The Seoul Dynasty has gotten their ticket to the playoffs in America. With the regular season done, that also means that the current meta is also done. The release of Overwatch 2 has brought the game to the public but it has also brought along a new hero in Kiriko. To be good in this last meta during the Countdown Cup really means nothing as everything is going to be shaken up. Here is a look at how the Seoul Dynasty might react to the newest addition of the support hero Kiriko.
Kiriko on her release is immediately one of the most mobile support heroes. Unlike Ana and Zen who are slower, the only heroes that can even get close are Mercy and Lucio when it comes to mobility. Kiriko’s swift step (shift ability) allows her to not only quickly get to her teammates like Mercy’s guardian angel, but will teleport her through walls to get her there. Mobility is not just her ability but in her passive and ultimate. Kitsune Rush (Q) allows for herself and her team to be accelerated in movement, cooldowns, and attack speed within the path. While her passive is the same as Hanzo and Genji with wall climbing.
Overwatch 2 | Kiriko Gameplay Trailer
These unique movement abilities are paired with the basic attack of the kuai, which is similar to Genji’s basic ability. The kuai as a projectile deals increased crit damage to the enemies. Kiriko also has two healing abilities. Her protection suzu (E) feels like Ana’s nade but the teammates within the area briefly become invulnerable and are cleansed. The other basic attack, other than the kunai, is the healing ofuda, which is a burst of healing that seeks out targeted teammates.
This unique skill set seems to be more reminiscent of DPS heroes than support heroes, which brings the community to wonder if it will be a support or a DPS player who will play Kiriko.
The most obvious answer would be Junwoo ‘Vindaim’ Park. Flex and main support roles have blurred. Main supports flex and flex supports go main. Vindaim on Twitch will go towards the highly mobile heroes like Tracer and Genji when he is playing DPS. It seems obvious he would understand what needs to be done as a support player, but also be knowledgeable of the basic skills that previous heroes had.
OWL 2022 Regular Season MVP Nominees │ Seoul Dynasty Profit
Junyoung ‘Profit’ Park was put on Brig during the Summer Showdown. He wasn’t the top support player but he was an aggressive support that enabled his team. During this time he could get into the mindset of a support player. In the last game of the regular season, he was seen on Route 66 in place of Vindaim. Profit was on the Ana, while Stalk3r came in to play DPS alongside Dongeon ‘FITS’ Kim. It shows that Profit would step in for Vindaim and that he isn’t opposed to flexing onto support if needed. His proficiency on Tracer and Genji would make him a prime candidate with Kiriko’s skill set.
Similarly to Profit, Stalk3r is also a good option. He is also known for his Tracer and Genji in the past. Stalk3r hasn’t been playing as much as FITS and Profit, meaning he would have more time to practice Kiriko. He could use his skills that he had on DPS to Kiriko and allow for Profit and FITS to continue on DPS. All three players have a stronger affinity toward the skillset of Kiriko. It will all depend on the synergy that the team needs and what happens in scrims to decide who will ultimately be the Kiriko on the Dynasty.
This could be the meta where having two Genji proficient players could be to the advantage. The Shanghai Dragons is another team that could, similarly to the Seoul Dynasty, really thrive with Byungsun ‘Fleta’ or Seungjun ‘Whoru’ Lee playing Kiriko. It isn’t long until all will be revealed with the playoffs coming up quickly. Whoever plays Kiriko, hopefully, the Seoul Dynasty can find their rhythm and collect the wins during Anaheim.
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