Overwatch 2 Reveals New Hero
Overwatch 2 developer Blizzard Entertainment has officially revealed the latest and greatest hero set to join the upcoming free-to-play video game's playable roster. The newest Overwatch 2 hero is officially Kiriko, a Support hero that combines modern and traditional sensibilities alongside straightforward combat prowess and healing. She joins the previously revealed new heroes Junker Queen and Sojourn as being part of Overwatch 2 when it launches for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on October 4th.
The reveal of Kiriko will not be entirely surprising to some folks as her existence was previously leaked through an unfinished cinematic. What that unfinished cinematic lacked, however, was details. For example, Blizzard has revealed that Kiriko grew up alongside both Genji and Hanzo as her mother actually trained them. You can check out her introduction video below:
🦊Introducing Kiriko 🦊
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) September 15, 2022
An all-new support hero and her Fox Spirit companion rush into the action.
#Overwatch2 arrives free-to-play October 4. pic.twitter.com/yXfs7knpB2
Blizzard has also now revealed her full kit, which you can check out below:
The developers of Overwatch 2 describe Kiriko as a "battle healer" in that she really wants to be in the thick of things, moving in and out while healing and dealing damage both in a hybrid role. Her primary ability, Healing Ofuda, fires ofuda that home on allies to heal them. Her secondary fire throws a kunai that deals increased critical damage. And while her Protection Suzu ability might seem incredibly powerful at first blush, granting invulnerability and a cleansing effect, it is brief and also features a relatively long cooldown.
It is worth stressing, however, that Kiriko will not be immediately available to all players. Anyone that plays Overwatch 2 will have immediate access to both Junker Queen and Sojourn, but Kiriko specifically is part of the upcoming video game's free Battle Pass. Future new heroes will also work this way. She unlocks at tier 55 on it, but anyone that owns the original Overwatch will get Kiriko through their Founder's Pack, which can be redeemed by logging into Overwatch 2 prior to the end of Season 2. Also, anyone that purchases the Premium Battle Pass for the first season will instantly unlock Kiriko. That said, she will not be available in Competitive modes at the start but instead will become available two weeks after the first season begins -- which is how new heroes will work going forward.
As noted above, Overwatch 2 is set to release, free to play, for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on October 4th. New heroes available at launch include Junker Queen, Sojourn, and Kiriko. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the upcoming sequel video game right here.
What do you think about the new Overwatch 2 hero? Are you personally excited to see Kiriko in action? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to reach out and hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop in order to talk about all things gaming!