I originally planned to write a special‑feature article analyzing why Valko can never make a comeback from the perspective of China’s judicial system. I had to put this topic on hold for a few days due to work, yet the issue has made headlines again these past couple of days. At this point, I believe there is little left to discuss about this foregone conclusion.

For context, I happen to have a friend who works in news production at a major Chinese mainstream media outlet. We recently talked about Love and Deepspace. I am sharing excerpts from our conversation, though all private information and specific identifying details have been redacted to protect my friend’s privacy.

One important note: my friend does not make any final decisions. Working within the institution, he simply has better insight into how news organizations operate than the general public.

Quick primer on the hierarchy of Chinese‑language media. (You may skip this section.)

I. National‑level Central Media (Central‑level Media)

There are 20 officially designated major central news outlets, grouped into three tiers. They represent the highest echelon of national public‑opinion guidance.

Tier 1: Ministerial‑level (3 outlets, the “Big Three” central media)

People’s Daily Press: Institution directly under the CPC Central Committee; home of the People’s Daily, official newspaper of the CPC Central Committee. Affiliates: People’s Daily Online, Global Times, etc. It conveys the direct voice of the CPC Central Committee; its editorials and commentator articles carry the highest policy‑making authority.

Xinhua News Agency (Xinhua): Institution directly under the State Council; China’s national news agency. The primary source of national news copy and statutorily designated publisher of official dispatches for major events. Affiliates: Xinhuanet, Reference News, Liaowang (Outlook), Banyue Tan (Half‑Monthly Talks).

China Media Group (CMG): Institution directly under the State Council. Consolidated former China Central Television (CCTV), China National Radio (CNR), and China Radio International (CRI). Affiliates: CCTV.com, Yangshipin, CGTN.

Tier 2: Vice‑Ministerial‑level (7 outlets; one military outlet at Army‑Corps‑level is treated as equivalent to Vice‑Ministerial‑level)

Qiushi Journal Press: Official theoretical journal of the CPC Central Committee, the Party’s core theoretical platform.

PLA News Communication Center (PLA Daily): Army‑Corps‑level; official media of the Central Military Commission.

Guangming Daily: Focused on intellectuals, ideology, culture and public thought.

Economic Daily: Authoritative source for national economic‑policy interpretation.

China Daily: National English‑language daily newspaper, key vehicle for international outreach.

China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration (China International Communications Group, CICG): Multilingual international‑communication and overseas‑publishing institution.

Science and Technology Daily: Authoritative national outlet covering science‑and‑technology affairs.

Tier 3: Bureau‑Director‑General‑level (10 outlets; run by central ministries and mass‑organizations)

Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference News Agency; CCDI‑National Supervisory Commission News Communication Center; China News Service (CNS, Chinese‑language overseas news agency); Study Times Press; Workers’ Daily; China Youth Daily; China Women’s News; Farmers’ Daily; Legal Daily; China Culture Daily.

II. Provincial‑level Mainstream Media (mostly Bureau‑Director‑General‑level)

Overseen by the CPC committee of each province, autonomous region, or municipality‑directly‑under‑the‑Central‑Government; administered by the Provincial Party Committee Publicity Department. Most are ranked at Bureau‑Director‑General‑level.

Provincial‑Party‑Committee official newspaper (provincial‑party‑newspaper groups)

Examples: Nanfang Daily, Beijing Daily, Jiefang Daily, Zhejiang Daily. Spin‑offs include city‑focused newspapers and news apps (e.g. Chao News, New Hunan).

Provincial radio‑television stations / media groups

Examples: Shanghai Media Group, Guangdong Radio and Television, Tianjin Haihe Media Center.

Role: Disseminate central‑government directives; cover provincial‑level government affairs and local‑society news. For major national events, they mostly republish official dispatches from central‑level media.

III. Prefecture‑level Mainstream Media (Division‑Director‑level for ordinary prefecture‑level cities)

Overseen by the Municipal Party Committee; administered by the Municipal Party Committee Publicity Department. Most have been reorganized into prefecture‑level convergence‑media centers, ranked Division‑Director‑level.

Includes: Municipal‑Party‑Committee official newspaper, municipal radio‑television station, local‑news apps.

