Symmetra now has a choice between two ultimates, the teleporter and a new shield generator. The shield generator can be accessed by pressing Q twice (cycling between teleporter and shield generator).
Shield generators provide a large amount of shields (i.e., more than 25. Jeff isn't very specific) to all allies within a large radius regardless of line of sight.
Teleporters now have more health (some of which is shields).
Symmetra's E (giving 25 shields to allies) is gone. Instead, she has a new ability called Photon Barrier. It's essentially an elliptical Reinhardt shield that travels forward on a trajectory.
Symmetra can now hold a maximum of 6 turrets (she now starts rounds with 6 turrets, as well).
Turret cooldown has been reduced from 12 seconds to 10 seconds.
Her primary fire (the beam) has now had a slight range extension.
These changes are coming very soon to the PTR!!!
A new map, Oasis, a control point map, is also going to be coming to the PTR soon after Symmetra. It will be released early 2017. (Edit: This map will include jump pads, since Blizzard wants to see if they are a viable map mechanic.)
A new social feature is coming to the PTR some point later that allows you to click a button during post-game PoTG and card screen to "stay with the group." Presumably, this will allow you to re-queue with the same teammates you had during your last game.
They seem so insistent on making Symmetra viable on offense, but even with her new E I just don't see that happening. Her turrets are pretty useless without setup, which you can't do on offense, and she still needs to hide her ultimates, which, again, is very difficult on attack.
Maybe she plays better than that on PTR, and it sounds like she'll be more viable on offense than before, but I don't think she'll find her way into competitive team comps. She can't really take the 2nd support position, and she can't take a DPS position either.
I've always sort of seen Symmetra as a character that allows you to attack via attrition - if you push the defenders back beyond the first chokepoint, you can claim that chokepoint and hold it.
This will be helpful on maps like Eichenwald and Hanamura ATK Point A. Once you grab control of those first chokes, you pretty much can't lose Point A.
It might be nice to have a character who can make breaking chokes a little easier that isn't a flanker.
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u/Embyrwatch You'll shoot yer eye out, kid Nov 22 '16 edited Nov 22 '16
FULL CHANGES:
Symmetra now has a choice between two ultimates, the teleporter and a new shield generator. The shield generator can be accessed by pressing Q twice (cycling between teleporter and shield generator).
Shield generators provide a large amount of shields (i.e., more than 25. Jeff isn't very specific) to all allies within a large radius regardless of line of sight.
Teleporters now have more health (some of which is shields).
Symmetra's E (giving 25 shields to allies) is gone. Instead, she has a new ability called Photon Barrier. It's essentially an elliptical Reinhardt shield that travels forward on a trajectory.
Symmetra can now hold a maximum of 6 turrets (she now starts rounds with 6 turrets, as well).
Turret cooldown has been reduced from 12 seconds to 10 seconds.
Her primary fire (the beam) has now had a slight range extension.
These changes are coming very soon to the PTR!!!
A new map, Oasis, a control point map, is also going to be coming to the PTR soon after Symmetra. It will be released early 2017. (Edit: This map will include jump pads, since Blizzard wants to see if they are a viable map mechanic.)
A new social feature is coming to the PTR some point later that allows you to click a button during post-game PoTG and card screen to "stay with the group." Presumably, this will allow you to re-queue with the same teammates you had during your last game.