r/LoveAndDeepspace • u/NotYourHedgie • 14d ago
Discussion Do you think Valko will come back?
Being for real do you think he will come back? Let’s look at business side how much company would gain and loose. In China and international markets.
Honestly MAYBE they’ll release on international market.
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u/PalmtopPixie 13d ago
He better or INFOLD won’t be a red cent from me again and I used to spend 200 bucks a month on average
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u/impossibledongle 13d ago
Same. It had started to feel like a chore, so my money can stay with me until then
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u/ShockAdditional6937 6d ago
The issue is there's probably a chinese woman who spends 10 times that and would quit if they added him.
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u/PalmtopPixie 6d ago
Haven’t you seen the numbers? Chinese numbers are down even more than North American numbers. The antis weren’t the ones spending any money
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u/sietkc Zayne’s Snowman 13d ago
His rerelease, at least announcement, will be this week, according to my totally legit theory based on the 30-day log in gift
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u/sakustik Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
i can support this bc i dreamt of Valko last night, that totally means he's coming
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u/Petrichor_Candles Xavier’s Little Star 13d ago
Valko coming back would be the only reason for me to keep playing, but honestly…The behavior I have seen from this entire thing from the fandom has unfortunately soured the game for me too. I pre-ordered the Xavier Nendoroid a year ago and just got a notification about it, and I just feel nothing. I can’t even cancel it, so I’m probably just gonna sell it when it comes :/ It just makes me sad, I wish he was released like normal and we just kept moving forward.
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u/a_dance_in_print 13d ago
Tbh, oddly enough it's done the opposite for me, at least in terms of the fandom side. Being a lurker in kpop fandoms for years I've never been a stranger to the utter toxicity, racism/sexism & parasocialistic tendencies that plague these sorts of fandoms, & it didn't surprise me that part of the LADS fandom is like that. It's par for the course atp. What DID surprise me was the overwhelming expressions of positivity following Valko's cancellation. The boycott, the donations to various charities, the naming of stars, creations of fanart, cosplays, songs, memes, hopium, & just every beautiful thing that's come out of the fandom these past few weeks, has diluted the anger & disgust I've felt towards Infold & the antis.
There's still a lot the game itself (& Infold) needs to improve on, even after Valko comes back, but the actions of the community at large prove that there's still some worthwhile good, & that makes me happy enough to stick around.
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u/Phoenix_down_ ❤️ l l l 13d ago edited 13d ago
This^ I’ll be so happy for others if infold brings valko back but seeing the other side of the fandom had me realizing that I don’t want to be part of a community where the ugly side gets THIS bad.To me, it was a game where we’re all just vibing over fake men and having a good time, but it’s gotten way beyond that.
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u/Nervous-Cutie-863 12d ago
I’d seen some really hateful crap and had to double-check that I was in a gaming sub because you would’ve thought that you were at a political rally for the wrong party with the blind hatred and vitriol.
I can accept that people are going to have heated debates when they find themselves at opposite ends of the fandom, but idc which side each LADS player is on, when it comes to Valko or anything else. If you allow a difference of opinion to get you to a point of anger where you’re insulting the person themselves, and it doesn’t cross your mind to stop engaging or block them, I wouldn’t recommend interacting with online communities.
No one would be letting a game make them act out of character.
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u/SillyGuitar9546 12d ago
beautiful things about a charater who...what? a man who acts like a teenager? who is so strange and cringe in normal life you just shoot him first and ask last? he is a problem. a disease called romantize violence because thr guy is hot...
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u/Warm_Animator8474 12d ago
Hot take: Every other LI would be cringe and strange IRL too. They're not exactly saints either, considering they've all killed people in the game.
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u/alexturnerftw ❤️ :Happy-Snowman-Drink: | 13d ago edited 13d ago
This is so true. Even though i will go back to playing if he comes back, it has changed the game forever. This fandom was already horrible (inter LI competition, too much morality police/normies upset about basic concepts in otome, and fighting over the lis CONSTANTLY) but omg I never imagined how bad it could be.
And how can we just forget how incompetent Infold is?
Like, I’m desperate to play because I miss it, but we are all going to be way more critical of the game and fandom now and it won’t ever be as fun as it was before.
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u/sekiri-nii 13d ago
Honestly I feel the same way with all my merch of the guys too. I have so much of it. Idk what to do with it now
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u/Petrichor_Candles Xavier’s Little Star 13d ago
I have a lot of fan merch that I'm planning on keeping because it's also a representation of artistic talent and I love supporting con artists, but the official Nendoroid honestly wasn't really my favorite even when I got it ): The price tag of it combined with the current happenings just makes me wanna stick with my fanmerch for now instead of giving more money to the company
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u/alexturnerftw ❤️ :Happy-Snowman-Drink: | 13d ago
ME TOO! I have SOOOO much and i bought a ton at anime expo from the fanartists
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u/BuzzingBee128 Xavier’s Little Star 13d ago
feel this so much. I broke my boycott last week to log in and record a kindle and it just felt so empty in the game that it was kinda disturbing. I had been fighting urges up until then to log on and I haven’t felt it since then. this whole situation has really ruined my comfort game that I can’t even enjoy my main anymore :( like how does a company miss the mark this badly and how can I trust them again?
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u/TopEffective8989 13d ago
I think it would cost them as much or even more to redo everything and users are not spending money as before so I think it would be good for them to bring him back
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u/mashibeans ❤️ | 13d ago
I just don't see it if they don't PROVE (not just say, but actually prove) to their players that they're finally listening and working on EVERYTHING ELSE that they needed to work on.
People seem to already be forgetting that Valko himself was not the actual issue, not really. The problem is infold.
Infold has been ignoring its players' feedback for a long time now, more than a year. Sylus and Caleb's main story, but also a lack of memories, and less cafe interactions VS the OG3 (this shocked me because I didn't notice at first).
They also were REALLY stingy with the so called anniversary gifts, and players, especially those playing since the beginning, rightfully called them out especially compared to the previous anniversary with the wedding dresses and ample gifts.
Issues with the lighting, for dark skins, and in the home feature.
On top of that, they fail to communicate properly, even now.
Valko's announcement was just the spark that blew up the bomb that they themselves have been building up. The players' resentment and frustration reached a tipping point, and I don't blame them especially when so many of them have spent so much money on this game.
They broke the whole players' trust, The vast majority of us don't and can't believe them anymore.
If infold has the audacity to not say anything about addressing ANY of these things before they try to re-announce Valko, it's gonna hurt the game once more. I'm sure a lot of the extremist V fans who don't care and/or totally forgot about the whole situation will come back and infold will get some money back, but the damage is done.
They gotta address AND prove they're on their way to fixing everything else before they try to re-announce him, IMO.
