New Kiriko short story reveals lore ahead of Overwatch 2 launch

Olivia Richman Published 23/09/2022

Blizzard has revealed a bit more about Kiriko’s lore in a new short story.

Blizzard has released a new short story titled Yokai telling the lore of upcoming character Kiriko. The tale takes place earlier in Kiriko’s life when she lived in her hometown of Kanezaka. Kiriko and her friends decide to take on the Hashimoto clan, who had been terrorizing the people of Kanezaka when the Shimada clan fell.

Kiriko and her friends decide to disrupt a weapon shipment. She uses her fox spirit companion, seen in previous teasers, to race across rooftops taking out guards and security cameras along the way. When Ryota wants to blow up the weapon warehouse, however, Kiriko stops him.

Genji and Hanzo were both prominent members of the Shimada clan, which means fans get a glimpse of these OG heroes in the story. While they shared a special bond when she was a child, Kiriko becomes closer to them during the events in the tale.

Fans loved seeing this new side to Kiriko, noting that she seemed like a moral character who played the role of a big sister when needed. She also has a cheeky side, which has many fans anxiously awaiting her in-game interactions and voice lines.

The Overwatch community loves lore sometimes more than playing the game itself. This has made the release of Kiriko all the more exciting for Overwatch players. Hearing more about a story that’s been a part of Overwatch the entire time, expanding Genji and Hanzo’s lore in the process, has been satisfying for fans of the ever-expanding hero roster.

Overwatch 2 is coming October 4, with Kiriko available in the Season One battle pass.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile

Read Also

Overwatch

San Francisco Shock set to leave Overwatch esports Olivia Richman The San Francisco Shock Overwatch team was not selected for partnership, leading to the company's exit from the scene. When Activision ended the Overwatch League, the hero shooter struggled to find its place in esports. The OWCS promised to be the next iteration of Overwatch's esports scene but it's already making unpopular decisions with fans. Some fans also feel the game doesn't lend itself to a competitive viewership. In comparison ...

Overwatch

Numbers show Marvel Rivals may have finally killed Overwatch 2 Steven Rondina Judging by player counts, Overwatch 2 might finally be dying and it’s Marvel Rivals that killed it. The hero shooter genre is an immensely crowded one. In this era of publishers releasing live-service multiplayer games first and asking questions later, there’s a mass grave of abandoned games that just keeps getting more crowded.  Overwatch 2, despite being a constant source of controversy and frustration, has been a constant among first-person ...

Overwatch

Overwatch 2 x Warcraft collab skins for WoW 20th Anniversary Syed Mujtaba Naqvi Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled a highly anticipated collaboration between Overwatch 2 and World of Warcraft, in celebration of WoW’s 20th anniversary. Overwatch 2 x Warcraft event will introduce four new skins to Overwatch 2, each based on iconic Warcraft characters. Players can unlock these exclusive cosmetics when the event kicks off on September 17, 2024. This isn’t the first time Overwatch 2 has crossed over with another franchise, but the ...

Overwatch

LE SSERAFIM skins make a comeback in Overwatch 2 Syed Mujtaba Naqvi To celebrate LE SSERAFIM's music video milestone, Overwatch 2 has brought back the popular crossover skins. The LE SSERAFIM skins commemorate the LE SSERAFIM's "Perfect Night" video, nearing 100 million views on Youtube. The LE SSERAFIM skins were first released on November 2, 2023, as part of Overwatch 2's initial K-pop crossover event. This event featured a special performance at BlizzCon 2023 and introduced the Concert Clash game mode. Furthermore, ...

Overwatch

Overwatch 2 dev blog confirms the return of 6v6 format William Davis Overwatch 2 is essentially a replica of its predecessor, except for the absence of the 6v6 format. However, it seems Blizzard may bring that back as well. In a lengthy Overwatch 2 dev blog post, Aron Keller has explained why the developer decided to remove 5v5 in the first place. While the removal was initially met with criticism, new players have adjusted to the format update. Seasoned Overwatch 2 players, ...

Overwatch

All we know about Juno, Overwatch 2’s upcoming support hero Fariha Bhatti The latest Overwatch 2 hero Juno is a happy-go-lucky space ranger from Mars who doesn't mind sharing her agility and abilities with her teammates. Earlier teased by Blizzard as a highly mobile "space ranger" with quite a bit of vertical mobility, Juno has finally been revealed. The latest support hero has deep roots in the game's lore, as players suspect she may be tied to Jiaya, a scientist and Mei's ...

Overwatch

Massive tank changes coming to Overwatch 2 Olivia Richman Tanks are going to see some big changes in Overwatch 2 very soon. In a recent Director's Take, Blizzard discussed upcoming hero balances, focused on some game changing updates to tank heroes. This is due to developers seeing a lot of Overwatch 2 players discussing issues with the tank role. Ever since Season 8 ended, the tank role has been in a "tough spot." The largest complaint is that tanks ...