My Valentine's days are characterized by gushing. A full, unapologetic embrace of the season's obsession with love. So, when AdHoc started releasing cheeky official Valentine's cards too Dispatch on X I sat, ready and fully prepared to overanalyze and fangirl over fictional flirting like it was my full-time job.
But then I felt something unexpected in this wave of fangirling. I began to yearn thanks to what was missing. On February 9, AdHoc started with one Dispatch Valentine's card with Robert. Which is fine by me – he is the main character after all. Did I feel something? Not particularly. He is safe, but from safety we could have gotten somewhere, maybe a little on the edge of the safety net. In that process, I began to realize that the “what” that was missing was actually a “who.”
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Dispatch's Valentine's Day card made me long for the one that got away
On February 9, AdHoc Studio followed Robert's brief with an invitation. The studio hosted a poll on its Discord to decide which Valentine's Day card would accompany Roberts. The options presented to fans were:
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Invisigal
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Flambée
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Blonde blazer
There are some obvious threads emerging here. Invisigal and Blonde Blazer are romance options within Dispatch Season 1, so it makes perfect sense to have them at the forefront. Flambae exudes sex appeal, so his was also understandable. But what was borderline unforgivable? Malevola's absence. She wasn't a fourth option or a sassy “coming soon.” She was simply not an option.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Start
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Invisigal won the bid on February 10. Blonde Blazer followed at 11. Malevola, while not an option, finally showed up at 12. Although she skipped Flambae in the so-called hierarchy, she still arrived what I consider to be fashionably late to a party she should be headlining. Because, let's be honest: Maybe Malevola should have gone first. In my least justified view of this: she should have been offered the chance to go first.
I need everyone to start wanting Malevola as a romantic option in Dispatch Season 2 as much as I need her to be
There is a very specific type of character that reshapes a fandom the moment they appear. From Sans to Onceler, I grew up watching entire fandoms live and die on Tumblr thanks to these characters. Among them are those with a commanding presence and a sharp edge that reads less “reformed villain” and more “a romantic option that's going to get me in a chokehold.” Malevola, for me, fits that mold effortlessly.
In a post-BG3Karlach's world of romance has proven to audiences that they admire a few things:
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They long for in-game romances with emotionally layered, powerful women.
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These women have warmth in their hearts and dialogue.
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The combination of black horns and red skin is deadly.
After experiencing what a fully realized, unrelentingly intense romance can be in a video game, it's hard to ask fans to retreat to safer, flatter options. Malevola feels more than just a viable romance option for Dispatch Season 2 – she feels inevitable.
Valentine's Day is about choices. Let's choose chaos.
Invisigal's romance felt like taking a chance on something with potential. Blond Blazer is literally a role model, and her romance reflects idyllic stability. But it's time for a real hellfire.
The rollout of Valentine's cards may have been playful marketing for fans who have grown to love Dispatchs characters. Community engagement tactics and harmless polls are just part of the fun of being part of an active fandom. But fandoms are not neutral ecosystems. They're ecosystems driven by longing, and if the response to Malevola's card is any indication, the fandom's appetite is clearly there. The card hit differently. Reactions weigh heavily. And the potential practically hums through a static image.
So yeah, maybe this is a Valentine's Day appeal. If Dispatch Season 2 will lean into more romance options, it shouldn't hamper or soften. The most important thing is that it should not delay what feels inevitable. After our best girl Karlach, the bar is simply higher. Some of us can't be expected to thrive without a Malevola romance arc to emotionally destabilize us in ways that only Adhoc can. So, yes, the card was adorable. Now I just need the plot to follow it.
Dispatch
- Released
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October 22, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, crude humor, intense violence, nudity, sexual content, strong language, use of drugs and alcohol
- Developer
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AdHoc Studio
- Publisher
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AdHoc Studio
