Overwatch 2’s newest hero, Kiriko, blends tradition and modernity with a powerful healing package 

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Whispers of a hero primarily based across the crafty and mischievous fox spirit, or kitsune, have been swirling within the Overwatch group for years. Developers have sprinkled robust hints all through Overwatch 2s betas about the potential inclusion of one other Japanese hero, and now it’s lastly time for the protector of Kanezaka to formally make her debut.

Kiriko, a younger girl who educated alongside Hanzo and Genji Shimada and carries the facility of the fox spirit into battle, might be Overwatch 2’s subsequent hero.

She’ll be the primary assist hero launched within the recreation in over three years and brings with her an especially powerful package primarily based round mobility and team-wide buffs. 

A protector of the shrine in Kanezaka like her grandmother earlier than her, Kiriko makes use of the fox spirit to facilitate mobility and energy for her staff. Her mom, a storied ninja who educated the Shimada brothers, instilled in her a combating spirit. Kiriko has banded collectively with a group of teenagers who name themselves the Yokai to guard Kanezaka group members threatened by the Hashimoto, an evil clan that moved in after the Shimada clan disbanded. 

Players who have already got Overwatch can have Kiriko unlocked at no cost when Overwatch 2 launches in early entry on Oct. 4 so long as they log in earlier than the primary nine-week season is up.

She’ll be immediately unlocked if a premium Season One battle cross is bought; in any other case, new Overwatch gamers should unlock her by the free cross.

Abilities 

Developers describe Kiriko as a “single-target hybrid healer” that may get into a skirmish and assist out in any means potential. Her powerful package displays this division between healing and dealing harm. 

Primary Fire: Healing Ofuda 

Kiriko is ready to goal allies and throw ofuda–paper talismans imbued with powers–of their path to heal them. This is a collection of 5 projectiles that can hone in on an ally. The Healing Ofuda is a very slow-moving potential, so there’s a possibility for gamers to throw them forward of time in the event that they anticipate harm.  

Secondary Fire: Kunai 

Not content material with sitting again and letting everybody else have the enjoyable, Kiriko throws kunai with her secondary hearth to deal harm. They’re very quick and inflict extra harm once they hit critically, making the power extra useful to gamers who’re used to aiming projectiles.  

Swift Step 

Kiriko’s important motion potential is the Swift Step, which permits her to focus on a single ally–within the vein of Mercy’s Guardian Angel potential–and teleport to them immediately. This teleport may even undergo partitions, making it invaluable when making an attempt to catch up with a staff or save allies from a skirmish elsewhere on the map. 

Protection Suzu 

Possibly Kiriko’s most beneficial potential, the Protection Suzu is a small “bell” that may be thrown on the bottom or into allies that provides a brief burst of immortality and cleanses all debuffs.

Though different talents (like Zarya’s boundaries) can cleanse sure debuffs; that is the primary potential in Overwatch that may even absolutely take away Ultimate-based debuffs. In a press convention, builders confirmed this cleanse consists of results from Reinhardt’s Earthshatter and Sombra’s EMP. Protection Suzu may even take away regular debuffs, like Ashe’s Dynamite hearth harm, Ana’s Sleep Dart and anti-heal grenades, and extra. 

It reportedly has a lengthy cooldown, although, so gamers should be conscious of when and the place to forged it.     

Ultimate: Kitsune Rush 

This vibrant visible final–which was teased in one of many Overwatch 2 trailers–sees Kiriko forged a “path” that provides large buffs to teammates. According to the Developer Update, Kitsune Rush provides allies “motion velocity, assault velocity, reload velocity,” and a cooldown discount.

For instance, an ally Ana hit by Kitsune Rush would see her cooldowns for Healing Grenade and Sleep Dart diminished dramatically, making these talents accessible sooner. 

This appears to be a incredible potential for dashing in and participating fights, making it extra of an offensive assist final within the vein of Brigitte’s Rally and much less of a defensive one like Zenyatta’s Transcendence. 

As a passive potential, Kiriko may climb partitions the identical means Genji and Hanzo can.

All of this sounds extremely powerful for a assist hero, however builders are conscious of the overpowered potential of her package and are working laborious to stability it. 

In a press convention, Hero Designer Piero Herrera stated that the invulnerability of her Protection Suzu is without doubt one of the issues they’re “actually anticipating” in playtests. 

“We have processes in place to make positive we will obtain stability even after she’s launched, within the first couple of weeks,” he stated. “She’s packed up with a lot of utility however I believe we nailed the stability very well.”

Kiriko might be accessible from Oct. 4 when Overwatch 2 launches in early entry.   


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