A short story recently released by Blizzard offers insight into the newOverwatch 2hero Kiriko’s character and background.Overwatch 2will officially launch its multiplayer half in just under two weeks and with it, several new characters will be available to play. Kiriko is one of those new characters, though she’s locked behind battle pass progression. Kiriko isn’t just another character to play, however. Like everyOverwatchcharacter, she’s an expansion of the world’s lore and story.
The introduction ofeachOverwatchcharacterhas historically come alongside the release of multiple trailers and supporting media. Some of this material focuses on the character’s in-game abilities, but a healthy amount also focuses on how the character fits into the world ofOverwatchand the relationships they may already have. This trend is continuing withOverwatch 2, as Kiriko has received a short story by the name ofYokai.
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Yokaiis a story revolving around Kiriko and a group of her friends fighting against the Hashimoto, a yakuza-like group found inOverwatch’s Kanezaka city. Kanezaka will be very familiar toOverwatchplayers. It’s a deathmatch map and near to Shimada Castle where bothHanzo and Genjiwere raised. The story involves Kiriko and her friends executing a mission to destroy a Hashimoto weapon cache and a decision as to what kind of “gang” the group wanted to be.
Not only does the short story establish a relationship between Kiriko and otherOverwatchcharacters, namely Hanzo and Genji, but it also offers a look at who Kiriko is as a person and what she stands for. She fights for the people of Kanezaka, and she’s unwilling to risk anyone not involved in the process. There’s also a web of new characters introduced, likeKiriko’s gang of friends, Ryota, Nobuto, and Sakura. Kiriko is also made out to be surprisingly young.
The short story isn’t likely to change manyOverwatchfans frustrated by the nature of her release. That is, Kiriko’s controversial inclusion as part ofOverwatch 2’s battle passwill likely overwhelm any discourse regarding her character and what she’ll bring to the game. Kiriko being restricted to a certain level of battle pass progression will also prevent her from being played by many, making her that much more popular.
Even ignoring the battle pass connection, Kiriko may not prove to be a favorite when it comes toOverwatch’s lore. Where otherOverwatchcharacters have played significant roles in the world, Kiriko has played a relatively minor role. She’s an odd choice for a new character, to say the least, and it’ll be curious to seehow she fits intoOverwatch 2’s storymoving forward.
Overwatch 2releases on October 6 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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