Developers of the mobile gacha game Love and Deepspace have announced the cancellation of a newly revealed werewolf love interest, Valko, whose planned July 9 debut has been scrapped. This decision follows a significant negative reaction from a segment of the player base, which reportedly included the delivery of animal waste to the company's headquarters.
The developers shared their decision on X, stating, "We have decided to cancel both the launch and any further development of the new love interest." They further committed that "no additional love interests will be introduced in future content plans." This broad statement indicates a significant shift in the game's future content strategy, moving away from introducing new romantic options.
The controversy surrounding Valko stems from player concerns that his development and introduction were coming at the expense of other established love interests and needed quality-of-life improvements. Players expressed a desire for more content focusing on the existing characters and better systems for acquiring in-game premium resources and advancing the main storyline.
While some fans voiced their displeasure through direct feedback and pleas for the developers to "listen to your players," the situation escalated significantly. Reports from Chinese social media, aggregated on platforms like Reddit, claim that some players sent cow dung to the game's offices. These reports also suggest that the game may have lost over one million players in the days following Valko's reveal.
The developers acknowledged the extreme nature of the player response. In their statement, they promised to integrate the content planned for Valko's update, such as enhancements to the game's photo mode, into other areas. They also stated that the development team will now "focus on further developing the stories and long-term companionship experiences of our five existing love interests." To appease the disgruntled player base, the game will also provide 30 days' worth of premium in-game currency and items.
However, the cancellation of Valko has, in turn, alienated another portion of the fandom that supported his inclusion. Discussions on the game's Discord server and comments on the cancellation announcement reveal a sentiment of "Bring Back Valko." Some fans expressed concern that this decision sets a negative precedent, suggesting that aggressive or extreme fan behavior can dictate development choices, potentially leading to future instability or further fan-driven disruptions.