Symmetra | |
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Overwatch character | |
First game | Overwatch (2016) |
Created by | Jeff Kaplan[1] |
Designed by | Arnold Tsang[1] Roman Kenney & Ben Zhang (equipment)[2] |
Voiced by | Anjali Bhimani[3] |
In-universe information | |
Class | Support (original) Damage (2018 rework) |
Nationality | Indian |
Symmetra, full name Satya Vaswani, is a character who first appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Voiced by Anjali Bhimani, she makes later appearances in related literary media and the game's sequel, Overwatch 2. Conceived by Jeff Kaplan and designed by Arnold Tsang, the character was conceived due to a desire to include a classic fantasy wizard into the game's science fiction setting, expressed through her ability to create constructs from thin air using hard-light technology. A woman of Indian descent, she works for the Vishkar Corporation, protecting their interests while working to expand their influence despite her concerns about their intentions. Since the game's release she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise.
Symmetra as a fictional character was mostly well received since her debut, albeit with some criticisms on how Blizzard handled her cultural aspects. The developers were heavily praised for their approach to how she is portrayed as a person on the autism spectrum, finding it a breath of fresh air compared to most pop-culture depictions and applauded for their subtle approach to the subject as just one of many character traits she has. Her gameplay in Overwatch however proved far more divisive, resulting in a rift in the player community as some assumed she was chosen by players to either grief or troll their teammates, resulting in Symmetra players receiving verbal abuse or attempts to ban them from the game. Said players argued in favor of her, countering that they enjoyed her strategic gameplay and saw her as a tactical choice in the team-based game.
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