The most consistently praised aspect of Overwatch 2 is undoubtedly its diverse roster of heroes, as players can take control of characters from all over the world with unique backgrounds and skill sets. Though there are some clear similarities between certain heroes, like Reinhardt and Sigma’s barriers or Hanzo and Genji’s familial connection, one unexpected pairing is Lucio and Symmetra.
On first glance, there is little connecting a musician who uses sound to heal with a hardlight expert obsessed with creating an orderly world. Lucio’s heroic, rebellious nature directly contrasts with Symmetra’s stern personality, and with Symmetra leaving the Support role several years ago, one of the only things they had in common faded away. However, despite being very different characters in terms of their gameplay and personalities, the lore of Overwatch 2 sees them both having ties to the Vishkar Corporation.
What The Vishkar Corporation Means for Symmetra and Lucio
The Vishkar Corporation is comparable to The Empire and First Order from Star Wars, as it strives to create a high-tech, orderly world no matter the cost. For Symmetra, the Vishkar Corporation means everything, as she has been aligned with it since she was a child. The Vishkar Corporation is known to recruit poor children and give them a purpose, as they are taught to be architecs. As architechs, they can make structures from hardlight, which is seen with Symmetra’s gameplay. As one would expect, they are only shown the good sides of Vishkar and are essentially indoctrinated to love the company.
Considering that Symmetra had nothing before Vishkar, it is no surprise that she became fiercely loyal to it. Vishkar’s goal of making society into a well-oiled machine also lines up with what Symmetra hopes for. Symmetra is confirmed to be on the Autism Spectrum, with her Overwatch short story highlighting her discomfort whenever she is in crowds or unfocused social situations. With this in mind, it makes sense that she would be eager to forge a world that makes her happier. A truly neutral character, Symmetra’s technology and goals are not inherently bad, but the corporation she is part of is certainly not benevolent.
No character better illustrates the flaws of Vishkar than Lucio. According to the sports-loving musician, Vishkar “stole” his father’s technology, an act that understandably bothered Lucio. To make matters worse, Lucio has often referred to his dad in past tense with his voice lines, suggesting that he could be dead. Though it is unclear if Vishkar had a role in his potential demise, it seemingly never gave Lucio’s dad the credit he deserved, stealing the idea for sonic technology just as Lucio described.
Unfortunately, following the Omnic Crisis, this technology was used to suppress the people of Rio De Janeiro - a location that just so happened to be Lucio’s home. Lucio cared greatly for his community, preparing meals for children and securing books for his local library. When Vishkar obtained a contract to redevelop Rio, and used its power to create an overly strict culture that exploited workers and enforced curfews, Lucio had enough. He took back his father’s technology and used the Sonic Amplifier to lead a revolution. Vishkar was eventually chased out of Rio, with Lucio saving his people from living in a police state and instantly becoming an iconic figure across the world thanks to his heroism.
Lucio owes his fame to defeating Vishkar just as Symmetra owes her success to working with the corporation. Though Symmetra could be a genuine force for good with the right guidance, the place she works for is only interested in one form of society. While the characters have butt heads through in-game Overwatch interactions, perhaps Lucio’s origin story could be key to helping Symmetra realize that Vishkar is problematic. With Overwatch 2’s PvE mode coming soon, maybe fans will get to see these two characters interact in some canon content.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
