Here’s a closer look at the second Overwatch animated short – “Alive”

The second Overwatch animated short is out! It’s called “Alive”, and It tells the tale of Widowmaker and her quest to nab a kill in King’s Row.

Based on the formula of the first short, “Recall”, and the bio of the sneaky assassin, I honestly thought that this video would show how she went about murdering her husband, Gérard. Well, turns out I was wrong! See for yourself…

As you can see, Widowmaker goes about making another very important assassination. Who did she kill though?

I’ll tell you that, and point out a whole lot more in my breakdown of “Alive”. Grab your popcorn, because I’ve got a whole lot of screenshots and information for your enjoyment!

Right off the bat, we have a an obvious reference. Widowmaker talks about her fear of spiders in the opening seconds, and here we have a terrifying, poisonous black widow. Fun fact: I nearly accidently touched one of those once. Another fun fact: they are not found in the UK – where this short takes place. Perhaps that is a false widow then? That, or a simple oversight on Blizzard’s part.

Oooh! Is that a Tracer I see? Yes, yes it is. That’s pretty straight forward. What I’m more interested in, is that little girl’s hoody. I don’t recognise it myself, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s referencing something. Any ideas? Let me know below! Otherwise, maybe it is just something completely random and thrown in for fun.

UPDATE: I found something! On the map Hanamura, in the spawning area of the attackers, there are a whole bunch of arcade machines. There are several of those pictured above scattered throughout that room. The prize is exactly that mascot/creature seen on the girl’s hoody.

Who are all these people, and why are they protesting? Hang on, that stage looks awfully familiar…

Of course – it’s The Meridian! It can be spotted in the first area of the King’s Row map itself.

Finally, the speaker has appeared. My first thought was that it was Zenyatta. That was a dumb assumption of my part – there are a bunch of Omnic out and about in the world of Overwatch afterall! No, it’s actually Tekhartha Mondatta – the very robot that established the communal monastery where many of the robots found peace after the Omnic Crisis.

Tekhartha Mondatta established peace with the humans. These aren’t protestors… they’re fans!

Even Tracer is there to observe. She seems pretty happy too.

Another shot of the stage. It is slightly elevated, and shows the stairs. This is all undoubtedly taking place just outside The Meridian.

A close up of what appears to be a couple, or very close friends. Who is this lady though? I don’t know myself, but according to Reddit user ‘ineedanaem’, she could be somebody who goes by the name of Bridget. She appeared in the Overwatch theatrical teaser too.

There she is in that trailer, nursing an injured Omnic, and being protected by Reinhardt. I don’t think that’s the same robot from above however. Then again, it could be, and it’s just dressed differently.

A quick pan reveals another hotel. Hey, that looks familiar too…

Of course, the Alderworth hotel! It sits on the same block as The Meridian. In King’s Row, it has a large statue situated just outside its front doors, of an Omnic and a child. That there is Tekhartha Mondatta again. He’s really iconic it seems!

A grapple hook? I bet that’s handy for getting around.

Finally, Widowmaker makes a proper appearance! She’s there to kill Tekhartha Mondatta no doubt. I’ve got a bad feeling about this…

I think we all saw this coming. GASP! Hey, so that’s what it’s like to look through the goggles of Widowmaker. Screen looking taken to a whole new level!

Oh my, Tracer Vs Widowmaker! What’s better; speed or precision?

Widowmaker needs to kill Tekhartha Mondatta for REASONS. She makes use of her Infra-sight ability to find out exactly where Tekhartha Mondatta is. In-game, it only reveals enemies through walls. In real life though, it seems to be capable of highlighting specific targets. Oh my goodness Blizzard please nerf that ASAP!

Careful Tracer – Widowmaker has left you a Venom Mine! She can make use of the very same tech in Overwatch too.

Oh dear! Is this the end of Tracer?

Spoiler: of course not. The speedster has the  recall ability – also usable in Overwatch – which lets her step back in time a few seconds.

Sorry, I know this is very blurred. That there though, is Tracer making use of her ultimate ability, the Pulse Bomb. Oooh you’re so dead Widowmaker!

… Or not. Looks like Tracer is in trouble all over again!

Widowmaker is all lined up. One shot, one kill, and all that. This perspective also makes it a whole lot easier to understand where exactly this is all taking place in King’s Row. There’s the Alderworth hotel, as well as the starting doors for the attackers on the map.

Tracer avoids the hit, but Tekhartha Mondatta takes it head-on. Did Widowmaker actually plan that? Damn she’s good!

Again, we have a perfect shot of this mystery lady, “Bridget”. She of course, is upset to see Tekhartha Mondatta downed like that. I wonder if she will play a bigger role in Overwatch in future? A new character at some stage perhaps?

Widowmaker manages to pull a number on Tracer too. The speedster’s Chronal Accelerator is badly damaged in the ordeal. Will she be lost to time again? We’ll have to wait and see! Also, why is Widowmaker not finishing her off? Perhaps she only goes about taking out specific targets?

Whatever the case, her job is done. Widowmaker leaves the scene, talking about how she feels alive with each assassination. Some speculate that this kill of hers sparked the Second Omnic Crisis. And why wouldn’t it? The robots have just had their leader killed!

I loaded up King’s Row after watching the animated short to see if I could spot anything else. Lo and behold, right outside The Meridian stairs sits a picture of Tekhartha Mondatta and some lit candles – a small memorial to the great Omnic who bought peace. I’ve honestly never noticed that before. The statue of him in the next area makes a whole lot more sense now too.

On top of all this, when I entered the game, I chose Widowmaker just for the hell of it. Know what her opening line is when entering King’s Row?

“The site of one of my finest kills. That day, I felt alive.

Wow, Blizzard really have paid such close attention to this world. All these tiny details are really bringing the lore to life!

I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the next animated short. What about you? Could you do with more? Also, did you spot anything else I may have missed? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

Last Updated: April 4, 2016