Overwatch 2 launched not only with every single original hero returning, many with tweaks and updates to their kits, but also three brand new heroes to join the fun. These new heroes, as well as all the new ones yet to be released, still fall into the familiar three categories of Damage, Support, and Tank roles. Even so, the diversity in each character within their roles can be massive — Mercy and Lucio are both Support characters but use very different skills and tactics.
Kiriko is the newest Support hero in Overwatch 2 with a very clear ninja inspiration. If her charming design wasn’t enough to interest players in trying her out, then her unique set of abilities certainly will. Support heroes can be the most tricky to learn, and Kiriko is on the more technical side of things in terms of characters, so a quick guide on how she works will help you make the most of this shinobi’s prowess. Here’s a full Kiriko guide for Overwatch 2.
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Kiriko overview
Kiriko, like Genji and Hanzo, is a quick and agile hero. She’s able to climb up walls for positioning and is able to recover her own health over time when not in combat. Her two main weapons are the Kunai and Healing Ofhuda.
Your Kunai is a fairly weak offensive option, which makes sense since Kiriko isn’t meant to be your team’s main damage dealer. However, you can get some bonus crit damage if you hit enemies in the head to make it more worth your while. In general, though, don’t expect to win any one-on-one duels with her since she only has 200 HP.
The Healing Ofhuda are tracking talismans you toss out at your teammates to heal them. The tracking means you don’t have to be pinpoint accurate. However, they aren’t all that quick, meaning you want to throw them out as soon as you realize a teammate is getting hurt or they might die before your talisman reach them. You can throw out five at a time before needing to restock.
Kiriko abilities
Aside from Kiriko’s passive abilities to climb walls and recover health over time, here’s everything she can do:
Swift Step: This skill instantly teleports Kiriko to an ally’s location. This works on any ally you’re aiming at, even if there are walls or other obstructions between you and them, making it useful both for getting into position to support as well as a way to escape a deadly situation yourself.
Protection Suzu: This is another support skill that lets you toss out a charm that makes one ally temporarily invulnerable to damage, plus remove any debuffs they might have. However, unlike Kiriko’s Healing Ofhuda, this won’t track and functions more like an arcing projectile or grenade. If it hits a wall or enemy, tough luck. At the same time, you can also aim straight down and hit yourself with the splash to make yourself invincible if need be.
Kitsune Rush: Kiriko’s ultimate ability is by far the most flashy. She begins by summoning a blue fox spirit that runs forward in the direction you are facing, leaving a ghostly path. Any teammates who are on this path will get faster movement, attack speed, and reduced cooldowns. This is a great way to break through choke points or push through contested areas.
Best ways to play Kiriko
It should come as no surprise, but Kiriko is best when on the rear of your team. This lets you chip away bits of damage with kunai when safe but mostly keep tabs on your Tank and Damage classes for healing. You don’t want to be too far back, though, since you want to keep in range of everyone if you need to toss out the Protection Suzu.
Take advantage of your mobility to access high ground and lightly flank the enemy. Don’t overextend, but poking out to split the enemy’s attention is very useful for preparing for a team push, and you can always fall back on your Swift Step to retreat back to the safety of your team if someone tries to chase you down.
Kiriko is great when the other team is using heroes like Ana and Junker Queen since both utilize debuff abilities you can nullify with your charm. The charm, along with your ultimate, should be a major component when synergizing with your team.
Kiriko is a great healer that, in the right hands, can fill your squad’s primary healing role solo. The only characters that don’t really benefit from her being around are the lone-wolf types, such as Widowmaker and Reaper.
What characters counter Kiriko
Every hero has another (or a few) that counter them that you should look out for and avoid if possible. For Kiriko, this includes heroes like Widowmaker, Sojourn, and Soldier 76, who can safely and accurately attack from long range and have smaller hit-boxes that make landing kunai difficult. Tracer and Genji are also dangerous since they are quick and can rush you down and take you out before you have a chance to retreat or hit yourself with a charm.
