On the hunt for a full breakdown of Overwatch 2 Kiriko abilities? Kiriko’s main role is to heal her teammates, but she can also protect her team from lethal attacks using her Protection Suzu, and her Kitsune Rush Ult gives her the ability to spearhead a team-wide attack and bestow huge buffs to her allies.
If you want to get the most out of Kiriko’s abilities in Overwatch 2, you need to pay close attention to the battlefield The same can be said for most Overwatch 2 roles, though it’s particularly important for the best support heroes like Kiriko – a poorly timed ability has the potential to spoil an entire match of the free PC game if you’re not careful. Here’s everything you need to know about Overwatch 2 Kiriko abilities, as well as some advice on how to play her effectively.
Overwatch 2 Kiriko abilities
Unlike most support heroes, Kiriko’s kit is surprisingly aggressive due to the damage output from her kunai. Coupled with strong mobility options like Swift Step, Kiriko only needs to land two headshots to take down most Overwatch 2 characters. She can also climb walls just like Genji and Hanzo – this can be extremely useful depending on which Overwatch 2 map you’re playing on. Finally, as a support character, Kiriko automatically heals herself over time when she’s out of combat for a few seconds.
Kunai
Don’t let the size of these projectiles fool you, Kiriko’s kunai deal a minimum of 40 damage, rising to a maximum of 120 if you land a headshot. Kiriko can hold 12 kunai, though it takes her roughly one full second to launch each projectile.
Swift Step
Swift Step allows you to teleport directly to an ally within 35m, the same range as Healing Ofuda. You can be attacked when casting Swift Step, so we recommend taking cover before heading to your teammates. It’s also important to remember that you’re temporarily invincible after using Swift Step, giving you room to enter the fray without having to worry about being attacked right away.
Protection Suzu
Kiriko’s protective charm temporarily allows her allies to become invulnerable, it also cleanses them of any negative effects such as Ana’s Biotic Grenade, Junker Queen’s wound, or Reinhardt’s Earthshatter. This ability heals allies in the area for 50 and has a cooldown of 14 seconds, giving you enough time to use this ability repeatedly in combat. It’s important to keep an eye on your opponent’s ultimate charge as a well-timed Protection Suzu could win your team the game.
Healing Ofuda
When it comes to healing teammates such as Kiriko, you don’t need to have perfect aim when sending out healing talismans. Once you’ve locked onto your ally’s blue outline, launch the talismans to restore the health of your teammates. Talismans home in on your chosen ally and they heal for 23 health points in bursts of two.
Kitsune Rush
Kiriko’s Ult sees her summon a fox spirit that creates a forward-facing AoE that accelerates the movement and attack speed, and reduces the cooldowns of allies that follow in its path. When combined with characters like Zarya and Reinhardt, this ultimate is perfect for rushing down the enemy team. We highly recommend testing this ability out in the training range before experimenting with it in real matches. Kitsune Rush can be easily stopped by uneven terrain as well as abilities from both your team and the opposition, like Mei’s Ice Wall.
Kiriko tips and strategy
The Protection Suzu can be thrown directly on the ground to instantly save yourself from a guaranteed death – don’t be afraid to use this ability on yourself if an enemy manages to corner you. While it’s important to use your abilities primarily to support your team, you need to take care of yourself first. While it seems like we’re stating the obvious, you can’t help your team if you keep getting killed.
Speaking of obvious advice, while Kiriko can dish out a surprising amount of damage, it’s very easy to become distracted during combat. New Kiriko players often attempt to rank themselves among the best Overwatch 2 DPS heroes when they really should focus on healing the team. This is very similar to the ‘Battle Mercy’ effect back in Overwatch 1. Trust us, no one likes being on a team with that person.
Swift Step is an excellent tool to head directly into the combat zone, but you need to analyse the situation before using this ability. If you’re playing alongside teammates that aren’t in constant communication with you via voice chat, you might end up teleporting to an ally that has no chance of surviving. Take a closer look at the battlefield before using Swift Step to avoid putting yourself in a deadly situation.
How to unlock Kiriko in Overwatch 2
Previously, in order to unlock Kiriko, you need to reach tier 55 on the Overwatch 2 battle pass. You can speed up the process by spending 1,000 Overwatch Coins on the premium battle pass, instantly unlocking Kiriko along with a 20% experience bonus to get through the tiers faster.
That’s all you need to master Overwatch 2 Kiriko abilities. If you’re brand new to Overwatch 2, you may want to check out our Sojourn abilities and Junker Queen abilities guide to get familiar with these new characters. Don’t forget to check out our Overwatch 2 tier list to find out where these characters stack up against the rest of the cast.