The Overwatch community is excited for the arrival of Overwatch 2 on October 4. Fans are eager to acquire new game modes, lore-inspired encounters, and hero additions.

Overwatch enthusiasts are already busy speculating about what characters might be added to the roster for the sequel even though Sojourn and Junker Queen have already been confirmed and are playable in the beta.

Many of these theories center on Kiriko, a support character who resembles a fox. Even though Blizzard has already stated that these claims are untrue, industry insiders and leakers continue to unearth proof to the contrary.

How did the rumor about Kiriko begin?

Since 2019, when Game Informer stated that Jeff Kaplan had showed it to a female character and her fox companion, a fox-like hero has been the topic of discussion. In early 2022, a business insider revealed on a forum that there would be a character named Yako, a little ninja girl with a pet fox.

When the Overwatch 2 release trailer for the Junker Queen dropped in June, Kiriko became the subject of intense discussion for the first time. Many viewers wondered why Blizzard incorporated such an intriguing aspect in the video after spotting a bright spirit fox speeding through Kanezaka.

The Shimada Clan’s domain in Hanamura is the setting of the Deathmatch map Kanezaka. A woman named Asa wrote to her imprisoned husband Toshiro in the map’s intriguing legend. Genji and Hanzo’s trainer, Asa, scared for her daughter. She mentions that the kitsune can change your luck and that she’ll “ask the fox spirit for strength” in her letter.

After making a crude joke about Naruto, Blizzard tried to put an end to the rumors by claiming that they were untrue.

After receiving inside information from the Overwatch 2 team, Overwatch streamer John “Wanted” Lin almost made a mistake on stream by bringing up Kiriko once more. When asked which of the new heroes he might choose as his main, Wanted began to say the name but abruptly stopped.

Overwatch 2 hero unintentionally revealed by Blizzard

Despite having previously dismissed the allegations, Blizzard ended up being the one to unintentionally reveal the fox girl’s reality.

OverwatchNaeri, a leaker, shared a screenshot of a page from the Blizzard website that indicated the new character Kiriko. The screen capture referred to Kiriko as the “latest hero” and claimed that she had a Legendary skin.

When is Kiriko going to be included in Overwatch 2?

According to the stolen screenshots from Blizzard’s website, Kiriko might technically be accessible when Overwatch 2 debuts. However, it’s likely that the battle pass will be required to unlock the new hero.

According to Jon Spector, Overwatch 2 heroes will be on the “free track” of the battle pass, which means players won’t have to spend money to acquire them. If players don’t unlock the heroes during the current season, they will still be accessible in subsequent seasons on the free track.

Kiriko is currently a big enigma to the Overwatch community. Fans will have to wait until Blizzard makes an official announcement before learning more about Kiriko’s past, appearance, and skills.