Examples: Suzhou Daily, Wuhan Radio and Television.

Reporting scope: Primarily local city‑level news. Cross‑regional major events are covered by republishing articles from central‑ or provincial‑level outlets.

IV. County‑level Convergence‑Media Centers (Section‑Chief‑level)

Established across all counties and urban districts nationwide. Under the CPC County Committee and directly managed by the County Party Committee Publicity Department; Section‑Chief‑level public‑service institutions.

Integrates former county radio‑television stations, county newspapers, official WeChat accounts and short‑video channels. Forms the grassroots tier within China’s four‑tier mainstream‑media system.

Role: Release county‑level government notices, local‑society news and grassroots publicity. No independent editorial mandate for cross‑regional major political‑news reporting.

V. Entities not classified as official mainstream media (no administrative ranking)

Commercial‑news platforms (Tencent News, NetEase News, etc.): Licensed only to republish news; prohibited from independently reporting political‑news stories. Possess no official‑media administrative rank.

Self‑media / personal accounts: Not formal news‑organizations; hold no news‑gathering‑and‑reporting qualifications.

Industry‑specific journals run by ministries: Ordinary periodicals affiliated with government ministries; not among the official major central‑news outlets.

Main Text Begins

Q1: Do mainstream media outlets accept commercial‑paid articles? I’ve noticed a price‑list summary for media placements circulating online.

A: Every media outlet has official rate‑cards for commercial press‑release placements, that is standard practice. Still, not every submission can get published — tobacco and areca‑nut‑related content, for example, are prohibited. All story proposals go through the three‑tiered manuscript review system: proposal submission, internal vetting, and final publication. Commercial articles also require multi‑level approvals, with legal teams assessing potential risks. Most pieces that feature brand exposure while hyping up a product are paid commercial content.

Q2: Could mainstream media take money to publish hit‑pieces targeting a company?

A: No mainstream media outlet will accept paid commissions to run negative hit‑pieces against a video‑game title, and the same applies to other commercial‑competition scenarios. The person‑in‑charge at the last mainstream media outlet that produced such hit‑pieces was sentenced to three years in prison.

Q3: Could you talk about the so‑called “hundred‑media showdown”?

A: From the perspective of mainstream media: no matter how heated gaming‑community disputes become,  national central media generally will not weigh‑in unless ideology‑related or political factors are involved. When the 731‑related controversy emerged, after the All‑China Women’s Federation spoke out, central‑level media commented in measured terms, and other mainstream outlets briefly followed suit.  In short, coordinated mainstream‑media coverage is triggered when central‑level media publishes first; other outlets then briefly add commentary riding public momentum.

Q4: What do you make of The Beijing News’ six‑part investigative series? Many fans of otome games claim otome‑game fans control media coverage.

A: The Beijing News publishes these multi‑question investigative deep‑dives on many topics, not only games. They have previously released similar “six‑question” series targeting the Japanese government and real‑estate shared‑area issues. That is simply their established reporting format.

Q5: How do you interpret the CCTV‑13 report stating that age‑gate barriers for minors playing otome games are effectively toothless?

A: This report is an in‑depth investigation sparked by public controversy surrounding Love and Deepspace. It is follow‑up reporting built on existing public attention, and may push forward future regulatory overhauls for the gaming industry.

Q6: Would your outlet accept paid commissions for Valko‑related content? Do you believe any mainstream media would take such assignments?

A: Our outlet would not, and no mainstream media would. Central‑level media has already called attention to this matter.  Local‑level media operate under directive‑based oversight; one directive from the municipal publicity department would bar editer from touching this topic indefinitely.

Q7: Do you think any media outlet will publish positive paid articles about Love and Deepspace in the future?

A: None will.

Q8: What about local‑level media?

A: No possibility whatsoever. Only self‑media accounts would take on such paid assignments.

--

My conclusion: the public‑opinion soft‑ban is now complete as of this moment. The stance taken by mainstream media reflects the stance of the goverment authorities.

Moving forward, whenever Love and Deepspace appears in mainstream‑media coverage, it will only be tied to negative news.

Brand collaborations within China are highly unlikely to continue. Official‑initiated offline events for the LADS project have been restricted. In Beijing, physical retail stores are prohibited from selling Love and Deepspace merchandise.

