Yostar has officially revealed Hiryuu META as a new Azur Lane character through the game’s Twitter account. She will be obtainable in Ashes Showdown, which is part of the upcoming Operation Siren mode.
Hiryuu META is an alternate version of Azur Lane‘s IJN Hiryuu that sports more modern-looking equipment. Those who have been following through the event stories may also remember seeing similar alternate versions of USS Enterprise and IJN Takao. They are collectively known as a group called Ashes.
To recruit Hiryuu META, Commanders will first have to finish the first chapter of the Operation Siren storyline. Progressing through the new game mode will let you collect Ashes Coordinates, which can be used to trigger a battle with the Ashes character.
Although you can challenge battles that you have triggered multiple times, it will be difficult to win the battle all by yourself. You will be able to request help from up to 30 registered friends, guild members, or even any players on the same server. Everyone who participated in the battle will receive Sync points upon victory. Accumulating enough Sync points will eventually unlock the exclusive character.
The Japanese account noted that almost all Operation Siren features, save for Ashes Showdown, will be permanent. This implies that Hiryuu META will only be available for a limited timeframe before being replaced by another Ashes character.
Azur Lane is immediately available on Android and iOS devices worldwide. Yostar will reveal more details on future updates for the mobile game with a Christmas live stream on December 21, 2020. The Japanese account has also been teasing more new features coming in the massive update other than Operation Siren and the Guild revamp, such as the Carrier Discovery Gauge.