[Update (as of 21 September, 2am SGT): The origin story of Kiriko has now been unveiled, a week after her official hero reveal. It offers a brief glimpse of her relationship with her family and the kitsune spirit, and you can check it out below.]
(original article as follows)
Blizzard Entertainment is all geared up to welcome Overwatch 2 back into the fray, as it has lifted the veil on its next upcoming hero. Ahead of the game’s official launch on 4 October, new addition Kiriko and her skill set were shown off in a gameplay trailer, and boy, does she look real nimble.
The video confirms earlier speculation of a fox-related hero, which started to surface after a blue kitsune appeared in the Overwatch 2 reveal teaser. Then, lore enthusiasts scrambled to connect the dots — the spirit was mentioned in an accompanying story to the Kanezaka Deathmatch map, appearing in a letter from a woman named Asa to her husband, Toshiro, who is imprisoned by a rival clan of the Shimadas. In it, she writes that their daughter will “ask the fox spirit for strength to continues this fight.”
With the official announcement of Kiriko, all of that (nicely-done) guesswork can now be put to the rest. The young Asian is arriving as a support hero, and will bring the following abilities to the fight:
- Healing Ofuda: Channel a burst of healing talismans that can seek targeted allies
- Kunai: Thrown projectile that deals increased critical damage
- Swift: Teleport directly to an ally, even through walls
- Protection Suzu: Upon impact, allies in the area become briefly invulnerable and are cleansed of most negative effects
- Kitsune Rush (Ultimate): Summon a fox spirit that rushes forward, accelerating the movement, attack speed, and cooldowns of allies that follow its path.
Like both Genji and Hanzo, she also has a Wall Climb passive that allows her to jump at walls and, well, climb up them. The critical damage bonus seems to favour FPS or aim-accurate players, while the other skills are somewhat a mish-mash of the other heroes’ skill sets. Swift Step bears similarities to Reaper’s Shadow Step, Protection Suzu works almost in the same way as Baptiste’s Immortality Field, and Kitsune Rush can be likened to an upgrade of Lucio’s Speed Boost.
The absence of actual in-game footage makes it difficult to gauge just how similar or different Kiriko’s abilities are to the case examples, but it’s good to know that she has some maneuverability. Since the 5v5 format lacks an off-tank to peel for support players, this mobility boost may increase survivability chances.
Kiriko will be coming to Overwatch 2 at launch. All players who own the original game will have instant access to her, Junker Queen, and Sojourn through their Founder’s Pack. The hero can also be unlocked at Tier 55 of the Season 1 Battle Pass, which serves as the replacement for loot boxes. Alongside Kiriko, the Battle Pass will usher in a new Portugal map, a Cyberpunk Genji mythic skin, and a whole lot of other cosmetics, but do note that the original title won’t be playable once it drops.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Edwin Teo