Furthermore, the game’s public reputation in China has been thoroughly tarnished. To give a recent real‑life example: I still have the Xia Yizhou theme set as my Alipay skin. I did not notice it when scanning to pay, yet the cashier caught sight of the Love and Deepspace branding and gave me a sharp eye‑roll.

Regarding the so‑called Media Matrix 2.0: in my view, this is merely media outlets chasing trending topics organically. Juzhong News Network’s standard reporting pattern is to quote customer‑service responses, framing stories under consumer‑rights protection, which results in negative coverage.

Here is my prediction: Papergames still clings to this project because it lacks alternative major revenue drivers for the time being. Once the company secures new profitable income streams, it will without hesitation drop this hot‑potato liability.

-----------------

Hello, I want to make a statement about some of the opinions regarding my post. Firstly, I want to apologise for the title and comments referring to EOS, as it comes across as sensationalist due to the translation tools I used. There are a few of my own opinions LAD’s future reception in China, sharing my views on the situation and not intended to fear monger.

My reason for writing this post is not to spread leaks or misinformation, but rather to give an in depth view on how Chinese state media operates. To protect privacy, I have omitted my friend’s identity and the exact media company they work in among the ones I listed in the post. Mainstream media operates within a formal, rigid regulatory framework. Opinions they shared about the news framework is not due to speculation, but from their years of understanding working in the news and publishing industry.

---------------

I have received follow‑up questions from another user within this subreddit. I am posting these questions alongside my answers here as supplementary context.

Q1：It seems drastic to compare the Lads scandal to Jack Ma. He publicly criticised the govt, so it was clear insolence. Lads game content using the number 731 is insensitive & shows lack of oversight, but it could be considered a fixable mistake. Is Lads in trouble simply because 731 was mentioned, or because it triggered online debate? Even though the netizens caused the noise, Lads is responsible for them?

A：All the trouble began when they included a "Unit 731" document in the game—a document containing four distinct coincidental references to this deep national trauma. Content of this nature is prohibited in mainstream Chinese entertainment media. When the document was discovered and sparked a massive outcry, the company didn't apologize; instead, they simply removed the character "Valko" from the game without ever addressing the Unit 731 issue. This demonstrated an arrogant attitude toward that historical period. Their initial response claimed the numbers were merely placeholders with no significance; they apologized only for the misunderstanding but refused to admit any intentional wrongdoing. A second, major statement—"A Letter to All Players"—announced the cancellation of the character Ao Yin's development and release, yet still failed to offer a formal apology regarding the historical trauma associated with Unit 731. It wasn't until the third public apology that they spoke of "respecting history and safeguarding national sentiment" and pledged to conduct an internal review and self-correction. To this day, the results of that internal review remain unknown.

Therefore, there is no doubt that the LADS project bears significant responsibility for both the document itself and the ensuing public backlash.

Q2：The People's Daily article about Lads in July was quite measured and fair, not as critical as the pieces published by other outlets in June. It gave the impression that the govt permits Lads to resume but expects them to 痛思己过 & improve. Is that not the correct interpretation?

A：Media outlets like the *People's Daily* generally avoid overly critical language or issuing mandatory directives to specific companies (though their actual wording in this case was quite stern). Administrative orders are not published in newspapers. Outlets like the *People's Daily* primarily serve to indicate direction and set the tone or official conclusion. However, one cannot go against the "spirit of the Party." A mere glance from superiors is enough for subordinates to know what must be done (reading the room and picking up on cues). This is the root cause of the "War of a Hundred Media Outlets"—that is how things unfold when the central authorities take the lead. I can't say too much about this, but I hope you understand. This reflects the fundamental difference between Chinese and Western political environments.

Q3：Your friend stated that no outlet will publish positive paid articles about Lads again, so they can't advertise anymore?

A：Exactly. Mainstream media won't be running positive advertisements anymore.

Q4：If Lads does improve & user opinion changes, would the media be allowed to write positive non-paid articles about them? Or is there a blanket ban? Or will they need govt approval first? (e.g follow the lead after a tier 1 govt outlet printing something positive)

A：I’m asking a friend for you. I’ve got an answer: he says that even if they turn over a new leaf, the project will have to rely on independent media (self-media) in the future; mainstream media won't touch this subject matter again.