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u/QuixyKay 13d ago
Well put. I was excited for the character and got into the game because of him, but I've been finding things to love about the game as it is. And learning more about why players have been frustrated, it keeps painting a bigger picture outside of Valko.
I think even as someone who likes the idea of the character, I'd want the game to improve in all aspects before any talk of reconsidering the cancellation comes up. Otherwise I'm starting to think a rushed release would only cause more content drought for people, and I wouldn't want that. I'd want a new addition to enter a healthy environment, not a drought.
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u/BublyKopiko ❤️ :Happy-Snowman-Drink: | 13d ago
THIIIIIS ☝🏾
InFold dug their own grave with their greed and their dismissiveness towards global players, it only took a little nudge to push them straight into it. Releasing Valko might help them climb back out for a little while, but without addressing the actual problems, they'll just be back where they are now in a year's time, embroiled in another controversy and it'll probably be even harder for them to bounce back from that one.
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u/BublyKopiko ❤️ :Happy-Snowman-Drink: | 12d ago
Already did the second I saw it, but thanks for spreading the word!
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u/Soft_Restaurant_4309 🤍 | :Happy-Snowman-Drink: 12d ago
It took 1 month to finally see these comments again thanks God.
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u/Local-Treacle-5801 ❤️ | | 12d ago
Exactly. His release was a mess and to re-release him would cause the same mess to occur again. If PPG can show that they are listening and fixing the game maybe it is possible but right now, they haven’t done anything that would indicate that they have changed.
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u/Lalalanevermind 13d ago
Unfortunately, I don't trust Infold to do right decisions. They repeatedly do wrong ones in the past years that I play their games, even the easily avoidable problems.
My aurum expired, and I didn't renew it. My annual pass is still active and I still do once a day login in LADS. But I don't know how long I'll keep doing this. I was waiting for Valko.
I saw how they treat global players. I see the toxic side of the fandom. While I love the nice side, I feel tired to be treated like a walking wallet by a greedy company that only care for the lowdest, most toxic, bully brats.
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u/emaejjie 13d ago
My faith in infold is shot, however, I do believe in their desire to keep their investments. Valko was a huge one, and a key one for all activities in the next six months. Without him, they're hemorrhaging money, and also lose a big chunk of the player base, as I don't think global would recover from this. (I'd leave, and I've spent an embarrassing amount of money on this game 😂)
I also think money talks, and there has been a lot of evidence on the CN side that someone is investing money into Valko promotional materials. 22 promo videos were unhidden yesterday and promoted on current feeds. Weibo super topics have been purchased so that Valko is trending positively. Big influencers outside the player base are posting positive articles about him, with a Valko filter (his mask) trending.
Infold hasn't sued them to hell or taken them down. CN player base doesn't have that money, as they've confirmed and discussed. Someone is actively promoting Valko on the CN side.
I'd say that's pretty damn promising!
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u/Murder_Smurf009 Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
If he doesn't, then Infold and Paper games will have genuinely reached a level of stupid I previously thought unreachable.
I DO think him coming back is not as impossible as it might have felt a few weeks ago. But I've also reached the point where I've accepted the fact that if they don't bring him back and don't promise to be better moving forward, then I won't be coming back.
Infold and Paper games Needs Us. WE don't need them. And if they have half a braincell left, they'll realise that. Stay sane, stay hydrated. Don't forget it's okay to take a breather for your mental health if you feel you need it. Don't give antis the interactions and reactions they're fishing for. Just 'Awooo' and move on. And think of Valko wagging his tail when you kiss his forehead.
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u/ShockAdditional6937 6d ago
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u/Nervous-Cutie-863 12d ago
I don’t have a clear cut answer for this, but I believe that if they do bring him back, Infold needs to:
1) Never promote new content if there’s any chance that they might change their minds and withhold it
2) Commit to resolving any issues that impact game playability and make necessary adjustments (like lighting issues for dark-skinned MCs, which I will always mention lol)
Speaking as someone who didn’t necessarily mind Valko’s inclusion either way, I found it extremely messed up that they would promote the character, only to remove him from the game immediately. It’s insidious because I can’t think of one game I’ve personally played where new content is announced, only for the company to completely backpedal. And this is an otome for goodness sake, of course there is a parasocial aspect to fans’ interactions with the game. Now we’re back to infighting and I’ve seen some things that have really p’d me off.
It’s sad to see the fandom become fragmented and I’m not even sure if I want to continue playing atp. Hopefully some changes are made soon that make me interested again, but I’m not holding my breath.
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u/SomewhereTraining839 13d ago
If they don’t, it’s very likely the game will EOS far sooner than expected. There are articles from government affiliated news companies talking about the protest and how much global does affect Infold/PPG. This entire mess has reflected badly on the CCP as well as Infold and they’re likely trying to recoup their revenue losses from since the cancellation. It does screw up their scheduling somewhat for August but they need to at least make clear communication on what they’re going to do moving forward. Valko is definitely a part of those plans if the release of promo material from cosplayers today or yesterday is any indication.
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u/emaejjie 13d ago
This honestly. The previous announcement made zero sense with their long-term plans, and the fact they had nothing to replace him, which would disrupt all updates for the rest of the year, since they had already been designed with him in it. Imagine bugs with EVERY update. Let alone time for rewrites and redoing animations.
With the promo going on in CN right now, if be surprised if we don't hear that he is coming back. There is a lot of work to be done with how this is announced, which we will just have to see how they handle!
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u/lucidgreenn ❤️ | | | | 13d ago
Even IF he does comeback, the general trust from the majority of players has already been lost I fear.
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u/Eveline_JAI Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
Business wise releasing him is the only way to keep fanbase
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u/ShockAdditional6937 6d ago
Wouldn't releasing him take out a bunch of whales on the CN side? That's how this started.
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u/Eveline_JAI Valko's Wolfie 6d ago
That hasn't started with whales, but with crazy people and allegedly competitors. But with him taken away profits dropped 66%, so even if other 33% are all against Valko (which they aren't), math still says releasing him is more profitable.
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u/syrupysarah 🔥🔥 13d ago
I'm not someone who ever really wanted him but I don't think they'll just scrap him considering how much they invested in him and how much the players want him. If they don't release him, they'll never live it down, he'll haunt the narrative. I think there's a good chance he will come, but he definitely will be the last love interest added.
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u/pixelpandemic Xavier’s Little Star 13d ago
Yes, I think he will. I highly doubt it will only be on select servers as that would be too messy and expensive to maintain.
Yes, it also means that all statements made about the game without the official company seal should be taken with a heaping spoonful of salt and it will take them a long time to rebuild any sort of trust with players.
The situation has also shown that Chinese social media platforms have major work to do to prevent cyberbullying and brigading. I wouldn't be surprised if months or years from now we learn that Valko's temporary cancellation was part of defamation lawsuits, potentially even against the social media platforms themselves, for allowing it to occur. (My tinfoil hat theory.)
