Can You Still Get Kiriko After Overwatch 2 Season 1?

Yes, Kiriko can be unlocked by players who missed out on her during season 1. There are two ways to obtain Overwatch 2‘s new support hero once season 1 concludes:

1. Complete in-game Hero Challenges
2. Purchase with Overwatch Coins

I‘ll provide extensive details on both options in the sections below. But first, let‘s talk about why you may want access to Kiriko in the first place…

Why Is Getting Kiriko Important for Support Mains?

As an avid Overwatch gamer who frequently plays support roles, I‘m particularly excited about Kiriko‘s addition to the roster. She brings some fresh new elements through her abilities:

Swift Step: A dash that cleanses debuffs and earns you a temporary damage boost

Healing Ofuda: Throwable charms that heal allies near the impact

Protection Suzu: Temporarily make an ally immune to damage

Kiriko‘s kit enables some fun new supportive gameplay mechanics not seen before in Overwatch. Mobility is limited for most supports, making them vulnerable against faster damage heroes. Swift Step gives Kiriko an outplay option to escape danger.

Ofuda throwing also brings a new skill shot element to healing characters. And the potential to enable clutch plays through Protection Suzu is huge.

I speculate that integrating Kiriko could become essential for high-level competitive team compositions. Her abilities provide utility that other supports lack.

So even if you main Mercy, Lucio, or Zenyatta, having Kiriko as a backup option will likely offer advantages once you master her. That‘s why I recommend all support mains unlock her, whether you missed season 1 or not.

Now let‘s get into the details on how to obtain Kiriko after season 1…

Method 1: Complete Post-Launch Hero Challenges

According to an official Blizzard forum post on January 2nd, 2023:

"If you don‘t reach BP level 55 by the end of the season Kiriko will be locked behind Hero challenges, similar to the new player experience."

So upon season 2‘s launch, there will be a fresh set of challenges focused around Kiriko. Completing these will permanently unlock her as a playable hero.

Based on speculation from PvEForLife on the forums:

"I imagine it will be win X games in QP/Comp, get X eliminations with support heroes, heal for X amount, etc"

So expect goals themed around playing support roles and utilizing Kiriko herself.

How difficult will the challenges be compared to tier 55 of the season 1 battle pass? Players estimate that hitting tier 55 required ~15 hours of play over the 45 days the season was active.

That‘s around 20 minutes a day on average. However, later tiers demand more XP, so daily playtime would be higher towards the end.

My guess is the Kiriko challenges will take slightly longer than tier 55‘s requirements. Blizzard wants to incorporate a sense of "prestige" for those who unlocked her through season 1. This adds incentive to finish future battle passes before their season ends.

With that in mind, here‘s a rough estimate:

So if you aim for 25 hours of play over 45 days, that works out to ~35 minutes of daily Overwatch sessions.

Based on statistics from Gamunix, here is how battle pass progression typically breaks down among players:

• Top 10% complete it in under 9 days
• Above average player takes 17 days
• Average player takes 33 days
• Slower player takes 44+ days

So if you consider yourself an average or slightly above average player, unlocking Kiriko through challenges seems feasible if you play consistently.

But what if you don‘t have as much time for gaming due to work or family commitments? In that case, the second unlock option may better suit your situation…

Method 2: Buy Kiriko with Overwatch Coins

Without completing season 1‘s battle pass or the upcoming hero challenges, purchasing with coins may be your best route to getting Kiriko.

As a legendary rarity hero, Kiriko will likely cost 1900 Overwatch Coins in the shop. Here are some common ways to obtain Coins over time:

• Around 60 Coins per week from completing seasonal challenges
• 100 Coins every fifth week from arcade game modes wins
• One-time rewards when first topping up currency, up to 155 Coins
• Purchasing Coins bundles directly with real money

So by solely doing weekly challenges, it would take over 30 weeks to save up enough for Kiriko. However, you can accelerate that by purchasing Coins bundles:

• 500 Coins for $4.99
• 1000 (+50 bonus) Coins for $9.99
• 2200 (+300 bonus) Coins for $19.99

Buying 1000 Coins would leave you 900 short, achievable within 15 weeks of continuing seasonal challenges.

The $20 USD 2200 bundle directly provides enough for purchasing Kiriko, while leaving you with spare Coins. So paying real money guarantees instant access.

The coin purchase route allows you to unlock Kiriko without having to complete challenges. But obviously comes at a real money cost. Evaluate your personal situation and desire for immediacy vs. gradual unlocking through playtime.

Tips for New Players vs. Veterans

Will brand new Overwatch 2 players have an easier or harder time unlocking Kiriko? My expectation is that veterans will progress the challenges faster due to their experience, but the challenges themselves cater more towards new players early on.

For example, I speculate season 2‘s Kiriko challenges may start off simpler:

• Win 1 quickplay match with Lucio
• Heal allies for 5000 health as Mercy
• Scan 10 enemies using Kiriko‘s SUZU-NO-KO special ability

Then ramp up over time:

• Win 10 quickplay matches with 3 different supports
• Get 25 weapon final blow kills with Kiriko
• Deflect 5000 damage with Kiriko‘s Protection Suzu ability

This allows new players to initially focus on just learning basic gameplay for each support. Then steadily develops more mastery of Kiriko herself.

Whereas veterans can leverage their pre-existing knowledge to speed through the simpler challenges quickly. But may need to fine-tune expertise in Kiriko‘s kit later on.

Final Tips on Optimizing Kiriko

Once unlocked, proper playstyle optimization is key to transforming Kiriko into a formidable support pick. Here are some tips:

Map Positioning: Her wall climbing gives unique flanking angles. Use high ground for offensive Kunai throwing then dip back to cover.

Target Prioritization: Mark flankers with SUZU-NO-KO to enable easier focus firing. Protect fragile damage allies like Ashe or Widowmaker support with Protection Suzu.

Cooldown Chaining: Dash in with Swift Step for cleansing then quickly throw Ofuda for self-healing to win 1v1s. Chain together Healing, Swift Step, and Protection Suzu across multiple teammates in teamfights.

Mastering these little gameplay nuances with Kiriko can really enable her full potential. Give her a shot with an open mindset once acquired!

In Summary

Kiriko remains unlockable for all players even after Overwatch 2‘s inaugural season ends. By completing upcoming Hero Challenges or saving up Overwatch Coins, you can add her interesting support kit to your roster.

For support mains, I firmly believe integrating Kiriko deeply into your pool is well worthwhile. Her mobility and utility brings something fresh to the role.

Stay tuned for details on season 2‘s challenges once released. And sharpen up those support skills in the meantime! Kiriko awaits…