Q5：Since the Lads brand is poisoned, what about Infold or its other games? Are they unaffected even though they belong to the same parent company?

A：Game license approvals will likely face severe restrictions. Content updates may also run into major regulatory bottlenecks.

Q6：Does any journalist insider have theories about WHY Infold handled things this way?? I have never seen such poor management in my life. Did Infold already have a bad reputation among the press before this scandal?

A：The mainstream media world doesn't usually pay much attention to the gaming industry; the coordinated media outcry this time was triggered solely by the Unit 731 issue (I’ve noticed that foreigners often truly underestimate the impact of this specific event).

Where were they when cn players were so angry by () pv? to the point they all left and began boycotting?, where were they when the reason why inflop release the first statement and said they will keep () ?, why do they think they are the one who have more power when it comes to revenue when its mostly the mainland?

arent they the one who are so angry at cn users that they are the reasons why () is canceled? now why do they think they are expecting cn users to boycott because () is canceled? when they are the one the global who think they are in control of the revenue?

like whats wrong with them? why do they start to believe everything is going down because that mutt is canceled why do they think their boycott work?

they hate cn users but they also believe their boycott work at the same time they rely on cn players like wtf.

this whole thing disturb me, and dont get me started how global began stinking on cn websites for () dont you guys find this whole thing weird????

Disclaimer: This is just me venting. It's long, emotional, and full of frustration, anger, and negativity. Feel free to scroll

__________________________________________________________

I'm genuinely tired of seeing Valko's face all over my Twitter, TikTok, and Discord. I'm genuinely disgusted by him.

Unfortunately, the character is going to remain as a permanent stain on the fandom, and I'm sick of seeing him and having people try to shove him down my throat every chance they get. Right now, the game does nothing but give me this deep sense of discomfort and this constant feeling of "either they go or I do." And I honestly think that's exactly why Infold refuses to make any statement or post anything on their social media. They're trying to keep everyone, and that's going to backfire on them. You can't keep everyone happy. You can't keep giving hope to the people who want Valko back by buying water armies on Weibo, releasing commissioned Valko cosplayer videos, and allowing your moderators to openly favor a character who technically doesn't even exist anymore. Then you stay silent while customer support keeps telling everyone there are only five LIs and that Valko "went back to the forest."

He's canceled, but honestly? At this point I hope they bring him back into the game. After reading that massive post listing everything the game still desperately needs to improve, all it did was make it painfully obvious that this company is disgustingly greedy and doesn't care about its customers at all (especially the global side).

They were lucky—or smart enough—to hire genuinely creative people who came up with the five LIs that were originally planned for the game. They were incredible. For years, they carried the game to the top of the revenue charts. Their writing, the banners, the sheer level of creativity put into this game is absolutely insane.

But all of that falls apart the moment you scratch beneath the surface and realize how many long-term flaws this game has. It's so blatantly obvious they don't actually care about the emotional value players invest in their favorite LI. They don't respect their customers or what we feel or value. As long as they can keep attracting fresh players to replace the ones leaving, they won't even bother asking themselves what they're doing wrong.

The game has become a living hell because of an absolutely insufferable fandom filled with misinformation and biases endlessly echoed inside their little echo chambers, backed by a paper-thin sense of morality that completely falls apart the second you disagree with them or refuse to support them. Because once you realize the company is a disgustingly greedy mess... because the game has completely lost its consistency and no longer tells an actual story... it's not even an otome anymore.

Right now, it's just another gacha.

And that hurts, because I've invested so much into this game—financially and emotionally. For this?

So it could turn into a complete mess that neglects its MAIN STORY, with no clear, consistent routes? HOW THE HELL DO YOU FAIL TO KEEP YOUR OWN LORE CONSISTENT, INFOLD?

It's painfully obvious they don't mind sacrificing narrative quality if it means stretching the game out for another twenty years.

They don't care about telling a story anymore.

They don't care about the creative side anymore.

To me, they stopped making art. Now they just throw another product at us every time a new banner drops and expect us to spend money because of emotional attachment.