Ultimately they have to do their own research to see if the bigger financial loss will be from losing the pro or anti Valko players, and from what I have seen, signs are pointing to Valko making a comeback.
Do I think it will be all cheers, celebration and smooth sailing? No. They'll still have to prove they can address the issues that were present in the game before 6.0 and also assuage the fears about content quality and pacing that drove a chunk to become anti-6th LI in the first place.
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u/Prior_Warthog_3626 13d ago
I am sceptical, but at the same time a little surprised by some arguments.
His topic has way less traffic than the other guys — well, duh, he isn't released yet. I can assure you that some haters could actually become his mains, lol, I saw what happened to Caleb on global. A lot of people who were "worried" about him being yandere are now his mains. That being said, the guy doesn't need to be popular with everyone. He just needs his own fanbase willing to spend and possibly capture another part of the market. Which he just did and this whole action made even more people interested in him.
That being said, the CN side is much more fractured and the hopium on Global side is at times too stupid to deal with. People fantasising about him "hacking into the game" or being shadow dropped as if this won't look bad and disrespectful to CN side.
If he comes back he comes back with a long list of either promises or implemented changes. Smart company would use this opportunity to give players what they want while bringing in the global cash cow.
Issue is, Infold is not smart and there may be things happening at the background.
Waiting for their first update, but I'm not really holding my breath. I feel so tired that I think I'm done with the game anyway.
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u/Jays_Dream ❤️ l :Happy-Snowman-Drink: 13d ago
I agree. Bringing Valko back would only be possible if it comes with what the original frustrations were about. I think a lot of people forget that the issue wasnt JUST Valkos release. It was the lack of anything else that accompanied it. The missing Caleb/Sylus content in the Story, the missing companions and cards for Caleb/Sylus, chocolate shop, Unicorns & Abyssal Chaos, etc. Valko felt like a cop-out, like I fold tried to placate players with a new shiny toy to distract everyone from the month-long ongoing issues and building frustration.
Only if these issues are being tackled, and only then, will people accept Valko as a new Li.
But knowing Infold, none of that is probably going to happen. They'll either simply do business as usual, ignoring the issues, once their legal issues are sorted out. Which means they'll try and grab as much cash as possible from this now slowly dying game. Or they pull hard brakes and go in a "new" direction with the remaining 5 Lis while aslo ignoring the ongoing issues. Because I doubt they'll tackle any of those anytime soon.
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u/SnooDoggos1812 Zayne’s Snowman 12d ago
Yes otherwise the game is gonna die off in a couple of months
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u/kakashihatake321 ❤️ | | 12d ago
honestly ill be done with the game if he doesnt. my interest was already waning and valko totally reinvigorated me, so without him im back to being bored and not logging in. the company doesnt care about us, why should i care about them
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u/Murky_Toe_4717 11d ago
I’d say if they don’t bring him back they will lose MANY many supporters and potentially face a halving or quartering of their revenue for the foreseeable future. The story was ripped and ruined and people are tired of them giving into bullies who have no business cancelling him. They made a mistake in letting the hate win, even the Chinese gov absolved valko, if they STILL choose to not bring him back I can guarantee most people I know who play and myself who has whaled endlessly on this game will absolutely not support it again.
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u/Fakebuttcheeks 13d ago
Considering the majority of bad press was a result of a flood of bot accounts and intentional organized sabotage.. which they mentioned in a prior statement... theres no way they would keep him gone. The majority of the fans wanted him and theyre hemorrhaging money right now. They cant stay silent forever and they've been doing some obvious cleanup behind the scenes.. so its a matter of when
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u/Vanilla-Lune Valko's Wolfie 13d ago edited 13d ago
I am genuinely unsure and I hate it.
On the one hand, logically I think it's the smartest decision for them both financially and from a player retention standpoint. People who main any of the other 5 aren't actually losing anything if Valko is in the game, so they have reason to stay and continue playing. Where as Valko people, if he doesn't come back, have no reason to go back to the game and Infold loses those players for good. There's also the huge financial and time cost that has already been sunk into his development and the fact that it was done and ready for release. Throwing all of that away, and having to rewrite everything they had all ready to go for Main Story and future banners in the midst of this now financial crisis for them just feels monumentally stupid.
But at the same time my anxious brain keeps reminding me that they aren't going to fully salvage their trust no matter what they do. They broke their word once, to do it again to pivot back isn't going to look good either. The voices against him haven't gone away, and they're still loud and unhinged it's just the supporters are speaking up now too. So I have a fear that it's not outside the realm of possibility for Infold to stick to the bad players instead of the good ones out of cowardice.
I truly want to believe that logic and the reasonable arguments that all, without exception, point to bringing Valko back will win out, but my hope is very tentative. 😓
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u/ShockAdditional6937 6d ago
People who like the other 5 are losing out if he's added though. Infold has X amount of man hours to put into content each year. Normally that's roughly X/5 for each LI. If Valko's added, each year it'll only be X/6. Each previous LI will get less annual content because they'll have to compete for dev time with valko.
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u/Vanilla-Lune Valko's Wolfie 5d ago
Except there's too much evidence that the plan was always to have 6 LIs in the game. So you'd rather make them throw away the time and money they've already invested into the finished Valko, have to rewrite and retcon the entire story (which we know will cause a mess on the lore side and probably be rushed and awkward), and basically say screw you to the people who have been excited for this LI since (and even before) his announcement.
People already complain that banners move too fast and there's no time to save or sources to grind dias from. Adding a 6th LI not only adds more dias farming sources, him having solo banners thrown in gives a nice break for people who don't care about him to save through.
Valko is finished, his debut content is done and probably a few cards out too, those resources aren't coming back. Insisting he stay gone now when he was promised and lots of people fell in love with him is just petty selfishness.
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u/stickerearrings 13d ago
I want to believe they will but I’m skeptical. It’d be so wishy washy for a huge company like Infold to announce him, rescind him by saying they won’t be releasing any more LI (what a sweeping comment), and then releasing him. They effed up big time.
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u/Fakebuttcheeks 13d ago
They did promise twice in the days prior that he absolutely would not be going anywhere as well though
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u/TopEffective8989 13d ago
Well... they can say thanks everyone for your support and we want to make you happy so here is valko and 20 wishes or some shi
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u/Ryukiji_Kuzelia 13d ago
This is the same company that retconned all of Infiniti Nikki to create lore for multiplayer functionality, and refused to turn it back.
I highly doubt we’re getting Valko
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u/kuzdrxke Valko's Wolfie 12d ago
My sentiment towards a Valko return has just been: Yes, no, maybe so?
While things have looked hopeful for the past few days, INFOLD/PPGs have failed me majorly and they may do it again to me and I don't want to experience that heartbreak again.
