Overwatch received a hotfix on February 24th in an attempt to keep the hero roster balanced for competitive play. This included a promised Jetpack Cat nerf.
Ever since Blizzard released five new heroes in Season 1, the competitive community has been complaining about Jetpack Cat. Developers have confirmed that changes are coming, including an initial fix in this latest patch.
Overwatch February 24th buffs and nerfs
Jetpack Cat seemed like a cute addition to the hero roster at first, a seemingly innocent orange kitty flying around with big, Puss In Boots-style eyes. However, the Overwatch community quickly turned on her, realizing that her low skill ceiling and overpowered abilities were breaking the game.
With never-ending aerial mobility and a tiny hitbox, Jetpack Cat is able to pull off some pretty aggressive plays before zipping to safety, made even more frustrating with her damage-boosting hero perks. Her ultimate, which essentially guarantees an enemy elimination, was also seen as a pretty big nuisance when used by high-level players.
Associate Game Director Alec Dawson said ahead of the patch: “The perks that people are picking the most are the most aggressive ones. The amount of aggression she has right now, she can be very, very lethal in a short window.”
Now, Jetpack Cat is getting some nerfs to her perks:
- Claws Out (Minor Perk): Cooldown increased from 6 to 8 seconds
- Territorial (Major Perk): Damage reduced from 50% to 33%
On top of Jetpack Cat’s much-needed nerf, other heroes saw some quick changes. New tank Domina had her Panopticon ability cost increased by 12%. New DPS Anran had Inferno Rush’s cooldown reduced from 8.5 to 8 seconds and her Dancing Blaze’s movement distance increased up to 2.25 meters.
Emre’s Synthetic Burst Rifle had a damage increase, Vendetta’s Palatine Fang had its overhead swing damage reduced and Mizuki had her Kekkai Sanctuary ability’s duration increased from 6 to 7 seconds.
It’s not a huge patch, but it addresses some community feedback on the latest heroes.
How Does This Impact Overwatch Esports?
Pro players have been practicing with Jetpack Cat and other new heroes, including the Overwatch Championship Series Bootcamp scrims. Han ‘Chiyo‘ Hyeon-seok has been standing out for his high-skilled Jetpack Cat play.
At this time, however, the hotfix won’t really affect pro play much. The first major LAN isn’t until April 2026, which means Jetpack and the other heroes won’t see any pro play on stage for at least another month.
The changes made to Jetpack Cat were not very extreme, and the hero is still a powerful support option. However, it’s not yet known whether she will be used in official tournaments more than other popular support heroes. With the insane mobility and healing she offers, it’s definitely a possibility.
