5 best Overwatch 2 heroes to counter Kiriko

Knowing the counters for Kiriko in Overwatch 2 can help you cut off a lot of support from the enemy team. This is one of the first support heroes that launched with Blizzard's hero shooter successor. Her arrival changed up the meta quite a bit as her ability kit allowed players to provide almost constant support. Moreover, she can dish out lethal damage when played correctly.

Kiriko in Overwatch 2 is surprisingly agile, considering her ability to teleport to allies within a limited range. This makes her difficult to pin down or corner when launching targeted strategies. This is where crowd control abilities like stuns come in handy as they can immobilize this healer, making it easy for your team to score eliminations. However, you would need to be quick about it to prevent Kiriko from escaping.

This article will highlight the best characters you can pick to counter Kiriko in Overwatch 2.

Editor’s note: The contents of this article are subjective and solely feature the writer's own opinion. Furthermore, the article has been updated to feature the latest information in accordance with the balance patch deployed by Blizzard Entertainment on February 18, 2025.

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Best heroes to counter Kiriko in Overwatch 2

Kiriko is a Support hero from Overwatch 2 who is useful in both offense and defense. The abilities that span across her kit make her effective on both sides. Kiriko’s ultimate, Kitsune Rush, also provides allies and herself with a speed boost that can make defending against her team’s pushes harder than you might anticipate.

Here are some of the most effective heroes that can counter Kiriko in Overwatch 2:

1) D.Va

D.Va from Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

A tank hero from Overwatch 2, D.Va is a great counter to Kiriko, especially at close range, as her Defense Matrix ability can absorb all incoming projectiles from the Kitsune healer, including her healing Ofudas. As a D.Va, you can easily dive a Kiriko whose Swift Step and Protection Suzu are on cooldown, making her an easy pick. D.Va’s ultimate, Self-Destruct, can easily eliminate Kiriko if she does not use the aforementioned abilities wisely.

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2) Junkrat

Junkrat from Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

Junkrat is a bomb-toting Damage hero from Overwatch 2. He becomes a great counter to Kiriko in a 1v1, as you can two-tap her using his Frag Launcher Grenade and Concussion Mines. Using Steel Trap successfully against this support hero renders her Swift Step unusable, meaning she can be an easy elimination. Her Swift Step may be an easy escape, so time your attacks wisely.

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3) Genji

Genji from Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

Genji is a Samurai-like damage hero from Overwatch 2, who is a great counter to heroes like Kiriko. With high agility and mobility, you will be harder to track for her Kunais. You can deflect both her Kunais and her Ofudas. Using your Shurikens, and especially Genji’s ultimate, she becomes an easy target. You only need to slash her twice using Dragonblade to secure a kill.

However, the ultimate will not be available at all times, so you might need to flank with Genji to score some stealth kills. This can be difficult at times so make sure all your abilities are off cooldown so you can deal burst damage to take down Kiriko.

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4) Ramattra

Ramattra in his Nemesis Form from Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

Ramattra, the newest Tank hero added to Overwatch 2, also acts as a great counter for the Kitsune Spirit-guided hero. Like Kiriko herself, you can poke at her from long range and especially pummel her by using your Nemesis form. Your shield, Void Barrier, can also block all projectiles from her as well. Using your ultimate, Annihilation, you can render her ultimate Kitsune Rush hazardous, as any enemies will be attacked by your nanites inside the path.

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5) Orisa

Orisa using her Ultimate, Terra Surge, in Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

In close-quarters combat, Orisa’s Javelin Spin is a great counter to Kiriko, as all of her projectiles are blocked by it, including her Protection Suzu. Using this ability, you can also charge at her and close the gap, essentially squishing her. Using Fortify will also ensure that she cannot land any critical hits on you. Time your ultimate, Terra Surge, smartly, as Kiriko can use her Swift Step to escape or use her Protection Suzu in time to save herself and her allies from the final Javelin surge.

Orisa's stun ability is most useful when it hits an enemy and pushes them toward a wall. This can be used to push Kiriko back and deal a lot of damage, pressuring the team to often retreat and reset.

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Kiriko's role in almost any team composition remains the same — a floating support character that heals allies while dealing as much damage as possible with her kunais. This support hero can wreak havoc by boosting movement speed with her ultimate, so it is important to keep an eye out for it. Most players use the power-up during team fights or for a final push around the match objective.

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