Blizzard's New Hearthstone Animated Short Is "First In A Series"

Blizzard is starting to feel more and more like Disney. While games like Warcraft and Overwatch have established a reputation for high-quality cinematic trailers, Hearthstone's animated offerings have tended to only serve as introductions to upcoming content releases. But that changed today; as part of its Gamescom presence, Blizzard revealed the first of it Heathstone-themed animated shorts.

In what Blizzard promises to be "the first in an upcoming series," the mini-movie above is a musical number that provides an even stronger frame story for the world of Hearthstone, which is itself just a game set within the world of Warcraft's Azeroth. Also, it looks like something straight out of Pixar.

The shorts will have a recurring cast, which Blizzard outlined in a press release below:

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• Harth Stonebrew: The Tavern’s jolly dwarven proprietor is a welcoming and gracious host.
• Ava: A curious teenage girl with an indomitable, resilient spirit and a knack for Hearthstone.
• Malto: This kindly old mage is a source of wisdom and encouragement.
• Sarge: Sarge is no ordinary mouse--Malto’s magical companion is the heart of the Tavern.
• Lou: A boisterous, happy-go-lucky paladin with a positive attitude. The life of the party.
• Fewz and Wick: These goblin brothers provide thrilling commentary for the Tavern’s most heated Hearthstone matches.
• Velaris: This snooty blood elf’s card collection is dwarfed only by the size of his ego.
• Roberta "Bertie" Clickfizzle: A brilliant gnome whose curiosity knows no bounds. She’s in her element when tinkering with unique deck ideas.
• Urk: This orc loves playing aggressive decks, but watch out! He has anger issues and has even been known to flip a table or two.

You can see some more shots of the trailer below.

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In addition to the new Hearthstone short, Blizzard also revealed a bittersweet cinematic for Overwatch today, which sheds light on Mei's journey from scientist to icicle-shooting hero.