The leaked video was originally uploaded by Youtuber Kuriboh Cervantes and shows an unfinished cinematic movie for the new hero. The video looks to be authentic and you can tell that some aspects are still in the process of being rendered into a final movie. The video has since been taken down by Blizzard and is unavailable at the time of publishing, however we have seen a copy. In the video, Kiriko is seen saving an elderly man and a child from a group of bad guys belonging to the Hashimoto clan. The short film showcased Kiriko’s ability to teleport in and out of combat and her use of martial arts moves to take down enemies. She also throws kunai at her attackers as long-range projectiles. The video also highlights Kiriko’s healing ability when she revives the old man after he gets shot by a thug. She can summon a set of blue torii gates that buffs her and her allies. From the looks of it, this could be Kiriko’s ultimate ability. Kiriko’s fox-like character design is consistent with the release date trailer where a blue fox can be seen running around with torii gates in the background.
— Vancouver Titans (@VancouverTitans) June 12, 2022
Unlocking heroes with the Battle Pass
Kiriko will be the 35th hero added to Overwatch and is the first support hero that will be added since 2019. Fans are excited to find out whether the new hero is viable in competitive play. However, players who are excited to play Kiriko may need to purchase the premium battle pass to get access to her immediately at launch. It has been reported that, while heroes can be unlocked for free, they will be locked behind battle pass tiers. According to a recent Reddit leak, Overwatch 2’s Battle Pass will be similar to that in Call of Duty Warzone, and Kiriko can be unlocked at tier level 20. The shared information also mentions that it will take 12-15 hours of grinding to get to level 20.
The leak also mentions that the Competitive game mode is locked for the first two weeks of the season and can only be played once you unlock every hero. Without the competitive game mode, players will have to grind it out in Quick Play or Arcade. Paying for the $10 Premium Battle Pass immediately unlocks the new hero and a Legendary skin. If a player misses out on unlocking a hero at the end of the season, there will be a method to unlock that hero. A permanent challenge starts at the end of the season as a way to unlock the hero. For Kiriko, “winning 25 Quick Play matches as a support” will be the challenge. Overwatch 2 is coming to the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch on October 4, 2022.