One interesting thing about theOverwatch 2universe is that not every meaningful character is a playable hero. Tracer’s girlfriend Emily is a regular woman,Talon’s banker Maximilienseemingly has no combat prowess, and D.Va has an entire MEKA squad that fights alongside her off-screen. Kiriko continues this trend, as her origin story trailer briefly highlights a gang of yokai-focused vigilantes that each embrace a specific theme.
Much like with the aforementioned MEKA squad,Overwatch 2fans have been quick to share that they want to see more from Kiriko’s group. Though making each of these characters into heroes is highly unlikely, there is a way Blizzard can do more with them outside lore-focused content. Through future updates, skins based on these intriguing new characters should be added to theOverwatch 2cosmetic lineup.
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The Unique Aesthetic of Kiriko’s Gang in Overwatch 2 is Perfect For Skins
Each member of theKiriko’s yokai gangdons an outfit based on legendary yokai from Japanese culture. Tanuki, Amabie, Oni, Kasa-obake, and Kappa are all featured in the lineup, and while fans do not know too much about who these characters are, it has not taken long for the community to fall in love with their designs - something that Blizzard should capitalize on.
While one way to make use of this gang is to feature them as NPCs inOverwatch 2’s PvE content, cosmetics based on the group are also viable options. Alongside charms and sprays, some proper skins would be cool to see, though it is important to keep in mind that the outfits cannot all be for Kiriko. Blizzard has always strived to keep character silhouettes consistent so that players instantly know who they are fighting regardless of which skin is equipped, so the studio will have to match the yokai outfits to suitable heroes.
Given the unique mask of Tanuki, the skin would likely be an appropriate choice forRoadhog. The fan-wielding Amabie would be a perfect Mercy skin, as it could be almost identical since her default hair color is comparable to the whitish blonde locks of Kiriko’s friend. The bird beak is a solid stand-in for her halo as well. Though the sword on Genji’s back makes the Oni skin seem like a natural fit for the cyborg ninja, he already has an Oni outfit in his lineup. As such, someone like Moira could be a better fit due to the similar hairstyle and clothing she wears.
Kasa-obake may be represented via a gang member that walks on their own two legs, but given theOmnicstyle mask design, the skin would perfectly fit the orb-wielding Zenyatta. Lastly, the Kappa skin would be a good option for Reaper. Not only is it equipped with a mask to hide Gabriel Reyes’ identity, a consistent aspect of most of his skins, but the hood would allow Reaper’s silhouette to be maintained. Genji would also work given the hood on his new default skin, meaning Blizzard has a couple of options for a Kappa skin.
Ultimately, it would be a shame if these cool designs were thrown into theKiriko backstory trailerand never seen again, as they have lots of potential as proper cosmetics. A specialOverwatchevent could see these cosmetics added, and it could open the door for similar outfit additions in the future - such as costumes centered around D.Va’s mech-wielding allies. Much like Blizzard added Blackwatch outfits and skins based on the younger versions of Overwatch heroes like Soldier: 76, the yokai gang’s costumes would make for some thrilling lore-based cosmetics.
Overwatch 2is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
