Overwatch 2 is set to release very soon and more details are steadily being released including information about one of the original game’s heroes: Symmetra.
In Overwatch lore, Symmetra is a character with Autism, but it was rarely reflected in-game despite comics and other story pieces indicating that she is on the spectrum.
The sequel is hoping to remedy this by making it far more apparent and celebrating her Autism in-game through quite a few voice lines.
In a thread on Twitter, Narrative Designer Joshi Zhang delved into how they’re subtly representing Autism as she dukes it out with and against fellow members of the Overwatch roster.
OW2 is highlighting Symmetra’s Autism in combat
“I asked myself, how would her autism influence her experience on the battlefield?” Zhang explained in a series of posts.
In order to showcase this, Zhang revealed how Symmetra will comment on sensations that please or bother her such as being mesmerized by hard light – a key component of her gameplay.
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There are plenty of little sprinklings in her new voicelines that indicate her unique perspective. For example, as someone who experiences heightened sensory input, she'll comment on sensations that please her- or bother her. pic.twitter.com/Zts0U0wsrr
— Joshi ☀️ (@ZhangJoshi) September 30, 2022
One clip the dev highlighted is when she gets a kill on the music-based hero Lucio, she will remark: “finally, I can hear myself think.”
According to the dev, there are plenty of other voice lines that indicate her perspective on things. Surely, there will be a lot to discover when the game is out, and everyone with a proper phone plan can check it out.
“At the end of the day, I hope that autistic members of the OW community feel like they are seen. Autism is not a weakness; it’s a strength to be celebrated by all,” Zhang concluded.
Here is an example of a sensation that… she's learned to tolerate, but thank goodness the source of that cacophony's been removed. (3:48) https://t.co/lsjm8y5536
— Joshi ☀️ (@ZhangJoshi) September 30, 2022
It’s not yet clear what Blizzard has planned for Symmetra once Overwatch 2’s PvE story content is added later on in 2023, but seeing how they’re doing so much to showcase her Autism in PvP, it’s likely that there is much more to come.
Overwatch 2 is set to release October 4 on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch consoles with a mobile port still rumored for the future.