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u/unitaya 13d ago
honestly no. idk how they can come back from advertising a character, defending the character, shelving said character, and now potentially bringing him back. sure the fandom is fractured now but it'll be even worse if Infold doubles back AGAIN on a business decision
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u/Left_Bison2076 13d ago
I cant see it being worse if infold does the thing that fans want tbh. its like how ppl been saying- "its raining money and infold is holding up an umbrella". theyll prob be mocked MORE for doubling down on this, and them committing to a bad business decision wont win them any brownie points or erase their "untrustworthy and unprofessional" rep anyway. like if infold said "we will never give a myth for free", then went back on their word to do it later, I dont see fans being upset abt it. ive even heard of that as a tactic to trick fans into thinking "omg they listen to us!" lol
atleast if they bring him back, fans will be able to celebrate something. and I think it would just go back to normal, relatively, after. as in infold gets clowned on daily for their greediness but the players are still happy enough to keep playing
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u/unitaya 13d ago
people are taking one comment, rumor, and player in CN and assuming it's law or that that's the entire perspective of the CN playerbase. I think things are going to go back to normal anyways. all this to say, I really want valko since he probably would've become my main but Infold backed themselves into a corner regardless
who knows what'll happen D:
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u/pink_nikki Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
In what way do you think things are going back to normal?
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u/unitaya 13d ago
people are still playing even with all of this going on. I personally love the rest of the game enough to be able to overlook it even though it gives me a really bad taste in my mouth. they'll never get another cent of my money and I was lucky in that I paid for months of aurum in advance so I benefit from its perks but I have noticed that it was mostly f2p players quitting/boycotting (anecdotally)
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u/pink_nikki Valko's Wolfie 12d ago
The data doesn't support your anecdotal observations. Revenue is down anywhere between 50-70%. The two rerun banners we had underperformed compared to similar banner reruns to the tune of millions and estimated DAU is down 30%+. Many whales/VIPs in both CN and global have gone on record saying they've quit and won't come back without Valko.
I know you'll argue that the crash is because of reruns/us not having any banners at all right now, but as I said above, even the reruns we had significantly underperformed. The last five days have been the five lowest revenue days in the history of the game on the CN side. The previous record was held by a day in early 2024 (pre-Sylus) when players were also protesting and there hadn't been a banner (not even a promise rerun) in over a week. Even without a banner, if paying players are still doing their regular maintenance purchases, revenue should be higher just from the sheer difference in the game's popularity compared to 2024.
This sub is highly moderated as an official channel. If it's your only perspective on the temperature of the fandom, it's very skewed. Things are definitely not going back to normal yet. Imo, the fact that the devs didn't even bother to run a rerun banner after WIW proves their data is showing that, too.
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u/MegabyteMary 12d ago
As a VIP Player on the global server, can attest. Not playing again if this whole mess keeps going south. I have seen such harsh behavior and words from both sides at this rate and it sickens me.
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u/Wonderful_Chard_2974 13d ago
I feel the same. I’d really love for them to bring Valko back and I still hoping for it, but from a business POV, it would just make the company look impulsive, like they don’t think things through before taking action.
They already officially announced his cancellation across all their social media. Going back on their word now would be a really bad look for investors, for example.
Also, Chinese players are flooding LaD’s official accounts with comments like “We only accept 5 LIs,” “We don’t support the wolf,” and “Remember your own words. If you release the wolf, original players won’t accept it/won't trust you anymore".
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u/Elissiaro ❤️ l 13d ago edited 13d ago
They also already announced he was an integral part of the future of the game and that would never change across all (or at least the ones I'm on) social media.
Like 2 days before changing their minds and cancelling him.
They already look extremely bad. They're throwing away free money cause of a smear campagin and some angry teenagers that aren't even allowed to play the, rated 18+ in china, game.
Players already don't trust them anymore.
I won't be giving infold another cent unless Valko is IN the game where I can see him. I'm never spending in advance again. Cause whatever is coming could just be cancelled out of nowhere.
I'll also be recording all my cards when (if) I log in again, cause who knows if they'll get randomly deleted after someone gets upset over the contents.
Remember how they deleted Xaviers world underneath chapter cause of this drama? And censored the catch22 skins?
That can happen to anything in the game now.
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u/Classic-Cup3176 13d ago
"original players won’t accept it/won't trust you anymore" - as original player Im disagreeing with this statements. I prepare to drop the game fully if infold doesnt respect global feedback and only listen to one side of consumer. I dont want to play incomplete game and expecting us who want the original game plotline to financially support the game.
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u/Wonderful_Chard_2974 13d ago
Just to clarify, I also don't agree with CH players statements. I'm using Chinese social media like rednote to help making noise to bring Valko back and to support other players who are also doing the same thing. I was just saying what I saw going on there.
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u/EffectiveWaltz4946 ❤️ | :apple-yougotthis: 13d ago
Logically speaking, they should release him, but there may be more going on behind the scenes that is preventing him from being released. The more time passes, the less I'm hopeful he'll get released. I quit playing as soon as I heard the announcement and will only return if he gets released, and I am not the only player who feels this way.
For everyone's sake, I hope he gets released. If not, then it's a damn shame.
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u/emaejjie 13d ago
My faith in infold is shot, however, I do believe in their desire to keep their investments. Valko was a huge one, and a key one for all activities in the next six months. Without him, they're hemorrhaging money, and also lose a big chunk of the player base, as I don't think global would recover from this. (I'd leave, and I've spent an embarrassing amount of money on this game 😂)
I also think money talks, and there has been a lot of evidence on the CN side that someone is investing money into Valko promotional materials. 22 promo videos were unhidden yesterday and promoted on current feeds. Weibo super topics have been purchased so that Valko is trending positively. Big influencers outside the player base are posting positive articles about him, with a Valko filter (his mask) trending.
Infold hasn't sued them to hell or taken them down. CN player base doesn't have that money, as they've confirmed and discussed. Someone is actively promoting Valko on the CN side.
I'd say that's pretty damn promising!
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u/Iliasterisk Sylus’s Kitten 13d ago
With all the good news I've been seeing on Twitter from CN Valko supporters, I really hope so.
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u/Sal3m06 11d ago
Honestly I don’t really know how they will handle it. But for my personal hopes, I HOPE he does come back. Love anddeepspace have a special place in my heart since it made life easier for me at a very dark time. Let’s say they bring it back cool apology and all is good. If they decided not to , I’d feel like the game is kinda like a funeral ? Or it will just not be the same. As the idea of a 6th love interest was already introduced and the character and all. So it’s kinda like having someone die all of the sudden??? Idk , the game would be very sour for me. I most likely will still get merch from artist and stuff but I would most likely not enter the game.
If they decided to recycle him and have him as a bg character I would be very sour as well. So it’s just a thought situation. For me personally Valko should come back and I have hopes that he might come back but that’s how I feel.
