Kiriko Overwatch 2 – Abilities, Weapons, Gameplay & Tips

Overwatch 2 has introduced 3 new characters for the launch of the new game. This brings the total roster of playable heroes to 35. Each one of these heroes has their own unique weapons, playstyle, and abilities. On top of this, each hero also fulfills a specific role for their team. There are 3 different roles in Overwatch 2, which are tanks that can protect their team, supports that can heal them, and DPS that can dish out the damage to their foes. The newest hero, Kiriko, is a brand new support character that can aid her team with her trusty kitsune spirit. Here is everything that players need to know about using Kiriko in Overwatch 2.

Who is Kiriko in Overwatch 2?

Kiriko is a ninja support healer in Overwatch 2. She is able to climb walls and keep her teammates safe from harm and large attacks. She is the newest hero to join the ranks of Overwatch 2 and is the first hero to be available through the Premium Battle Pass. In addition to keeping her teammates alive, she is also able to do a respectable amount of damage, making her a very versatile addition to any team. By learning her abilities, players will be able to keep their team safe and help to ensure a victory.

Note: You can read about all of the Overwatch 2 characters here.

Support characters were reworked in Overwatch 2

With Overwatch 2 one of the biggest changes was how the team composition works. In the original Overwatch, players fought in 6v6 matches, but in Overwatch 2, it’s now down to 5v5. With this reduction in players on each team, each side has one less tank to work with. To make up for there being fewer tanks in the match, each role received its own special passive ability to even the odds. For support characters, this passive allows them to steadily regain their own HP after not taking damage for a few seconds. This means that supports such as Kiriko can dip into cover, heal up, and get right back into the fray and help keep her team alive.

Kiriko’s abilities in Overwatch 2

Kiriko is the first support to be added to the new Overwatch 2 game, and because of this, she is going to be able to make some big waves in the meta. Players who want to excel with Kiriko will need to learn to carefully balance her skills to not only shield their team but also help with pushing using her Ultimate Ability. Used correctly, Kiriko can be a real force to be reckoned with and can even help her team tank some of the hardest-hitting abilities in the entire game.

Wall Climb

One of the perks of being a ninja is that Kiriko is able to climb walls by simply jumping at them. This can help her to reach higher ground to get a better vantage point or to simply escape an enemy that is pursuing her. To execute this ability, players will just need to press the jump button while moving towards a wall.

Healing Ofuda

Kiriko really is a true balance between damage and healing, and her primary weapon will prove that. When Kiriko unleashes her primary weapon, it will fire a burst of healing talismans that will seek out allies and heal them. These bursts can seek out allied targets. When Kiriko launches a volley of Healing Ofuda, they will be one of two different colors. When they are blue, that means they are not seeking an ally to heal. However, when they are yellow, they are actively tracking an allied player and will heal them as soon as they reach them.

Healing Ofuda holds 10 rounds and travels as a projectile towards her targets.

Kunai

For Kiriko’s Secondary Fire, she will be able to throw a Kunai at her enemies. These thrown weapons can do a respectable 120 damage if she manages to land a headshot on an enemy. She can hold up to 12 of them at a time before having to reload to get more. With this weapon, she is able to return fire and damage the enemy team while also keeping her own team topped up.

Swift Step

As a support hero, being able to quickly reach another player to heal them is very important. With Swift Step, Kiriko can quickly teleport directly to another player, even if they are located through walls. This means that she can use the ability to save an ally that is in danger, or she can make a quick escape into a group that can keep her safe from harm to buy her time to heal up. This ability has a 7-second cooldown and an effective range of 35 meters.

Protection Suzu

This ability can offer Kiriko the ability to make her and her team invulnerable for up to .75 seconds, in addition to cleansing them of any negative effects. This can be used to make some powerful plays, where Kiriko can cause her team to avoid taking damage from heavy-hitting Ultimates. However, this will take some careful timing and planning. This is because Protection Suzu is a thrown projectile that will take time to travel and activate. In addition, Protection Suzu also heals players in the area for 50 HP. The ability has a cooldown of 14 seconds.

Kitsune Rush

With Kitsune Rush, Kiriko can summon her trusty kitsune spirit to help her and her team in combat. When used, a spirit fox will rush out in front of Kiriko and travel in a straight line. Kiriko and any of her teammates who follow the path of the fox will receive numerous buffs. These buffs include increased movement speed, reload speed, and cooldown reduction. This ability can be used as a good way to push into an area or to follow up on an attack that was foiled by her team.

Tips for playing as Kiriko in Overwatch 2

When playing as Kiriko, players can think of her as similar to Brigitte, in that she is more of a combat medic sort of hero. With this in mind, players can be on the front lines with their team, keeping them alive, and taking out foes with her Kunai. For any large attacks, Kiriko can throw her Protection Suzu and quickly turn the tables on her enemies. When working with flanking heroes such as Genji and Tracer, she can work even better as she can keep up with them and keep them alive as well.

Kiriko should aim to stay with her team however because even though she is a capable healer and can hold her own, she will not be able to duel with the best heroes in the game. Because of this, she is best when she is paired with another hero that can peel for her or distract the enemy long enough for her to finish them off.

Pick Kiriko to step into victory in Overwatch 2

For any player who wants a good combination hero that can offer a mixture of damage and healing, Kiriko is a quality choice. Not only is she fun to play, but she can be effective in almost any team composition, helping to heal her team as she uses her Kitsune Rush to power them all up as they step forward to claim victory.