The official Overwatch 2 dating sim is surprisingly self-aware

Loverwatch - Overwatch 2 dating sim
(Image credit: Blizzard)

Overwatch 2 developer Blizzard has released a themed dating sim in honor of Valentine's Day, appropriately named Loverwatch. 

To celebrate the most romantic day of the year, Blizzard has released an Overwatch 2-themed dating sim called Loverwatch. The browser game is free to play and features some of the Overwatch characters we know and love from the main game. As the website says, this game is 100% official but not canon, meaning whatever happens in Loverwatch, stays in Loverwatch and won't transfer over to the FPS. 

Just like regular dating sims, Loverwatch sees players choosing a bunch of text-based dialogue options which get a conversation flowing and sparks flying with either Mercy or Genji from Overwatch 2. The game is only short and is only running for a limited time, but it's still managed to accumulate a number of fans who have praised it for its endearing dialogue and cute storylines. 

As demonstrated in the Overwatch subreddit, a lot of Overwatch 2 players are enjoying the dating sim, with several players calling it "the most self-aware dating sim" they've ever played due to the fact it pokes fun at the Overwatch series - specifically at the fact many fans were left disappointed upon Overwatch 2's release due to the distinct lack of lore in the sequel

For example, one user has shared a screenshot of the game where Zenyatta makes an appearance, to which the game's narrator says: "How sad is it that the only place you can get Zenyatta content these days is the explicitly non-canon dating sim and that one short story?"

the_dating_sim_is_very_selfaware from r/Overwatch

There's also a number of other in-jokes buried in the conversations you'll have with our two main heroes. As shared in the same subreddit, Loverwatch makes a joke about Genji's "I need healing" voice line by giving players the option to directly ask the Damage hero if he needs healing. As for Mercy, players have spotted that at one point in the game, she makes a point about how "mobility and overpowered are not the same thing" - making reference to enduring complaints about the strength and slipperiness about the series.

this_do_you_need_healing_really_made_me_laugh from r/Overwatch

Others have praised how Loverwatch feels like it was made by a team of "real people" and not "some corporate entity" that doesn't pay much attention to the game it's based on and the characters within it. Needless to say, a lot of Overwatch 2 fans are loving the Valentine's Day spin-off game. 

Now want to get better acquainted with the characters in Loverwatch? Take a look at our Overwatch 2 characters and roles guide. 

Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.  

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