New Overwatch short story Bastet picks up where Old Soldiers left off

Who are Vincent and Sam? One of them is Pharah’s father, the other is a former flame of Soldier: 76. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg in Bastet, the latest tale from the Overwatch team. Taking a detour from the realm of comics, Bastet is a full-fledged short story, written by Lead Writer Michael Chu. It picks up right where we left off with the comic Old Soldiers — Ana and Jack Morrison have been reunited, although 76 didn’t escape the skirmish without injury.

More importantly, Ana’s just learned that Reaper is none other than Gabriel Reyes, and that not one but two of her former coworkers long thought dead are very much alive. It’s an interesting reunion, given the fact that everyone thought Ana was dead, too. Is there something in the Overwatch contract that requires lost heroes to just lay low and let people think they’re gone? Regardless, Ana and Jack have a lot to catch up on.

And so do we. It’s been over two years since the release of Old Soldiers, and we’re finally seeing some resolutions to the cliffhanger ending. I’ve also been clamoring for more written prose from the Overwatch team for about as long — it’s nice to see them take the short story route this time around. A short story allows for a lot more exposition than a short comic can provide, and this particular situation almost requires that extra length.

The first Overwatch lore offering of 2019 also does something we’ve been waiting a long time for: it advances the story, instead of just filling in background details. Sure, there’s some reminiscing involved in Bastet, but it’s overlaid with the idea that maybe it’s time to move on. Given the tantalizing hooks we were treated to in BlizzCon’s McCree short Reunion, it’s beginning to feel like 2019 is going to focus on that very idea as well. No more lingering on old ghosts and tales of the past: it’s time to see what Winston’s recall order, sent oh so long ago, is going to accomplish.

Ana and Jack pick up like the very old friends they are in Bastet, and in between the banter, we learn more about their lives in the early days of Overwatch and what they’re currently up to. Jack is absolutely focused on Talon, while Ana’s efforts are focused more on her home — trying to fix what’s happened to Egypt in the wake of Overwatch’s influence. It’s clear that despite her injury, despite her faked death, Ana is still just as dedicated to being a guardian, a protector, as she ever was while serving in Overwatch’s ranks. Between her stubborn determination and Jack’s insistent drive to push onward, it seems that nobody in Overwatch ever escapes their duty — they can’t. It’s a calling that must be answered, as Reinhardt has already discovered.

While we’ll have to wait and see what Overwatch has in store for the year to follow, Bastet is an introspective, lore-rich dive into a story that players have been begging for. Refresh your memory on past events by paying Old Soldiers a visit, and see how the comic pays off in Bastet.