The Kotaku site describes an interesting phenomenon: they spoke to a number of gamers between the ages of 20 and 40, who all have something in common: they can no longer play certain games because they associate too many memories with them from previous partners. A 24-year-old tells us that not only is he single now, but he can never enjoy Genshin Impact again.
Why is the player now avoiding Genshin Impact? US site Kotaku has spoken to various gamers: they tell their stories of games they once loved to immerse themselves in but now can’t touch after failed relationships.
A 24-year-old says he was just friends with his future girlfriend for a long time. However, they became closer during the pandemic when both played Genshin Impact.
We started playing together, took in-game photos, went on in-game dates. In the end we decided to give it a try.
Fireworks in the game, but the relationship comes to an end
The young man says: But the relationship was not going well and in February they watched Fireworks together in Genshin Impact because there was a special event there. That was the last time we played together. The relationship ended the next day.
“I started avoiding Genshin Impact, even started hating it. I tried playing the game again the other day but the memories of my ex girlfriend are still there. I’ve decided to uninstall the game again.”
Get Genshin Impact characters for free – 5 daily tasks to use no real money
More videos
What other stories are there? Kotaku has spoken to some heartbroken men:
A 30-year-old was introduced to the high art of the Japanese role-playing game series Persona by his girlfriend. But just as he finished the third palace in Persona 5, the relationship fell apart. He hasn’t touched the game since then.
A 40-year-old went through a divorce while playing Horizon: Zero Dawn. He had been playing for 14 hours when his marriage fell apart. The man still remembers that to this day. He said he slept on the floor when he had to tell his kids he was moving out. Every time he enters the world of Aloy today, he feels that pain again – even after many years.
A 31-year-old says his then-girlfriend once told him she liked the Harvest Moon games when she was a kid, so he took her to Stardew Valley. He bought the game on three platforms. The 31-year-old says he now has the game on Switch, PC and PS4 after a nasty breakup and has never touched it again.
There are women who feel this way too? Yes, Kotaku quotes a 33-year-old. She says:
I will never play League of Legends again. My ex-boyfriend played it all the time and he met the woman he cheated on me with in the game.
If that was too bitter for a Sunday evening, we have an antidote for you here:
Thanks to my love for MMOs, I’ve found the love of my life
The cover photo is an iconic image: Photo by Hutomo Abrianto on Unsplash