Kiriko Is Overwatch 2's 35th Hero And This Is How To Unlock Her

Overwatch 2 has unveiled its latest playable character, a Support hero called Kiriko.

A highly mobile healer, Kiriko uses her Healing Ofuda talismans to heal her allies and Kunai Blades to damage foes. Her Swift Step allows Kiriko to teleport to her teammate's aid and her Protection Suzu cleanses debuffs and provides a temporary shield. Her Ultimate Ability is the Kitsune Rush. With this ability, Kiriko summons a fox spirit to lead her team, granting her allies a speed buff; decreasing the cooldowns on their abilities; and increasing reload speeds. Essential for teams rushing to take/retake an objective. Kiriko's speed and agility allows her to climb over (and with her Swift Step teleport through) walls, making her a strong flanking hero that will pair well with characters such as Genji.

Little is known about Kiriko's lore currently. She hails from the Japanese town of Kanezaka (itself a new map for Overwatch 2). She is the latest in a long line of guardians and strives to balance her culture's traditions with more modernist tastes. Kiriko also has a long history with the Shimada brothers, her mother taught Hanzo and Genji how to fight, and she practically grew up with them.
 

Kiriko is the third new hero added to the Overwatch franchise in Overwatch 2 after Sojourn and the Junker Queen. However, Kiriko will be the first Overwatch 2 hero locked behind the new Battle Pass system (Sojourn and Junker Queen will be available to all players at launch). Those that already own Overwatch will be able to access Kiriko via the Founders Pack by simply logging into Overwatch 2 during the new title's first two seasons. 

Blizzard believes that introducing new heroes such as Kiriko through the Battle Pass will give the company time "to tune their balance quickly if needed, as well as give players time to experiment with them" before the character becomes available in Competitive modes. Kiriko and future heroes will be locked until the player reaches Tier 55 of the Battle Pass (or spends $10 on the 1000 Overwatch Coins needed to purchase the Premium Battle Pass - with which heroes are unlocked immediately). Don't worry if you miss out on a hero, however as there will apparently be ways to unlock characters you previously missed out on. These include completing special challenges and buying the hero directly from the in-game store with, you guessed it, Overwatch Coins.

Kiriko and Overwatch 2 launch on 4th October on Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
 

Alex Johnson (@AlexJohnWriting)
News Editor, NoobFeed