<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[GameUP24]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://gameup24.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[William A.]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://gameup24.wordpress.com/author/louzwate/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Why the Overwatch fandom is so delightfully chaotic, explained in one&nbsp;tweet]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<div><img src='https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y3u6PfW_EM-n6GCcGkvtPRif1no=/98x0:1902x1015/640x360/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51773021/Overwatch.0.0.jpg' style='max-width:600px;' /></p>
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<p>There’s a simple reason for some amazing fan art </p>
<p><em>Overwatch</em> has dedicated fans. </p>
<p>And that’s nothing too unusual in the world of gaming. Many games have dedicated fans. But <em>Overwatch</em> fans are something else altogether. They create relationships that aren’t even hinted at in the game’s lore. They completely re-imagine characters, and then become emotionally attached to their version of each hero. The fan art, <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2016/10/12/13261364/overwatch-witch-mercy-wallpaper">complete with its own inside jokes</a>, is amazing. Video <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2016/11/8/13569218/overwatch-voice-actors-get-together-in-adorable-blizzard-video">of the voice actors goofing around goes viral</a>. </p>
<p>But what makes the fandom of this game so unique? One tweet by our own Susana Polo summed it pretty handily: </p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A friend: Someone should do their dissertation on why the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Overwatch?src=hash">#Overwatch</a> fandom is so thirsty.<br />Me: <a href="https://t.co/9xHgDLXXGN">http://pic.twitter.com/9xHgDLXXGN</a></p>
<p>— Susana Polo (@NerdGerhl) <a href="https://twitter.com/NerdGerhl/status/795013436350545920">November 5, 2016</a>
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<p>It’s a bit on the crude side, and also 100 percent accurate. <em>Overwatch</em> launched with only a tiny bit of information about each of these characters, but each character is so visually striking, with their personality feeling so cohesive between everything from their <a href="http://kotaku.com/5921878/why-video-game-characters-say-such-ridiculous-things">barks</a> to their ultimates, that the fans continue to have a field day filling in the blanks for themselves. </p>
<p>And sometimes that means the characters pair off, even in ways Blizzard never intended nor will they officially support. Rarely is this head canon reflected in the game, <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2016/8/18/12530732/overwatch-gremlin-dva-emote">although Blizzard certainly knows how to play to the crowd</a>. </p>
<p>I’ve been stuck trying to explain this to people in more than a few situations, but Susana’s tweet explains the entire situation — using a <em>Jurassic Park</em> reference — quickly and accurately. </p>
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<p><em>Source: <a style="text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.polygon.com/2016/11/10/13588672/overwatch-fandom-soldier-76-is-my-dad">Polygon &#8211;  Full</a></em></div>
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