5 best Overwatch 2 heroes to counter Kiriko

Kiriko was the Support hero launched with the inception of Overwatch 2, the successor to Overwatch, Blizzard Entertainment’s premier First-Person Shooter game. Being able to dish out high damage and healing numbers across the board for users, she remains a balanced hero. Nimble and fairly mobile, this fox-like hero is difficult to counter when placed in the right hands.

Kiriko uses healing Ofudas and Kunais for healing and dealing damage respectively. An opponent Kiriko, who is efficient and masterful of her kit, will be annoying to pick off. She can protect teammates long enough to help them escape or heal, and supply an almost endless stream of healing Ofudas. As an escape measure or a quick response to a call for help, she can teleport to an ally as well.

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Countering Kiriko - The top five heroes effective against this Support hero 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 is a detailed look into her abilities:

• Healing Ofuda (Primary Fire) - Kiriko channels a burst of healing talismans that seek targeted allies, healing them once these Ofudas reach them.
• Kunai (Alternate Fire) - A projectile that she throws that can deal increased critical damage on headshots.
• Swift Step - Using this ability, Kiriko can teleport directly to an ally, even through walls and other terrain or infrastructure.
• Protection Suzu - A throwable that affects allies in an Area-Of-Effect (AoE). Upon impact, any allies in this AoE are rendered invulnerable and are cleansed of the most negative effects.
• Kitsune Rush (Ultimate) - Kiriko casts the Kitsune’s spirit forward in a straight line, accelerating the movement, attack speed, and cooldowns of any teammates that follow along in this path.
• Wall Climb (Passive) - This hero can scale up walls by jumping at them.

A Kunoichi healer who is aided by her Kitsune spirit, Kiriko from Overwatch 2 remains a consistent pick for people who can play her well. Being a Support hero, she can be easy or hard to counter, depending on the situation and a player’s proficiency in operating this hero. However, knowing which heroes can turn the tide in your favor against her can be the difference if you ever face Kiriko one-on-one. Here are the top five heroes who stand a chance of defeating her.

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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.

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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.

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Kiriko, despite being one of the newest heroes added to the Overwatch 2 roster, has become a staple pick for many team compositions, and it is important for any player — especially ones who play Damage and Tank — on how to counter this swift and acrobatic Support hero. However, countering any hero solely depends on how well a player’s hero mastery is. Hence, individual counters may differ from player to player.