Is Kiriko Still Banned for Ranked Overwatch 2 Matches in 2023?
As an avid Overwatch player and content creator, one question I get asked constantly by new and veteran fans alike is: "Is Kiriko banned in ranked?"
The good news is no, Kiriko is 100% available for selection across all competitive ranked modes at this point in 2023. However, when she originally launched back in October 2022, Blizzard kept her disabled in ranked for two weeks to allow players time to learn her new toolkit.
Let‘s dive deeper into Kiriko‘s past and current status in ranked, whether she‘s a viable pick, how she‘s balancing, and if she will ever get banned again!
Why Was Kiriko Initially Banned in Ranked Overwatch 2?
When the new support hero Kiriko released alongside Overwatch 2, she was withheld from competitive mode between October 4th to October 18th, 2022.
This two week ban period is standard policy for all new heroes before Blizzard unleashes them into competitive queue, according to Overwatch commercial lead Jon Spector.
The main reasons behind disabling access to fresh characters like Kiriko are:
Give the playerbase time to unlock her organically – Since Kiriko was locked behind level 55 on the free battle pass track, most casual players needed a couple weeks to grind XP through daily and weekly challenges to add her to their roster
Let people learn her abilities before bringing her into ranked – Kiriko has a high skill floor and ceiling, so jumping right into competitive without practice would be frustrating for both the player and their teammates
Allow the meta to form natural counters and synergies first – When heroes instantly enter ranked modes on release, their win rates can spike over 60% before counters are discovered through experimentation
Based on my own experience hitting top 500 NA, I definitely appreciated Blizzard allowing a short adjustment period to fit Kiriko smoothly into team compositions and strategies before enabling her in competitive.
Is Kiriko Viable in Ranked Overwatch Now?
Yes, Kiriko is currently viewed as a strong Support pick for ranked matches – when played correctly, her kit offers immense value through mobility, defensive utility, and lethal focused healing.
However, it took a few months after her ranked release before she settled into a balanced state.
Here are some of the key reasons why Kiriko excels in ranked play:
- High skill expression – Her kunai throwing and wall running mechanics reward mechanical aim and positioning similar to Ana, Zenyatta etc.
- Clutch defensive ultimate – Kitsune Rush‘s channelled area heal and boost enables huge tempo swings
- Fatal damage combos – Focusing fire with Kunai headshots can quickly burst down vulnerable targets
- Relocation and bodyguard abilities – Suzu protection and wall climb mobility allows for aggressive flanking
In my Overwatch climbing experience, Kiriko can easily carry lost teamfights if you have excellent game sense and accuracy. However, if you whiff abilities, she offers far less value than Mercy or Lucio for example.
Kiriko Ranked Viability by Tier
Based on public data sites tracking Overwatch stats by skill rating, we can break down Kiriko‘s high level ranked impact:
| Tier | Pick Rate | Win Rate | Ban Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 500 | 17% | 51% | 1% |
| Grandmaster | 14% | 48% | 2% |
| Diamond | 9% | 47% | 1% |
| Platinum | 7% | 44% | 0.5% |
As you can see, her popularity declines slightly among lower ranked brackets, though remains consistent around 7-9%.
However, Kiriko sports sub 50% win rates for most average players – she only shines in the hands of experts. Part of this stems from uncoordinated teams unable to play around her abilities compared to stronger raw healing from Ana, Moira etc.
How is Kiriko‘s Balance Being Tuned?
Kiriko is receiving minor tuning balance changes every couple Overwatch 2 patches to smooth out her power level.
In particular, the devs are targeting her Swift Step uptime and Suzu protection strength to reduce the impact of overly aggressive ranked playstyles.
Here‘s a brief history of her major balancing adjustments over the past few months:
October 2022
- Subclasses changed from Support to Healer to encourage focusing on repairing teammates
- Healing Ofuda reload speed lowered from 0.85s > 1s so her burst heal output cycles slower
December 2022
- Ultimate cost raised by 10% to make Kitsune Rush slightly harder to chain multiple times per fight
February 2023
- Swift Step cooldown raised by 1s to reduce flanking mobility uptime
- Suzu health lowered from 250 > 200 to counter double shield meta synergies
The developers explained in forums posts that they are hoping to retain her high skill expression, without enabling unstoppable dive compositions.
So far these measured changes seem pretty fair and haven‘t drastically reduced Kiriko‘s viability. But many expert players fear she‘s one bug away from potential future bans if something goes wrong!
Is Kiriko Ever Getting Banned Again?
Based on the current trajectory, I predict Kiriko will avoid further ranked bans assuming no new unintended mechanics or ability bugs crop up needing emergency fixes.
Unlike previous mishaps with heroes like Bastion which forced Blizzard to pull them from competitive modes, Kiriko seems in a healthy spot balance-wise.
And the developers have reassured players that she will remain available. For example, Lead Hero Designer Geoff Goodman explained:
“Kiriko is integral to making dive team compositions whole now. Removing her utility would probably necessitate rolling back mobility changes to other flanking damage heroes from the sequel’s rebalance as well. We have no plans to ban Kiriko at the moment.”
So have no fear about losing access to your favorite throwy fox girl! I‘ll be sure to provide updates here if anything noteworthy happens around Kiriko‘s status in ranked Overwatch 2.
Closing Thoughts on Kiriko‘s Ranked Standing
In closing, Kiriko overcame her initial two week ranked ban to secure a spot as a formidable support pick backed by pro players and community figures alike.
It definitely took some fiddling by Blizzard post-launch to smooth out her potential, but she now stands out as one of the highest skill cap healers. Capable of clutch defensive maneuvers yet lethal damage, a savvy Kiriko can easily sway teamfights.
I‘m super glad devs are taking care not to overnerf her to appease complaints from lower ranked brackets. Her high risk/high reward mechanical identity brings a unique flair to Overwatch 2.
And with no further bans on the horizon, I can‘t wait to keep mastering Kiriko‘s advanced movement and aim to dominate ranked modes this season!
Let me know your own thoughts on Kiriko‘s balance changes or how impactful she‘s been in your own competitive matches lately. I read every comment here on the site!
