Overwatch devs explain why pet heroes still haven’t been added to OW2
Blizzard Entertainment/Beccy CollinsOverwatch 2 players shouldn’t expect Jet Pack Cat or any other pet to be an upcoming hero until certain issues with the game are solved.
The next batch of Overwatch 2 heroes were revealed at BlizzCon 2023 with Mauga arriving in Season 8, the DPS Venture in Season 10 and a support codenamed Space Ranger in Season 12. Notably absent, however, was any sort of cat or dog character.
Pet heroes have been requested by the community for quite a while now, but we’ve yet to see any sort of companion in-game, even as a deployable such as Ashe’s BOB ultimate.
Despite prototype cat heroes like Jet Pack cat being quite popular, the devs have yet to pull the trigger on their inclusion, and in a recent interview, Lead Hero Designer Alec Dawson finally explained why that is.
Blizzard EntertainmentOverwatch 2 devs reveal problems with adding cat and dog heroes
Speaking with the devs at BlizzCon, The Omnic Post reports that the design team has had difficulties finding a way to make them work within the confines of Overwatch 2.
According to Alec Dawson, the primary issue with a pet hero stems from the visual clutter on the screen and players not knowing what to shoot in the heat of battle.
Overwatch 2 has done away with quite a lot of the visual mess found in the first game by cutting down the number of players per team from six to five in addition to removing plenty of barriers from heroes’ kits already. However, this doesn’t seem like it’s done enough to warrant a pet character from joining the roster just yet.
Although the devs ruled out a pet hero for now though, not all hope is lost. Dawson did further note that if the team found a way around those issues, a pet hero could in fact make their way to the game down the line.
A pet hero isn’t the only archetype the devs have expressed some concern with adding. In an interview with Dexerto earlier this year, the team revealed that adding a new MEKA character could prove difficult, especially if they’re a DPS or support.
Of course, a hero like Hammond/Wrecking Ball is proof that the devs can find some interesting ways to get around some traditional issues with pets, so we’ll have to wait and see if they can come up with a solution in time for next year’s BlizzCon.
Until then, we have quite a few more heroes to look forward to, including a mysterious new tank that the devs hid during their presentation.