Kiriko in Overwatch 2 Receives a Lovely Anime Style Clip

Overwatch 2 Kiriko Image Credit - Dot Sports

Overwatch 2 has released a lovely animated short featuring Kiriko, which depicts the Support hero's early memories as well as childhood.

Overwatch 2 has released a stunning anime-style video featuring Kiriko. The 45-second video flashed back to the hero's childhood with her kitsune spirit companion and her current life as a ninja.

When Overwatch 2 was released last October, Kiriko was revealed as one of the game's newest heroes. She is a Support hero who can heal allies, climb walls, and teleport to the closest ally. Her Ultimate ability, Kitsune Rush, summons her kitsune spirit to boost her teammates' movement speed and reduce their skill cooldown timer.

Kiriko talked about growing up in a family of healers and fighters, and how she chose to combine both practices in her gameplay trailer. In the short animation "Protector," fans of Overwatch 2 got a glimpse of the hero's past life. It depicts Kiriko entering her hometown of Kanezaka, where she is bombarded with childhood memories. She recalls her time with her family and friends, including fellow Overwatch 2 heroes Hanzo and Genji, in them. Kiriko is also seen receiving a kunai from the latter. The video then cuts back to Kiriko fighting Hashimoto clan members.

The short Overwatch 2 animation was created by ENISHIYA Inc., the same studio that created the animation for Ed Sheeran's "Celestial." Players appear to enjoy the video, calling it "amazing." Many people have also expressed a desire for an Overwatch anime starring Kiriko and her friends. Others, on the other hand, used the opportunity to voice their concerns about some of Overwatch 2's ongoing issues.

Kiriko's adorable design, combined with the fact that she has a spirit companion, appears to have made her a fan favorite among Overwatch 2 players. Furthermore, this isn't the first time she's been drawn in an anime style. An Overwatch 2 fan recently created chibi-style Kiriko sprays and emotes, which are now available on their Etsy page. Others also shared Kiriko and her kitsune spirit fan art.

There has been no official word on whether or not Overwatch will ever be adapted into an anime or TV show. It was mentioned by Blizzard co-president Stacey Sher in 2016. However, there do not appear to be any updates as of this writing. With Overwatch 2 introducing new hero lore, many fans believe the time has come to explore them in a TV series. Only time will tell whether Overwatch will branch out into TV territory or stick to releasing cinematic trailers and animated shorts.

Overwatch 2 is now available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: Youtube, Gamerant