Developer Papergames has announced the cancellation of a new love interest, Valko, for its mobile action dating sim Love and Deepspace, following significant fan backlash. The company stated that the decision was made after internal discussions and a recognition that the introduction of Valko was premature.
"We recognize that we moved forward with the introduction of Valko before we were truly ready," Papergames said in a statement posted to the game's Instagram account. "In doing so, we let down the players who have supported us from the start, and we also fell short of delivering the experience that players anticipating Valko deserved."
Papergames has committed to canceling both the launch and any further development of Valko. The company also pledged that no additional love interests will be introduced in future content plans, intending to focus on the five existing characters.
The fan displeasure reportedly extended beyond online commentary. According to Gaming on Phone, angered players targeted Papergames' headquarters in China with deliveries of cow dung, white and yellow chrysanthemums (symbols of mourning in Chinese culture), and glutinous rice and pomelo leaves, which are used in cleansing rituals. Love and Deepspace also reportedly lost approximately one million followers on Chinese social media platforms since Valko's unveiling.
Primary complaints from players centered on a perceived lack of new story content and insufficient development of the existing five love interests. Some players also expressed concerns that the game catered too heavily towards "whales"—players who spend significant amounts of money on microtransactions, thereby supporting the game's operations. These players felt that the game's pricing structure was too high for the average user, potentially in an effort to incentivize greater spending from big spenders.
Despite the strong negative reaction that led to Valko's cancellation, some players have expressed disappointment with the decision, with some calling for Valko's eventual release in the game.