Loverwatch is a web-based dating sim – the biggest and best surprise Overwatch 2 has delivered. In the game, Hanzo in Cupid form will guide you as he helps you find your way to Genji’s or Mercy’s heart – whether that means friendship or romance is up to you. The journey takes you to Overwatch locales like a comedy club in Midtown and a five-star restaurant in Circuit Royale while you spend quality time with your date and get to know them better. It’s a hilarious ride full of confident jokes and a surprising amount of heart.
You can play Loverwatch by going to loverwatch.gg. It plays right in your web browser – no downloads required. Just follow the on-screen instructions, follow Cupid’s advice and interact with your dates. By logging into your Battle.net account, you can earn in-game rewards for successfully earning the admiration of Overwatch heroes.
As I mentioned in CNET’s Guide season 3, the Overwatch list is overflowing with suitable dates. Of these 30+ heroes, however, Genji and Mercy are two of the most popular, with plenty of backstory to draw from. That makes her a good choice for Loverwatch, which hopefully is just the first iteration of a larger Overwatch dating sim. The game itself hints at hopes of doing more.
Loverwatch, as strange and unexpected as the project may seem, is one of the best things that Overwatch has come up with. CNET was able to speak to the game’s writers and brand manager in media interviews the day after launch. Here’s what we learned about the game’s origins and the possibility of fans getting more in the future.
Is Loverwatch canon?
No. The writers drew from the characters’ personalities based on long-standing lore and in-game interactions, but the events of the dating sim aren’t canon. The game states that this happens in advance, before players start courting their hero of choice.
How to get the secret ending
For the reward hunters: Genji and Mercy are the two options early in the game, but theirs aren’t the only hearts you can win. If you successfully bond with both heroes, you will unlock a secret ending in which Cupid himself tells you that he admires your devotion to love in all its forms. For earning this ending, you will receive a unique reward that will be transferred to your Battle.net account.
The cupid-themed partially clothed Hanzo offers you advice on how to proceed with your dates. He may be a surly advisor, but his guidance is helpful.
blizzard
Why a dating sim?
Overwatch has needed something like this for years. It’s a bright, vibrant game filled with characters to inspire late-night lore-binging sessions, but the core gameplay is a competitive shooter — not the most welcoming or accessible setting for everyone. A dating sim is a great way for Blizzard to showcase the game and its characters to more people without asking them to face the horrors of online matchmaking. The writers do a remarkable job of incorporating jokes into the dialogue for people who have been playing for years, while also providing context for people who may have joined when Overwatch 2 was released as a free game.
The developers seem aware of the potential for engagement outside of the core game. Speaking of the game’s new free-to-play model, Overwatch Brand Manager Beth Bryson said, “We’re going to give [fans] Ways to experience the Overwatch world and our heroes and interact with them in unique and different ways,” and Loverwatch is the introductory path.
According to Senior Narrative Designer Miranda Moyer, heroes are the lifeblood of the game, and Overwatch developers were excited to give fans the ability to interact with these heroes in a more character-driven experience. Moyer wrote Genji’s way into the dating sim.
Narrative designer Kyungseo Min, who wrote Mercy’s journey, said, “We wanted to [expand the universe] in a way where we wanted to include members of the community who felt kind of left out of the PVP experience” and that a project like Loverwatch gives them the opportunity to expand while being inclusive.
Will There Be More Overwatch Dating Sims?
Everyone who plays the game seems to be asking for more. Bryson said the hope is that player response will be big enough to explore other avenues like Loverwatch. “I think there’s a very big appetite for it in the team. No promises, but we’ll definitely make ourselves stronger if the players jump in and enjoy it.”
Moyer added, “There is absolutely a lot of enthusiasm behind this project and we have a lot of ideas for the rest of the cast.”
Perhaps your ultimate hope is to woo the ailing but sane members of Overwatch, or the more complicated heroes like Ashe or the members of Talon. Or maybe you just have an unquenchable thirst for it one of the game’s omnics. Regardless, the best way to ensure that opportunity is to play Loverwatch right now. Trust me, it’s worth the 10 or so minutes it takes for a single playthrough, and you’ll be helping the entire Overwatch community by furthering our obsession.
For more information on Overwatch, visit how the newest hero expands the story of the game And what you can find in the new map.
