There’s a perception that women play healers (especially Mercy thanks to her “easy” kit), adding a misogynistic layer to the ableist gatekeeping already present.īlizzard continues to make changes that vindicate these beliefs, and that do prevent some less mechanically talented players from enjoying the game and helping their team as effectively. The support role has been much maligned in the Overwatch community despite its necessity to the team, in large part because it’s seen as feminine. Mercy and Symmetra, on the other hand, were both support heroes. Both were hated for their perceived low skill floor (despite actually requiring a lot of alternative masteries to play well, like positioning and game sense), but Winston, a tank character with a similarly auto-aiming weapon, has never been the target of aggression in the same way. It’s not a coincidence that these two characters have been targets. Before Symmetra, they radically reworked Mercy in response to similar complaints. ![]() This isn’t the first time that Blizzard have acquiesced to players who were furious about the impact that perceived “low-skill” players could still have on the game. Her primary fire is also difficult to read it’s not immediately clear how far this beam projects and doesn’t have the same obvious tell as her previous fire snapping into place. Her secondary fire, slow travelling orbs, have been made more important, requiring players to get the hang of both aim and predicting enemy movements. She has only three turrets instead of six, giving her less margin for error. ![]() Effectively using her new teleporter and her new ultimate ability (which generates a wall that only friendly characters can shoot through) requires a well-coordinated team, something which is very rare in quick play and lower level competitive ranks. But the rest of her abilities are also made far more complex by the rework. The key change is her primary fire, which no longer locks on to nearby enemies, instead firing in a straight beam. But Symmetra is the latest hero to be changed in a way that undermines that initial accessibility. This appeal was one of the things that made Overwatch so successful. Symmetra and other heroes with unique kits were a way into the game for players of all abilities not just disabled fans but also those who were simply less familiar with first person shooters. When the game is so fun and you have characters that don’t even have to aim, that’s amazing, that’s innovative. “ just locks on to anybody who is near you – that’s amazing, I love that! I love that element of the game. And that was a milder comment when I chose her after the rework was announced (but before it was playable on the test servers), one member of the opposing team told me: “People who play Sym are f*****s and shall be executed.”Ĭontrast this with an accessibility review of Overwatch, created by disabled gamer Latif not long after the game’s release. “No aim, no brain, Symmetra main,” became a meme, often seen in match chat whenever someone got frustrated. Players who thought the game should only reward a narrow definition of skill, hinging on aim and reflexes, became vitriolic. ![]() The main point of contention was her auto-aim primary fire, which locked on to enemies within range and charged up, doing more damage over time. Yet she was also one of the most hated characters in the game. ![]() In the Overwatch League, she was the only hero to never be played at all. At lower levels she was sometimes chosen in very specific situations, usually as the first point of defence on certain maps, but her pick rate plummeted the further up the rankings you went. Despite a previous rework, she was rarely played. She was the only support character not capable of healing her teammates, leaving players unsure of what her role was. Symmetra has always been a bit of an odd-hero-out among Overwatch’s roster of characters.
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