Papergames is dealing with one of the biggest controversies in its history after the reveal of Valko, known as Ao Yin in the Chinese version, a sixth male love interest in Love and Deepspace, sparked a wave of anger from its Chinese player base. What began as criticism on social media has now spilled into the real world, with protestors reportedly leaving cow dung, funeral flowers, and other ritual items outside the studio's office. In the middle of the fallout, the game's official Chinese social media accounts have lost roughly a million followers combined.
Online Outrage Turns Into Offline Protests
The backlash reportedly intensified after Papergames unveiled Valko as the game's newest romance option. While some players took issue with his more Western-leaning design, many longtime fans say the real problem is that the existing five love interests have received very little new story content, with some players reportedly waiting more than 500 days for updates. A large part of the community feels the studio chose to prioritize a brand-new character instead of continuing the stories players had already invested years into.
Cow Dung, Funeral Flowers, and Curse Banners
The frustration didn't stay online for long. As part of Valko's promotional push, Papergames installed a large Valko-themed display outside its headquarters. According to reports, some extreme protestors responded by leaving cow dung inside the company's delivery lockers, alongside white and yellow chrysanthemums, curse banners, glutinous rice, and pomelo leaves placed around the display.
These items are not random. In Chinese tradition, several of them carry pointed symbolic weight:
- White and yellow chrysanthemums are traditionally associated with funerals and mourning.
- Glutinous rice and pomelo leaves are commonly used in cleansing or exorcism rituals.
- Curse banners were reportedly left with messages directly insulting the new character.
Following the incident, Papergames reportedly tightened security around its office as the situation continued to escalate.
Beijing Daily Weighs In as Trust Erodes
The controversy has grown large enough to draw coverage from Beijing Daily, which argued that the situation reflects a deeper breakdown of trust between Papergames and its core player base. In the outlet's framing, Valko didn't create the anger so much as expose years of built-up frustration over slow story updates, resource allocation, and a lack of communication with longtime fans.
Papergames' response: The studio confirmed Valko would remain the game's sixth male lead while promising future story content for Caleb and Sylus. It also handed out 20 free pulls as compensation, though many players felt the statement lacked a genuine apology and failed to address the community's core complaints.
The conversation has since spread well beyond China, with international fans weighing in as well. One fan summed up the mood online, saying they don't condone the protestors' actions but aren't surprised by the outcome, pointing to a pattern going back to Love Nikki and the infamous patch controversy surrounding Infinity Nikki as evidence the warning signs had been there for years.
Valko's Launch Scrapped Entirely
In a follow-up announcement, the developers confirmed they've scrapped the launch of the new love interest altogether and will not be introducing any additional romance options in future updates. The team says it will instead focus on expanding the stories of the existing five love interests while continuing work on planned Version 6.0 features, including Home 2.0, the AR Photobooth, and the upcoming 5-Star Memory Event.
As a further gesture to players, anyone who logs in over the next 30 days will receive one Deepspace Wish each day through the in-game mailbox.
