The coming of September means that the year's most anticipated holiday video game releases are right around the corner. To stress that fact, Microsoft just unveiled the opening cinematic for Halo 5: Guardians, the latest instalment in its flagship gaming franchise.

The three and a half minute clip doesn't feature Master Chief, the series' iconic star, but a group of new protagonists dubbed 'Fireteam Osiris.' It's an action romp that features the squad airdropping into a hostile warzone and squaring off against both Covenant and Promethean forces.

In an official blog post, Microsoft unveiled the names and backgrounds of the elite foursome who will play a big part in the upcoming game's narrative:

• Spartan Jameson Locke - Before he was a Spartan, Locke was an ONI Acquisitions Specialist - an expert in tracking, asset recovery, and elimination of high value targets
• Spartan Olympia Vale - A child prodigy, Vale's innate skill in languages led to a career as a Navy liaison with the Sangheili post-war
• Spartan Holly Tanaka - After surviving the glassing of her homeworld, Tanaka joined the Army, looking for a chance to save others from the same fate
• Spartan Edward Buck - During his service as an ODST, Buck's personnel profile suggested "if he were any better he'd be a Spartan"

Locke in particular will be of huge importance to story, given that he will be campaign mode's second playable character after Master Chief. His backstory and origins were revealed in Halo: Nightfall, a web based mini-series that came bundled with last year's Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

The teaser is certainly an effective way to drum up excitement for the game, but some fans might scoff at the lack of actual gameplay. For that, you'll need to wait until Halo 5: Guardians hits stores on October 27.