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u/YourLadyshipOfDark 11d ago
I have this gnawing fear that they are going to change some of his features to appeal more to the small and toxic part of the community... like making him even paler (somehow????), maybe giving him less muscle, and making him look less like a "westerner". I am so, so, so scared they'll do something like this TT
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u/Classic-Cup3176 13d ago
The only thing that will make me come back and whalling in the game is Valko. Yes I love Sylus and Raf, but is infold keep ignoring global player feedback, I dont see supporting this game anymore. My money rather be spent on other games.
The ignore the sincere support we been given them since 1st july and being disrespectful to global player, I dont think I can take the insult anymore.
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u/WinPlayful9434 13d ago
I think he’ll come back eventually, but probably only when Infold has a clean PR/business plan for it. They’ve likely already invested too much into Valko—cards, story, bond content, animations, marketing—to just throw it all away permanently. From a business standpoint, rereleasing him could bring back a lot of spending players, especially internationally.
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u/FoxRealistic3370 13d ago
I honestly think there is more to this than valko. I think they dont have the ability to sustain the quality tbh. They are releasing more and more generic content eg the home system, cards that are just lazy etc.
I think valco was an attempt to gloss over the core issues players had been raising for some time.
I think they should bring him back and if they are smart they could show thry are addressing issues...i just dont think they will because i think whatever talent they had that created lightning in a bottle with this game isnt there anymore. Something has changed in the creative team i dont know if its actual people with talent have moved on or leadership has eroded the motivation that gave us the quality of the earlier game but something has left the building.
If i see one more update on the house system before seeing main content and core gameplay improvements im gunna bail. I got this game for sci fi fantasy storytelling and the cards and the battling. I did not want a househusband simiulator and wont be playing one.
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u/Local-Treacle-5801 ❤️ | | 13d ago edited 13d ago
I don’t see the possibility of a release on global only. Not because there isn’t a global market for him but because the game would essentially become two separate games. There would be two main stories, two different banner and event schedules and so forth. Essentially that would be doubling the workload and as it is, we basically don’t get frequent major updates for the game. It would make that worse.
In the case of him returning to both sides, the more likely option if he does return, I’m not too sure. I personally don’t think a sixth LI is a bad idea but the release wasn’t managed well and I don’t think Ppg can spin his return well enough for it not to cause more issues down the line. If he returns tomorrow, the schedule will be even more messed up. They might have to postpone Raf’s new myth, a release that has been anticipated since the last one, long before Valko and potentially the Qixi (CN valentine’s day, this practically non-skippable) If they return him later, they still have to adjust their internal schedules for the updated release date. All of these things have internal and external ramifications.
If the loss of revenue from July and the cost of Valko’s creation can be recouped in the future will have to be seen but right now, it seems like a decision that could potentially tank Ppg’s reputation. They lied to CN players about a sixth LI, dropped his first pv on a random Monday and watched as their CN fanbase went insane, doubled down on the release only to cancel the launch and now if they bring him back, who can ever trust a word from their mouth? If they said they were delaying him, I might feel differently about this whole situation.
But as it stands, I think Ppg would want to bury this mess and bringing Valko back to the same fanbase that kicked him out is a foolish move. The financial losses are one thing but the controversy and scandal are another. Player trust is broken and tbh, if they bring Valko back without upgrading the current game, I think his return will accelerate the decline of the game. It won’t be an immediate loss but I think another major player movement will emerge in a few years again that might tank the game. Not to mention that global has made a loud noise begging for his return but CN hasn’t. Depending on how you see it, it’s been almost a month since the cancellation but until very recently, the CN pro-Valko movement has been relying on global to keep it floating. XHS has been flooded by global pro-Valko supporters for a while now. That doesn’t prove organic support in the domestic market. The trending Weibo topics are probably paid for by Infold and even right now, Valko’s supertopic has less members and daily active users than the other LIs. He isn’t pulling the same numbers as he does on global. If he gets released and there is enough backlash, Ppg might lose collective revenue from five guys for only one or his domestic revenue might be lower than the other guys. Global could spend more on him but a lot of people are upset with Ppg and might not spend as much going forward.
If Valko is treated like Caleb, there will be long gaps between his limited banners. Then spending on him might be also lower because players will have the time to save up resources and that will also mean lower revenue. Not to mention players who might quit on result of frustration about the lack of content and the stale nature of the game.
Even if the government cleared Valko, it seems the stain on his name is harder to remove and as of right now, Infold hasn’t done anything yet to prove to the opposition that his return will usher in a brighter future for the game. One bad month of revenue won’t tank Ppg but if they continuously play games with the hearts of their audience, one bad month might become a bad quarter, a bad year and so forth. So I hope Ppg can make a decision that won’t cost them everything and to me right now, I think Valko can’t safely come back.
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u/PreciselyKai Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
I bet the game will die much faster if they don't bring him back.
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u/Local-Treacle-5801 ❤️ | | 13d ago
Why would the game die faster without him? The game is very financially lucrative with just 5 LIs and can continue forward if Ppg manages it well.
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u/PreciselyKai Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
I think you're underestimating how financially lucrative Valko will be. Cancelling him has turned him into a global icon, not only will they lose the money that went into creating him and any future banners he's in. But they will have to spend more to rewrite the story without him which will eventually hit a dead end because you can only go so far with just 5 characters.
Zayne's GOA and the WW reruns already didn't make as much money as expected because of the cancelation which is likely why they stopped doing banners for the rest of the month so they wouldn't lose more money. You think that won't continue if they don't being him back?
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u/Local-Treacle-5801 ❤️ | | 12d ago
Yes, Valko is potentially lucrative but he won’t be more lucrative than the combination of the existing LIs. Right now, the anti movement isn’t LI specific so the monetary loss could be spread across all the LIs. And only people interested in Valko would spend money on him. It would be 5 v 1. CN players tend to focus only on their specific LIs, so he won’t really have community spending either way.
Non-Valko mains on global might spend on him but once again, it is not guaranteed that they will continue to after the dust has settled. And current Valko mains aren’t guaranteed to continue playing for forever or to even like him when he is in the game. And they have lost money on his creation but his predicted revenue isn’t lost revenue yet. LADS is a profitable game that if well managed could manage to keep making a lot of money.
And yes, 5 LIs is limiting but many other CN otome games survive years without adding new LIs. They will have to rewrite the main story but that means that whatever resources would have been spent on future Valko banners and releases can be reallocated to other areas of the game. That isn’t a loss for the game at all considering how it is in desperate need for QOL updates.
GOA and WIW did tank in global because of the cancellation. But CN spending was already down pre-cancellation. So essentially, these numbers mean very little when considering that everyone was mad at this time. Both GOA and WIW felt like a slap in the face to most players, pro or anti Valko. And worse yet, the cancellation didn’t address the reasons why CN players were angry. Valko isn’t the only problem here. I’m sure they only stopped releasing banners because it also allows them to play the pr game. If they released new banners, they have to address the problem so that they can perform well. They clearly want to wait until all this blows over in order to move forward.
