The dating simulator, Date Everything, is a veritable feast of vocal talent, featuring an impressive roster of 100 characters you can date. These characters range from everyday household items to deeper concepts like crippling self-doubt, personified. Among the slew of notable voice actors contributing to this unique experience, a new addition has been announced: Dante Basco, famed for his role in Avatar: The Last Airbender, will lend his voice to Dante the Fireplace.
During a chat with Game Rant, developers Ray Chase, Robbie Daymond, and Amanda Hufford delved into the unique character of Dante. Daymond, in particular, has had Dante on his radar since the early stages of the game’s creation. He had Dante Basco in mind for a specific role from the get-go, feeling that Basco’s distinct and charming voice would be a perfect fit. “He’s got such a captivating voice,” Daymond said with a broad smile. “It just screams to be used in a dating sim.”
Choosing a fireplace as Basco’s character is both a playful and fitting homage to his renowned role as Prince Zuko from the Fire Nation in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Zuko starts off as a villain but evolves into one of the show’s beloved heroes. The developers thought Basco would be an ideal match for this role not just because of his past role, but also because fireplaces are central and eye-catching, much like Dante the character claims his space as a centerpiece in the virtual home. Daymond reflected on this alignment, saying:
“We’ve got this grand, beautiful fireplace—a hearth right in the middle of our living room. I thought, ‘This is Dante.’ It’s a wink and a nod to Avatar, naturally. Inviting him to play the role seemed like a perfect chance we couldn’t miss, and he truly nailed it.”
As the game gears up for its release, the roster of actors voicing characters only continues to expand. Joining Dante Basco are established artists like Laura Bailey, David Sobolov, Ben Starr, Marisha Ray, and Neil Newbon. With the game’s release being pushed back to June from its original Valentine’s Day schedule, the developer team is all set to roll out a series of character introductions in the coming months. These reveals, often taking place at conventions and through social media channels, even included an Advent Calendar during the holidays with a series of exciting, festive updates.
While Dante the Fireplace is amongst the game’s 100 (and possibly counting) datable entities, the team is particularly eager for players to meet him. “He’s a truly entertaining character with a narrative that defies expectation,” shared Daymond. Chase echoed this enthusiasm, underscoring that every single character is fleshed out with multiple possible endings. “They deserve to be stars in their own right,” he insisted.
And true to their word, Date Everything will feature a whopping 1.5 million words of dialogue and over 70,000 lines of voiced interaction. Only about 20 of these colorful characters have been introduced so far, but many more are slated to take the stage in the upcoming months. The development team is abuzz with excitement, looking forward to gradually revealing the diverse and captivating ensemble to fans eagerly awaiting the game’s launch in June. As Daymond confidently declared, “This game has got the most star-studded cast you’ve ever seen in a video game.” Stay tuned to Date Everything’s social media and Game Rant to discover what the creative team has queued up next!