How to play Kiriko in Overwatch 2

The cast of heroes continues to grow with the release of Overwatch 2, giving players access to new abilities, playstyles, and mechanics to learn.

Among the three new heroes released alongside the early access of the game is Kiriko, a ninja from Kanezaka that trained alongside the Shimada brothers, Hanzo and Genji. Kiriko blends her cultural traditions with modern technology to help those around her, always remaining in touch with the power of the kitsune passed down through generations.

Players will notice that while Kiriko shares many elements with other heroes in the Overwatch 2 roster, together these features create a strong hero capable of providing a multitude of buffs to her allies. But her cooldowns make her a rather complicated hero to understand, so players may struggle to fully grasp her effectiveness until they practice.

Here is the most efficient way to play Kiriko in Overwatch 2, maximizing both survivability and usefulness in any team composition.

How to play Kiriko in Overwatch 2

Kiriko has an abundance of utility in her kit. From healing to teleporting to allies and providing large instances of invincibility, Kiriko stands out among the small pool of support heroes and will quickly become a strong force in competitive and professional play.

Unfortunately, like other support heroes, Kiriko has very low health and is susceptible to nearly any incoming damage. With only 200 health, a stray bullet from any damage hero can force Kiriko players to retreat. Her only form of self-sustain is through her support passive, which will heal her out of combat, but Kiriko generally wants to be in the back of fights and away from danger.

Kiriko’s left-click fires Healing Ofuda that seek nearby damaged allies. Though she can only have 10 at a time, her reload is very fast and she doesn’t have to be too close for the healing to take effect. Therefore, Kiriko players should look for areas where they can protect themselves without having to worry if they’ll be able to hear their allies.

Kiriki’s most important regular ability, Protection Suzu, has her throw an orb that grants any allies hit invincibility for a short duration. Due to its long cooldown, players should save this ability for risky fights or to bait out enemy ultimates. It also has an added bonus of cleansing allies of debuffs, including anti-heal from Ana and Junker Queen, which can change the outcome of fights.

To escape incoming fire, Kiriko has both her passive wall climb ability—the same as the Shimadas— as well as her Swift Step, which allows her to teleport to nearby allies instantly. This ability can be used through walls to catch enemies off guard, as well as to assist allies that may be in peril.

Kiriko’s ultimate, Kitsune Rush, is perfect for teams that need a boost to push a point. While in the highlighted area, allies gain increased movement speed, attack speed, and cooldown reduction for a few seconds, making this one of the most powerful ultimate abilities in the game. Players should combo this ultimate with her Protection Suzu to ensure allies get the most of the ultimate’s bonuses without being taken down in the process.

In terms of damage potential, Kiriko is a unique case. She can throw kunai using her right-click, though they do less damage than nearly every projectile in the game. But it incurs a triple damage ratio when hitting a headshot, which is a hard feat due to how small the knives are. While players certainly shouldn’t feign from throwing the kunai, they should be aware that Kiriko isn’t the best option for peeling.