After more than a decade of development history and fan speculation, Overwatch is introducing its first cat-based hero. Season 1 of the game’s 2026 roadmap will add Jetpack Cat, a new support character arriving on February 10, alongside four other heroes. While the concept may sound playful on the surface, the character’s inclusion reflects a longer-running design idea that Blizzard previously set aside during the original development of Overwatch.
Jetpack Cat is positioned as a utility-focused support hero built around mobility, healing, and crowd control. The character’s kit centers on a jetpack that doubles as both a movement tool and a support device. One of the core abilities, Lifeline, allows Jetpack Cat to enter a transport mode that can tow a teammate while restoring their health. This gives the hero a distinct role in repositioning allies during fights, particularly in chaotic engagements or when extracting vulnerable teammates from danger.
Another ability, Purr, creates a healing aura around the hero while simultaneously pushing back nearby enemies, blending defensive support with light area control. Frenetic Flight increases acceleration, reinforcing Jetpack Cat’s emphasis on rapid movement and vertical positioning. The ultimate ability, Catnapper, shifts the hero into a more aggressive support role. Jetpack Cat dives toward the ground, knocking down enemies in the impact zone and tethering the nearest opponent to the jetpack, briefly limiting their movement and creating an opening for teammates to capitalize.
While Jetpack Cat is new to the playable roster, the idea itself is not. Former Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplanrevealed in a 2017 interview that Blizzard had once seriously considered a jetpack-equipped cat hero but ultimately decided the concept pushed the tone too far at the time. The character became something of an internal legend, representing the experimental boundaries the team explored during early development.
The decision to finally introduce Jetpack Cat comes as part of a broader reset for Overwatch in 2026. Blizzard is launching what it describes as a more story-driven era for the game, formally dropping the “2” branding and re-centering the experience around long-term narrative arcs. Season 1 will begin a year-long storyline titled Reign of Talon, which will unfold through in-game events, evolving map details, and external media such as cinematics, short stories, and comics.
Jetpack Cat is one of five heroes launching at the start of this new season, with Blizzard planning a total of ten new heroes throughout 2026. After Season 1, additional heroes are scheduled to arrive at a faster, more regular pace than in previous years. The inclusion of a long-shelved concept like Jetpack Cat suggests a willingness to revisit older ideas and integrate them into the game’s current structure, even if they once seemed out of place.
Rather than a novelty addition, Jetpack Cat appears designed to fill a specific support niche while also signaling a tonal shift for Overwatch as it enters its next phase. Whether the hero becomes a staple of competitive play or remains a situational pick will depend on balance and player reception, but its arrival closes a long-running chapter in the game’s development history.
