New data from Overwatch game highlights just how disruptive the game’s latest Heroes have been in Competitive play. According to internal statistics shared by Blizzard, Jetpack Cat has quickly become the most banned Hero across multiple regions since the launch of Season 1.
The data includes ban rates, win rates, and perk performance for the newest additions to the roster, offering a clearer picture of how players are adapting to the latest characters.
Jetpack Cat Leads Global Ban Rates
Since the start of the competitive season, Jetpack Cat, also known as Fika, has dominated ban lists in ranked Role Queue matches.
Across global regions, the flying support Hero has seen extremely high ban percentages:
- North America: 66.5% ban rate
- South Korea: 80.7% ban rate
These numbers make Jetpack Cat the most frequently banned new Hero by a wide margin. Her mobility and utility have made her a constant threat in competitive matches, especially before recent balance adjustments.
Close behind is the tank Hero Domina, who ranks as the second-most banned addition to the Season 1 roster. The difference between the two is particularly small in North America, where Domina trails by just over seven percentage points.
Meanwhile, the remaining new Heroes, damage dealers Anran and Emre, along with support Mizuki, appear far less frequently in ban statistics.
Win Rates Show a More Balanced Picture
While ban rates suggest community frustration, the actual win-rate data tells a more nuanced story.
During the early weeks of Season 1 competitive play:
- Mizuki recorded the highest win rate at roughly 53%
- Anran hovered close to a balanced 50%
- Emre struggled slightly with around 47.6%
After a February balance update that increased Emre’s primary fire damage and extended Anran’s ability range, both Heroes quickly saw their win rates stabilize closer to the ideal 50% mark.
Interestingly, Domina’s Ultimate ability cost was increased by 12%, yet the Hero’s win rate only dropped slightly, less than a full percentage point. This suggests the balance changes targeted power spikes without dramatically affecting overall performance.
Balance Changes Target Jetpack Cat’s Strengths
Jetpack Cat received some of the most notable adjustments in the February patch. Two of her perks, Territorial and Claws Out, were identified as both frustrating for opponents and statistically dominant.
Before the patch, perk combinations featuring those two abilities produced significantly higher win rates compared to other builds. This imbalance led the development team to reduce their effectiveness in order to bring her performance closer to the rest of the roster.
The goal of the changes was to limit Jetpack Cat’s ability to dominate one-on-one encounters while preserving her unique aerial playstyle.
What the Data Means for Competitive Play
For Blizzard’s developers, statistics like ban rates and win rates are only a small portion of the information used to balance the game. Internal analytics track hundreds of variables across matches, helping identify Heroes that may need buffs, nerfs, or adjustments.
Early Season 1 data shows that most of the new characters are already trending toward balanced performance after the first wave of patches. However, Jetpack Cat remains one of the most controversial additions to the roster due to her mobility and unique abilities.
As players continue experimenting with counters and strategies, these numbers may shift further in the coming weeks.
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