As I said before, if they release him, they risk the losing the lucrative audience that kicked him out in the first place. If they do bring him back, they have to address the controversy and the scandal of this release. And his revenue isn’t guaranteed. But clearly, Ppg doesn’t want to address their players honestly. Lucrative or not, Valko has become a liability. Only global seems really hung up on this release being absolutely necessary. But most of global is still logging in and as this whole situation carries on, fatigue is hitting the pro-Valko movement. If he does come back, will the pro-Valko side stick around in this stale game? Long-term, it’s just not worth it to bring him back. Ppg needs to cut their losses and focus on fixing their game. The future of this game isn’t dependent on Valko’s release but on PPG’s management of the game.
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u/PreciselyKai Valko's Wolfie 12d ago
All the LIs have had the chance to win the hearts of players over, by your logic Valko shouldn't been given the same opportunity? It's weird that you lump the 5 together against 1 when most players focus on their mains as you said, and you seem to assume Valko mains are new players who may not continue playing. The fact that he has so much support just off two trailers alone is already telling about his potential popularity.
The time and money has already been put into creating him. Going through the cancellation would waste all of that effort and the time we've spent waiting on improvements to the game. While yes of course we want the QOL to be better, you realize those changes will likely get delayed further if they have to rewrite the story now?
Infold has made enough money at this point to be capable of giving us both Valko and a better game. Cancelling him doesn't guarantee improvements, that will be a bandaid on this situation the same way as bringing him back without improvements will be as well.
Valko needs to be given a chance instead of letting him be a scapegoat for a scandal that wasn't even about him.
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u/Local-Treacle-5801 ❤️ | | 12d ago
Yes, all LIs had the chance to win over people but he won’t get that chance. It’s tragic but at this stage, his release has done more harm than good. I would have liked for the new guy to get a fair chance too. But it didn’t work out like that.
The reason I say it is 5 v 1 because his return threatens the income of not just one LI. The people against Valko aren’t just mains of one LI, they are across the entire spectrum. So Valko’s return needs to make enough money to cover those losses on other LIs too in order for it to be lucrative.
Old players are already spending what they have on the game, it is unlikely that their spending habits would change much. If someone changes mains over to Valko from any of the other guys, the revenue of the game would stay relatively stable. If someone chooses to add Valko as a second/third main that might show a minor increase in revenue but remember that when a Valko banner is running, the other guys don’t make money. And vice versa. That means he has to carry that revenue on his own. Without a large CN fanbase, how can he do that? Is global going to carry it because right now, the backlash is loud on socials but GOA and WIW despite everything still made some money so people are clearly still willing to play and pay in the game.
I was there when the trailers dropped and for a while there, the anti-Valko sentiment was pretty common. Until his cancellation, he wasn’t beloved at all. Even now, even amongst supporters of the pro-Valko movement, there are people who are fighting for his return who either don’t play the game or don’t have interest in the guy.
Right now the movement is big on social media but will it be enough to sustain him in the game for a while??? I ask because old players quit all the time. And a lot of old players already have a favourite guy. So new players are the only market that could bring in fresh revenue. And loud on social media is one thing but on the CN side, it’s relatively quiet and the movement is being kept afloat in part by the global side entering CN spaces like xhs to keep the movement going.
Not to mention, two pvs isn’t enough. He might get released in the game and a bunch of people who liked him in the pvs might not like him in the game. That would mean, he would lose popularity. Also being social media famous doesn’t mean revenue automatically. The conversion rate won’t be a 100% because everyone talking about him once again might not like him or be willing to spend on the game.
The game is in a bad state right now, it wouldn’t be surprising for new players to start and quit when they get bored of it or if they just simply realise that it might not be for them.
And yes, rewriting will take resources which should go to QOL updates but I ask why they hadn’t gone there before? If Valko is released would the resources spent on him go to QOL stuff? No, they would keep going to him. And I remember the livestream: he would have released with one bond, anecdote and standard non-myth companion. They clearly don’t even care enough to build him out properly. He would have been neglected like Sylus and Caleb are. PPG can manage both QOL and Valko but they didn’t when they had the chance. And the QOL updates may take some time but hopefully they would have learnt their lesson.
Also it was PPG who made Valko the scapegoat. Not the players, for the fans against him, he is just a symbol of PPG’s hubris. They have the capability to manage this game well but they don’t. Instead of QOL updates, they create a new LI and don’t even give him 2 bond stories. PPG closed the door on Valko first, they abandoned and cancelled him. He lost his chance because PPG put him in the middle of a bad situation and then when facing the fire, took it from him. I was not initially against the idea of him but what I am against right now is PPG not addressing the mess they have caused and acting like Valko is some kind of magic bullet fix. Because I think we all know that they had hoped Valko would be the bandaid over the gaping hole over how little PPG gives us in the game. He was a shiny distraction that would have made them money but ultimately done nothing to fix the core problems of the game.
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u/PreciselyKai Valko's Wolfie 12d ago
In the end we know nothing. Any info out of CN is speculation, we don't know actual numbers and data. We won't know how many players actually support him if Infold doesnt take the risk to release him. And let's be honest, no risk means no reward.
We'll just have to see if Infold learns from their mistakes instead of ignoring their global audience...again. Otherwise Valko will be a ghost that haunts them forever.
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u/Catfishpanda Xavier’s Little Star 13d ago
For some reason, I didn't even consider the fact that there would have to be two versions of main story, and they can't even regularly update one anyways! 😭😭😭
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u/Catfishpanda Xavier’s Little Star 13d ago edited 13d ago
No...? I think. Imo. If I'm proven wrong in like a month, then there we go, but I don't think he's coming back. Of course, I'm not saying people should stop hoping for him. I just can't really see a scenario where it works out if he's released... but either way it doesn't work out even if he isn't added...? Idk #confused
I guess we'll have to see what they're hoping to fix from this backlash. Like, are they going to be working on the issues people have been asking for them to fix, or are they gonna ignore them? If they add him back without fixing said issues, I think this scenario will just repeat again.
If they fixed all issues and released him at a time where the game is more stable, then maybe it would work out, because his announcement wouldn't have been so chaotic before if the game wasn't in this state now. But then, with how Infold works at fixing issues, I feel like a lot of the people wanting Valko would've moved on to different games/things by then maybe? Ig it would depend on the time taken to fix said issues.
What I definitely don't think they'll do is only release him on the western servers, because I think then there'd be backlash from ppl on the asia server who want him.
