Blizzard debuted a new animated short based on Overwatch hero Reinhardt during the opening ceremony of this year’s BlizzCon event.
The short introduces us to a much younger version of the old, German tank. Although he’s a lot more spry, he’s otherwise the same: ready and eager to take down any armored enemy he comes up against.
The story isn’t all action, though; Reinhardt’s short ends up being surprisingly sad. We finally see how his fellow Crusader and old friend Balderich von Adler loses his life, and how it toughens Reinhardt up in the years that follow.
Reinhardt’s cartoon is the first new short in the series since August, when Blizzard released a video starring Mei. It was the first new piece of animation based on the game in months — the beginning of a “season two,” as game director Jeff Kaplan told us back in May.
These shorts are beloved by fans as a way to get a new side of Overwatch’s cast of heroes not seen in the game itself. Other playable characters, from Bastion to Winston to Widowmaker, have featured in previous animations.
