDATES

Symmetra

• New Abilities
  • Photon Barrier
    • Replaces her existing Photon Shield ability
    • Generates a large energy barrier in front of Symmetra that blocks enemy fire as it travels forward
  • Shield Generator (New Ultimate Ability)
    • Symmetra’s Ultimate ability now offers a choice between her Teleporter and a new option: Shield Generator
    • Shield Generator places a device that grants additional shields to any ally within the its effective radius, regardless of barriers, walls, or obstacles between heroes and the Shield Generator
• Photon Projector (Primary Fire)
  • Range has been increased from 5 meters to 7 meters
• Sentry Turret
  • Number of turrets that can be carried has been increased from 3 turrets to 6 turrets
  • Cooldown has been reduced from 12 seconds to 10 seconds
• Teleporter
  • Decreased health from 200 to 50
  • Increased shields from 0 to 350
• Photon Shield
  • Replaced with the new Photon Barrier ability

Zarya

• Particle Barrier/Projected Barrier
  • Attacks that deal damage to both a barrier and the target of a barrier (such as Reinhardt’s Fire Strike, Hanzo’s Dragonstrike, etc.), no longer deal damage to the barrier twice.

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