The wolf has gone back to the forest, leaving shallow paw prints in the story. In case you’re wondering which wolf I’m talking about, it’s the werewolf from Love and Deepspace. After catching heat from mostly Asian players, Love and Deepspace cancelled Valko on June 30th, but then, other players have petitioned the devs to bring him back!
I know what you’re thinking, and honestly, I have the same thoughts, too! It’s a huge chaos now, and the whole ordeal has put Papergames and Infold Games in a very, very tight spot. After announcing the cancellation of LADS’ sixth hero, the developers said that the focus will stay on the existing five love interests and the main story.
Earlier this week, many players described the whole situation as one of the biggest shake-ups the otome game community has seen in a long time. While the initial outrage centred around opposing Valko’s addition, another wave of fans has now emerged arguing the exact opposite.
Really?
Petitions to bring back Valko in Love and Deepspace started circulating. Players have been contacting gaming outlets to express frustration over Infold’s decision to cancel the character. That’s mostly the international players. They’ve been complaining that the company chose to prioritise its original Chinese audience over its growing global community.
Ironically, many Chinese players had previously argued the exact reverse, claiming international audiences were getting too much attention. So, most of the global players now believe that the organised campaigns were responsible for getting Valko removed before players outside China ever had a chance to experience him.
Infold deleted all of Valko’s posts despite reportedly losing 30,000 followers on the global Instagram account. The company wanted to avoid further protests in its home country. And it seems like they are sticking to not bringing back Valko, no matter what this time.
You can check the official X account for more updates on this topic.
Meanwhile, be sure to read our scoop on Solo Leveling: ARISE’s New Update with Agnes Rivera.
