Overwatch 2: The Best Tips For Playing As Kiriko

After establishing the hero shooter genre with "Overwatch," Blizzard Entertainment followed up the title with "Overwatch 2." Early reviews were mostly aligned when it came to the sequel's pros and cons, with praise showered upon its gameplay mechanics and criticism levied towards the publisher for perceived over-monetization. However, one aspect remains consistent between entries — there are some cool characters! And one of the coolest new additions to the "Overwatch" roster is Kiriko.

A Japanese ninja with a kitsune spirit, Kiriko is efficient at taking care of her team members while simultaneously dishing out copious amounts of pain to enemies. Given her status as a fresh Support hero, both new and returning players may struggle to find exactly where Kiriko's strengths and weaknesses lie in the early stages of the game. However, with some practice, Kiriko can be one of the most overpowered and fun heroes in "Overwatch 2."

Kiriko's secondary attack is called Kunai, through which she uses throwing knives as projectiles against enemies. Normally, hitting a target with Kunai doesn't do a lot of damage and only depletes 40 of their HP. However, a head shot with this attack triples that value and deals 120 damage. Essentially, hitting an opponent's torso will only bring them down after about five shots, however, it only takes two headshots to achieve the same result. As noted by Joseph Pascoulis of Charlie Intel, players need to master aiming at their opponents' heads to turn Kiriko into a formidable offensive force.

YouTuber and "Overwatch 2" player Arrge shows this strategy in practice and details the best way to go about it in their video guide. While players may be tempted to aim wildly and fire Kiriko's Kunai indiscriminately into a crowd of enemies, it's best to always keep your distance and aim hair-level. As mentioned by Arrge, the Kunai do not have any kind of drop-off when it comes to distance shooting. This means you can stand as far away from your target as you please without compromising your aim. Be mindful to always keep those shots high.

While attacking with Kunai can be a fun and challenging experience, it's best to remember Kiriko's role is a Support hero. She's a healer first. This is represented by her primary ability, the Healing Ofuda, a collection of talisman cards that provide HP recovery when cast upon a teammate. They have a range of 35 meters when locked on. However, they are slow to arrive to teammates, require some time to heal them, and have a long cooldown period. Therefore, it's best to remain close to any allies (via Shack News).

Charlie Intel's Joseph Pascoulis states that players should also take advantage of Kiriko's Protection Suzu. Upon launch, the Protection Suzu grants any allies standing within its perimeter temporary invulnerability. This tool is invaluable for whenever your teammates are bunched up or bottlenecked in a tight area and can provide your squad with a massive defensive advantage. In short, if you're playing Kiriko, be sure to reduce the distance between her and your allies. In doing so, you are offering your team both efficiency and effectiveness when it comes to defensive play.