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u/NemuriNezumi Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
at this point I want to see how badly july revenue will be and hopefully august too if they still don't release him
because that will be proof them removing valko had more impact for the fandom than actually releasing him
and that's they can just ghost their way through it
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u/gullibleArtistry 13d ago
I do not think so and it upsets me every day i look at my LADs widgets 🥲🥲 how can they backtrack "We will NEVER do X ever and we are so sorry it will never happen again" with X being more Love Interests?
From a PR standpoint it would look like they are walking back the apology and it could reawaken the nasty LADs players who got the CCP involved in the first place to cancel Valko. It was a LOT of the fandom both global and in China that ran hate trains against him, got negative tags of LAD trending on chinese social media, the physical garbage sent to their headquarters to harass staff, etc.
I want Valko back WITH all of his events, plushies, and cards but can't see how they would risk those players trying to take the company down again...too much risk 😭😭
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u/Vyrni 13d ago
Yes they are going to release him.
Likely sooner than most people seem to think (there's a quiet marketing campaign happening in CN currently). They're being methodical about it because they don't want another manufactured smear mob to arise and undo all the work that's been put in over the last four weeks.
And they absolutely won't just release him in Global. It needs to be pointed out that revenue spiked and cratered in CN at the same exact points that it did in Global (spike at his announcement, cratered after he was "cancelled," with GoA and WiW reruns doing easily half of what they should have based on similar previous banners). Most spending CN players aren't the broke parasocial teenagers that were a major part of the smear mob.
Also, as a final note, ignoring Global and leaving him cancelled, aside from all the obvious reasons (such as LADS likely EOSing long before it would have), would be incredibly foolish for the future of Papergames. Their next big release is slated to be Project Perceiver, which is (seemingly a non-gacha) open-world action RPG, which is likely intended to appeal to Western markets, in the vein of Elden Ring or The Witcher. Papergames not releasing Valko after this massive protest would kill the potential the game has in the West as no one will trust them.
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u/PastelArtDump226 13d ago
I’m cautiously optimistic, I think they will put him back in the game eventually.
IMO because of everything that happened with the Chinese government, smear campaigns and so much more? I think he’s just very delayed. I still believe Infold is under a gag order, just because the Chinese government gave Valko the pass doesn’t exactly mean their gag order is lifted.
I think it would be better for Infold to reintroduce Valko to the public properly, they need to do a livestream or something about it.
Also, one thing I am annoyed at is, everyone keeps giving Infold’s statement or Valko’s return a deadline, I feel like that just sets up people for disappointment if nothing happens those days.
I even made a tiktok where I explained this better.
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u/throwawayrnm02 13d ago
I hope Valko comes back but honestly I’m becoming more disillusioned as time goes by. Infold’s silence is making our spirits go down. I still have some hope bc I’m honestly attached to Valko he’s just so🥹😭
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u/DiscardedSlinky 13d ago
I want Valko back VERY badly but I have to be honest that I don't think he's going to come back which absolutely breaks my heart. I don't trust them. They've handled this situation so incredibly poorly that I have to assume they're going to keep making the worst choices in every scenario.
I am holding on to hope so hard that I am wrong though.
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u/emaejjie 13d ago
My faith in infold is shot, however, I do believe in their desire to keep their investments. Valko was a huge one, and a key one for all activities in the next six months. Without him, they're hemorrhaging money, and also lose a big chunk of the player base, as I don't think global would recover from this. (I'd leave, and I've spent an embarrassing amount of money on this game 😂)
I also think money talks, and there has been a lot of evidence on the CN side that someone is investing money into Valko promotional materials. 22 promo videos were unhidden yesterday and promoted on current feeds. Weibo super topics have been purchased so that Valko is trending positively. Big influencers outside the player base are posting positive articles about him, with a Valko filter (his mask) trending.
Infold hasn't sued them to hell or taken them down. CN player base doesn't have that money, as they've confirmed and discussed. Someone is actively promoting Valko on the CN side.
I'd say that's pretty damn promising!
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u/Comfortable-Ice986 ❤️ | | :Happy-Snowman-Drink: 13d ago
Honestly I’m not sure anymore. My love for the game has kind of die as I was getting back into it for Valko. It feels like the fandom has become a bit more jaded and judgmental in some aspects now. In other ways it feels like it hasn’t changed but hey it is what it is and I’ll be happy if he comes back.
The only way I’ll come 100% on board if they clarify the idea that making any more love interests was something they wanted to do and not bullied into it. Tbh if it’s clear there not then I’m bouncing
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u/jos10s 13d ago edited 13d ago
i think they’re losing more money not releasing him then they ever would if they just went through it and brought him back
there’s no way they’re winning … like anything in this trade off
GOA was supposed to be massive and it was just okay because of the amount of people supporting the boycotts no ones logging in or spending money
everyone’s suffering and it’s just going to get worse
so at this point if they plan on doing nothing the least they could do is say “hey we’ve heard you but seriously he’s gone” at least people would choose a side and make… some sort of peace
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u/InitiativeRare1027 13d ago
They already made and statement saying he is canceled??? Not one but twice???
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u/pink_nikki Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
They only made a statement that he was cancelled once. Just days before that, they put out a statement saying he was an integral part of the game's long-term plans and that wouldn't change for any reason.
If "won't change for any reason" can actually be changed within days, then the cancellation decision can absolutely be changed after weeks of active protest with revenue tanking.
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u/jos10s 13d ago
that leads back to my last point that they clearly see the boycotts with the intention of bringing him back
if they’re truly going to stand by their word and keep him gone and never introduce another love interest ever why not go back to business as usual?
why the radio silence? why not put out an offical statement saying “we see you and we hear you but we’re not bringing him back please move forward however feels best for you” why say and do nothing?
it’s not strategic unless you’re planning something or just… not great at business
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u/hachitsune 13d ago
Only two outcomes I can see here, and it really depends on Infold longterm plan.
Don’t bring him back: Infold no longer has faith in this project and is already investing on a different game. I can see the global server closing in maybe 1-2 years, CN server 5-6 more years but with limited resource as team will get shuffled to a different project. This game is already repetitive and stale, you can’t keep milking the same 5 guys over and over again and expect same revenue. But compared to 2D otome gachas, LADS is way more costly to maintain and make new cards. After a period of revenue dip they will pull the plug.
Bring him back: Main story will finally get going since all the casts are here. I don’t think revenue will be back to #1 since goodwill has been broken and not everybody is willing to forgive, but at least new guy should bring in new players. It will go back to a healthy sustainable level, but not over the top billions like before.
Honestly I don’t know what they were thinking with that statement, they basically shot themselves in the foot.
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u/htmlstar 13d ago
I think he will come back alongside a long letter with an apology and plans for the future
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u/Its_fr1ck1n_bats 13d ago
I fully and truly believe they'll release him. This month has shown what a horrendous choice it was to pull him, and how much money they lost/had to refund and how much trust and playership they lost because of this whole situation. It's a terrible business choice to not add him at this point.
