D.Va goes it alone in an explosive new ‘Overwatch’ animated short

Blizzard has released a new animated Overwatch short film, and this time the focus in on everyone’s favorite esports champion, D.Va. If you’ve ever wondered how a professional gamer could make the transition to a super-powered agent tasked with protecting the planet, wonder no longer.

In “Shooting Star,” we’re introduced to D.Va — real name Hana Song — at the height of her celebrity. Fresh off a victory in a race with the rest of her MEKA squad in the Korean Army, she chooses to eschew the “glitz and glamor” of fame in favor of staying home to tend to her vehicle. Not all is well, however, as she is still haunted by her last combat mission against a powerful Omnic threat.

Almost immediately, a barrage of missiles are detected heading for the South Korean shores, and D.Va flies head-on into danger to neutralize the threat. Using her suit’s defense matrix ability, she’s able to stop every projectile before they hit their target, and her cannons take out a few nearby Omnic vehicles trailing behind. One manages to escape, and D.Va launches her own missile barrage before being tied up in its tentacles and hurling toward the city at high speed.

Left with no other option, D.Va chooses to overload the reactor in her suit, ejecting and firing a shot from her blaster to trigger an enormous explosion that destroys the Omnic and saves the nearby city. She’s then rescued and taken to a hospital with multiple broken bones, though the local news stations falsely assert that she suffered no injuries in the attack.

“Shooting Star” is one of the most effective shorts Blizzard has put out thus far. Though it doesn’t delve too deeply into Hana Song’s backstory, its focus on her mech suit give us a chance to see the origin of its abilities, including why it would possibly have a self-destruction function.

D.Va fans will want to check out the latest Overwatch map, Busan. Coming soon to the game, the map is set in South Korea and includes a MEKA base area that looks almost identical to what we saw in the short film.

If you’re craving more stateside Blizzard gaming after Gamescom, the sold-out Blizzcon 2018 will be in Anaheim, California, on November 2-3. Blizzard is making the event accessible for fans everywhere with a Virtual Ticket option, and it’s historically hosted some great reveals, such as Starcraft II going free-to-play.

After you’re inspired by the animated short, defend (or attack) the payload with friends during the Overwatch Free Weekend from August 23-27 for PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One! After all, the world can always use more heroes.