Blizzard confirms Jennifer Hale provides the meows for new Overwatch hero Jetpack Cat

Mass Effect actor Jennifer Hale voices Overwatch hero Jetpack Cat, arriving in game on February 10

Decorated video game actor Jennifer Hale, best known as the voice of Commander Shepard in Mass Effect, has been revealed as the performer behind the meows of Overwatch’s new hero, Jetpack Cat.

Blizzard confirmed the casting at its headquarters last week while presenting details of Jetpack Cat and four additional heroes arriving in the game on February 10.

“The voice actor is Jennifer Hale,” audio and technical director Scott Lawson told attending press, “and she did an incredible job, and working with it was so much fun.” Hale already plays another character in the series, gunslinger Ashe, who joined the roster in November 2018.

Jetpack Cat has circulated as a fan rumour for years and will finally debut with the ability to tow other characters through the air. The skill can be used on both allies and enemies, although targeting enemies requires the character’s Ultimate ability.

The hero is designed to be fast and highly manoeuvrable, with healing tools suited to supporting diving or flanking teammates. All of the character’s voice lines are variations of “meow”.

Lead hero producer Kenny Hudson said the concept dates back to the earliest days of the franchise. “Jetpack Cat in particular, as a concept, is something the team has wanted to do since, man, we launched Overwatch 1,” he said.

“We’ve had early concept art for Jetpack Cat on the wall in our hallway for like eight years now.” Associate game director Alec Dawson added that staff would walk past the image thinking, “Maybe we should…”.

Hudson said the current plan to release multiple heroes at once made the idea possible. “Going all out on making five Heroes at a time gave us some cover to explore new things, try new things,” he said. Art director Dion Rogers commented in a separate interview, “It just felt like it’s time for the cat.”

Rogers also mentioned a humorous internal concept called Oranga-tank, an orangutan villain character. “It’s a funny drawing; there’s a bunch of funny drawings everywhere,” he said.

Blizzard recently outlined a yearly expansion plan for the game and confirmed that the title will return to the name Overwatch.