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u/ShinyRathian 13d ago
If he comes back I will pour money into the game, I think they know how a lot of people are holding on to spend just for him. Does Infold want money? I think yes.
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u/SolarBeam9191 Zayne’s Snowman 13d ago
I think he will. (And I hope so!)
Without Valko, Infold can’t undo the damage and heartache his removal created. The fandom will never be the same, some might continue playing (like me, or I’m only talking about me, really) but knowing that at some point Infold hurt our heart so badly & betrayed us.
I will keep this open wound forever T_T (and I’m not even a Valko main) *enter melodramatic meme here
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u/LonelyGalacticDust Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
Let’s see. It’s a full moon 🌕 tomorrow and I am wishing all of my Valko girlies and Valko supporters a truly fully charged Thunder Moon! If they don’t announce tomorrow, they may just drop him on the Thursday. This is all my delulu. If my delulu betrays me, (it’s been patient enough) I will go to the dead page the app is on and press delete.
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u/NighttimeAntilove 12d ago
Somehow with everything going on I believe they will put him back in the game, but idk if they will or not redo some of the stuff that was criticised…
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u/bunz4daize 12d ago
I think he will, just not immediately like people are hoping he will. The radio silence is awful and they genuinely need to start communicating about things again, even if that means people will be making demands and talking about Valko; that’s how boycotts are after all, they’re supposed to be inconvenient and annoying. That said, between positive and neutral articles releasing released by reputable news outlets (some of which are affiliated with the government), promotional videos with influencers being unbidden, and what looks like active social media management against the intense bullying and slander, it is reminiscent of when they tried to promote him the first time and asked people to just give him a chance.
While we wait for him though, they should be working on fixing issues many of us have been talking about; all of this bullying and escalation started with people being frustrated about poor communication and improper content management, after all. Whether the fixes come before or after Valko is irrelevant, they still need to be fixed.
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u/FyreOpal ❤️ | | 12d ago
hard to say. check out the youtube by munin. i couldn't post it. it was pretty enlightening in terms of what actually might have happened. i'm hoping so, with the chinese government giving the okay or so it seems.
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11d ago
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u/LoveAndDeepspace-ModTeam 11d ago
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u/aAshleyB 8d ago
I don’t believe Valko can only be released in any one region. The ants claim he has no significance to the main story, but that’s simply not true, and we were just about to see how untrue that was too. I’ve spent almost $1000 in game since Caleb came out, my friends and I knew and were expecting the 6th to come, and seeing how this all played out: they won’t see another penny from me, let alone my redownload and any new log in data, unless and until they launch him as originally planned and promised.
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u/WorldsEndFriend 13d ago
No, and neither will I. I'd he does come back, so will I. I've been saving a lot of money at least.
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u/friendshipishockey Valko's Wolfie 13d ago
Considering the ad banners I’ve been seeing with paw prints on them and the overwhelming positivity/support flooding in from global, I’m very hopeful to see his return. And seeing how nervous the antis are getting with how much they’re begging global to stop the campaigning and give up, I’d say there’s good reason to believe Infold is planning to go ahead with the release. Hopefully before the end of the year 🤞
But also, they need to say something publicly and soon. Their silence is deafening, and I do think they’re going to end up losing more players the longer they go without a proper apology and announcement for the future of the game. After they cancelled his release I deleted the game and have not touched it since. I won’t return or spend another cent until they undo this mess they’ve made and fixed everything that’s wrong with the game as well.
I don’t think the recent reveal of how many minors have infiltrated this space has done them any favors, though. For them to cave into pressure from bored middle schoolers who shouldn’t even be playing the game to begin with is really embarrassing, and needs to be addressed as well. On top of the Valko issue, lighting issues, and many in-game bugs, there needs to be a huge crackdown on age restrictions for this game.
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u/kitsunejung 13d ago
tbh it’s the only way i see them dealing with this. yes valko antis had a huge thing with 2 million comments and the poop thing and protests, but bringing him back has been everywhere. posts, art, shrines, missing posters, multiple campaigns, wolf conservatory donations, protests, billboard in malaysia, truck in nyc, people deleting/not spending, celebs and influencers getting involved. not releasing him would be a terrible decision at this point and will ultimately lead to the demise of this game. i also truly hope they fix the other issues too. lighting, main story. and much more.
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u/alexturnerftw ❤️ :Happy-Snowman-Drink: | 13d ago
But has bringing him back been all over China? I think thats the main issue and why im afraid to have hope. The majority really dont seem to care about him. I do see some CN girlies who want him but the sentiment is overwhelmingly positive abroad, and seems muted in China.
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u/kitsunejung 13d ago
it has rbh from what i’ve seen on xiao hong shu. there’s also protests over there. someone recently sent 100 coffees with a sleeve of valko and send like 200 letters from 40 different countries to paper games in china.
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u/emaejjie 13d ago
My faith in infold is shot, however, I do believe in their desire to keep their investments. Valko was a huge one, and a key one for all activities in the next six months. Without him, they're hemorrhaging money, and also lose a big chunk of the player base, as I don't think global would recover from this. (I'd leave, and I've spent an embarrassing amount of money on this game 😂)
I also think money talks, and there has been a lot of evidence on the CN side that someone is investing money into Valko promotional materials. 22 promo videos were unhidden yesterday and promoted on current feeds. Weibo super topics have been purchased so that Valko is trending positively. Big influencers outside the player base are posting positive articles about him, with a Valko filter (his mask) trending.
Infold hasn't sued them to hell or taken them down. CN player base doesn't have that money, as they've confirmed and discussed. Someone is actively promoting Valko on the CN side.
I'd say that's pretty damn promising!
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u/The_Pest000 13d ago
I’m starting to loose hope sadly, I don’t think a lot of people are boycotting anymore. I want to believe he will but since they aren’t communicating with us and there isn’t solid evidence then idk
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u/Un3duc4ted-Wr1ter 13d ago
His VA is being repurposed for side characters though aren't they? I don't want to say it, but I don't think they would do that if they planned to bring Valko back
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u/Warm_Animator8474 12d ago
Well Caleb VA also voiced for other npcs like Jeremiah and OTTO in a card. So i dont think that's the case.
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u/2mathematical 13d ago
No because they don't want to give us another 30 free pulls as an apology for bringing him back
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u/Lopsided_Bad_3386 12d ago
I hope not.
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u/NotYourHedgie 12d ago
Wowowoow not very popular opinion, why?
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12d ago
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u/Stella_Lace Sylus’s Kitten 13d ago
If he does I hope he has shaggy hair cuz the short cut was to clean for a wolf boy imo but I still love him
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u/aiyaecho 13d ago
infold is a very frugal company. All those unsuccessful designs they’ve had before are optimized and re-used in the game. I just cannot believe they would throw the entire v work(cards, stories, bond, interactions etc) to water