The newly released Overwatch 2 has understandably dominated a lot of the gaming news cycle in recent weeks, with the title recently entering early access on October 4. Since then, players have become familiar with the new feel of the game, and the many changes that have been made to the returning cast of playable heroes from the original Overwatch.
As well as having sweeping changes made to many in-game abilities, all the returning heroes in Overwatch 2 are sporting brand-new looks to their base skins, indicating a shift in narrative and the passing of time between the two games. When taking into account all of these aesthetic changes that have been made, the shifts in Symmetra's look could very well indicate a more villainous turn to her character within the story of Overwatch 2.
The Core Details of Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 is the recently released latest addition to the Overwatch franchise, maintaining a majority of the hero-based arena online shooter formula of the original title. To set itself apart from its predecessor, Overwatch 2 has made some massive changes to core gameplay, such as reducing team sizes from six players to five, and introducing three brand-new heroes named Sojourn, Kiriko, and Junker Queen.
As well as this, huge tweaks have been made to older characters like Doomfist and Orissa, with Doomfist entirely changing combat roles from a damage-based hero to a tank. However, Overwatch 2 is most ambitious in its intention to release a comprehensive PvE mode in 2023, providing players with a series of seasonally released co-operative missions that have untold potential for character interaction and narrative storytelling for the lore of the franchise.
This upcoming PvE mode will likely be the key impetus for developments within the Overwatch lore, and will thus be the place where players become familiar with the stories of the heroes between the two releases and the reasoning behind their new looks. With fans looking at these new Overwatch 2 skins to gauge early insight into what these character changes may be, many are predicting that Symmetra may take a more sinister turn over the course of the game.
Changes to Symmetra in Overwatch 2
Symmetra is a longstanding damage hero in the Overwatch franchise, being one of the first 12 playable characters during the initial reveal of the first Overwatch in 2014. With the ability to place sentries and teleporters that can be used by teammates, Symmetra is unique in the balance of defensive and offensive capabilities that she brings to combat as a damage hero.
Within the lore, Symmetra was plucked out of intense poverty as a child to work for the Vishkar Corportation thanks to her affinity for working with highly advanced but volatile light-bending technology. Having a fairly isolated upbringing within the company's academy, Symmetra would go on to become a clandestine agent, traveling the world to negotiate deals and even sabotaging competitors to the Vishkar Corportaiton.
The morally-gray nature of this work has always put the true intentions of Symmetra into question by fans, with Overwatch devs themselves historically hinting at a darker potential for the character. In Overwatch 2, Symmetra's attire has much darker tones to it, including a pointier headpiece, perhaps indicating the title's intention to explore a more villainous path for her. As well as this, Symmetra's new look sports the classic good-turned-evil trope of having a strand of hair coming down over her face, ruining the previous namesake symmetry of her look. While it remains to be seen whether a darker route will be taken for Symmetra in Overwatch 2, the changes made to her design could easily indicate the early signs of a sinister change in direction for the character.
Overwatch 2 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
