One of the benefits of team based games, and certainly this is the case with Overwatch, is the bond you create with your teammates. You fight together, die together, complete missions together, and become part of each others lives in a unique and interesting way. So when one of your mates signs out for the last time, it is fitting that you send them off in their favorite game. In this case, with an Overwatch 12 gun salute.

Willem Den Toom passed away this year, a contributor at Too Much Gaming, entertainer and friend to many, was given a send off in Overwatch yesterday that is as touching as it is incredible to witness. Friends gathered as Willem’s favorite characters (and Hanzo) for an Overwatch 12 gun salute that would likely do him proud. Watch the farewell video below and prepare for feels. You’re not crying, I’m crying.

The tribute is a few minutes long, as the characters fire off their weapons and do various poses for the fallen hero. In a game where stat emphasis takes a back seat to objective completion and teamwork, Overwatch seemed a fitting place for the salute. The sendoff was capped with a stunning staggered 12 strong Dragonstrike from the Hanzo troupe before they dove off a cliff, perhaps noting that this may be his least favorite character. Regardless, the effect added a touch of humor to the moment. Willems Friends had this to say on the video’s description:

As a tribute to a fallen gamer and friend. We decided to do a gun salute in one of Will’s favorite games featuring the characters he most frequently used (… and Hanzo).

Wherever you are. May the payload be always moving, the point always contested, no one trickles out, and may there always a healer on your team. We miss you, big guy. This play of the game is for you.

Games will always bring us together, and at their best they bring out the best in us. An Overwatch 12 gun salute is a testament to the bonds gaming creates, and how much gaming is a culture of its own. To Willem, may you rest in peace good sir, and remember that “Heroes never die.”

What are your thoughts on the Overwatch 12 gun salute? How have you paid tribute to a fallen friend? Sound off in the comments below and tell us how gaming has impacted you in a positive way.