Updated

Updated · GosuGamers · Jun 23

Love and Deepspace Fans Split Over 6th Love Interest Valko Ahead of July 9 Launch

Updated

Updated · GosuGamers · Jun 23

Love and Deepspace Fans Split Over 6th Love Interest Valko Ahead of July 9 Launch

Q: Will player backlash force a redesign of the game's new werewolf character before his July 9 debut?

No. The backlash did not force a redesign of Valko before July 9; instead, the character was canceled outright. According to the latest reported developments, Papergames/Infold announced on June 30 that Valko’s launch and further development had been scrapped. That means the werewolf love interest, originally scheduled to debut with Version 6.0 on July 9, will not be released in redesigned form. The company also said it would not add further new love interests. The reversal followed days of intense criticism after Valko’s June 22 reveal. Complaints focused on his design, especially the four-ear concept, his styling, and a perception among some players that Infold had missed the chance to give him a more rugged werewolf look. In China, the reaction was especially severe, with large-scale Weibo criticism, refund demands, boycott calls, and falling app-store ratings. Paper Games had already issued an open letter on June 28 apologizing for communication problems and offering 20 free pulls, but it did not announce a redesign at that stage. What changed was not the design but the company’s willingness to proceed. Reports indicate the backlash broadened beyond aesthetics to include frustration over story delays, concern about adding a sixth love interest, and anger over Valko’s ties to the EVER Group. So the answer is clear: player pressure did alter the outcome, but by stopping Valko entirely rather than forcing a last-minute redesign.

3 articles · Updated · GosuGamers · Jun 23

Valko’s reveal as Love and Deepspace’s sixth love interest drew a sharply mixed response less than 24 hours after his teaser, with memes and fan art colliding with design complaints and boycott calls.
Chinese players on Weibo labeled the werewolf-clan leader “ugly,” called the addition a cash grab, demanded refunds and urged a boycott, making the backlash more intense than the playful reaction seen elsewhere online.
Design criticism centered on Valko’s look, with players arguing Infold should have given him rougher hair or a wolf cut, while his four-ear design—two human and two wolf ears—became another flashpoint.
Some fans still embraced the character through Twilight and K-pop comparisons, and others said his story potential matters because his company, EonCore Tech, was only recently introduced as tied to the powerful EVER Group.
Valko is scheduled to join the game on July 9 with Version 6.0, leaving Infold to test whether controversy converts into engagement or dents player spending.