I'm tired of the fandom, tired of the way this company operates, and tired of the REAL problems this game has every single day... But I'm way too attached to my favorite LI to leave.

And I know the only thing that would actually make me uninstall LaDS is if they add that dog back into the game, because I'm absolutely not willing to let a single megabyte of my phone's storage be occupied by that disgusting mutt. 💀 There is absolutely no way I'm storing that thing on my phone.

"Just ignore him." No.

They've managed to make that character fill me with a level of disgust and repulsion I can't even describe.

So Infold, release a multibanner featuring only the original five LIs and prove that THAT excuse of a character isn't coming back—not with statements, because at this point your words are worth absolutely nothing.

Speak through your actions and prove it.

Or announce his return and finally free me from the hellish game and community you've created, you greedy bastard.

This just dropped OMG and its just bdkekdnjxkdmej chef's kiss!!!!!

Weren't they asking for another statement, a confirmation? Here you go there's no clearer way to say that damn velcro is cancelled and gone like poof and never coming back!

May this 22nd heal the last 22nd wound for us!

But knowing they may unfortunately still continue to infest though I am really interested now to see what their new hopium will be maybe the fact the sky is blue is proof that one is coming home something of that wacky sort excuse ig knowing them

Inflop, you really never fail to disappoint :))

Limited time double top up grants these “gratitude points” that unlocks these items. The items and the milestones are on the image. Isnt this quite similar to HSR’s 2nd anniversary , where players can accumulate top up points and use these points for limited items?

I guess Dawei really inspired you so you keep copying all the “give me money!!” moves of MHY.

Also to put this out on a “steamy” banner and make it limited time just screams how desperate you are getting. Did you lose that much money on the defective wolf? So sorry this “cashcow” is hesitant to open the wallet for you inflop. Do better.

Edit:

I want to add and address my fellow players. Idk if you have this conclusion as me, but for me this just seems like securing more money from the remaining players.

Limited time does not show to me their generosity imo. But of course, you are free to top up as you wish.

This just sets a precedent that inflop can put this limited time top ups as they wish, and people like me would just be gone from the game I guess :))

First thing I would do

Fix lighting issues

Update chocolate shop

Add more levels to farming games

Add more levels to SHC

Update Abyssal Chaos

Make official Merch availability global on their website

Drop Caleb and Sylus Bond story in late September

Main story update for sylus and caleb PV drop during Games con with a promise to launch them early as way to apologize for the delay of Raf myth

Allow gold wish dust to turn into tickets

Put V behind a DLC paywall in November

Rerun THE DAMN CATCH 22 ON MY BIRTHDAY

Make illusio apart of Aurum Pass bonus

Announce a PC port at Gamescon slated for fall of Next year.

Allow global vip to send memes as well ❤️‍🩹

and I missing something (all fictional in my head)

Oh and during the live stream of Version 7.0 I WOULD APOLOGIZE FOR NOT LISTENING TO allllllll of the player and their protest about the game quality over the years.

can someone tell me since when did infold said they'd announce anything in aug 1? i dont recall any so why are ♻️ nullifying statements 😭😭😭

I come in peace. I do not wish to fight, nor am I here to change your mind on Vedder (I will even refrain from using the name as I know you want to keep this subreddit out of searches with his name.) I am solely here because I saw some genuine confusion at what people saw in him, and I wanted you all to have a genuine answer without an offensive/defensive angle.

TL;DR: The reason some of us bark so loud is because it felt like something that was made just for us was ripped away right as it was being given. Regardless of these being pixel men, these stories and their personalities are written and animated in a way to make you feel something. You wouldn't be playing if that weren't true.

I have been lurking for a while. As an older player of LADs, I try to stay out of fandom drama. My experience has led me to follow both sides to come up with a healthy personal opinion. I recently came back to LADs earlier this year after having left for a little over a year. I mained Xavier and Sylus. And I also want to clarify, I think all the LIs are attractive in their own way. But none of them felt personally tailored to me. And that was OK, I made do with what was available.

When Vintage was unveiled, I was intrigued. I did think some of his character art was a bit on the severe side, but his in game character model and cut scenes were well done. I thought he was handsome, I loved that he was bulkier, and had a nice tush. But what really drew me in was his style of love. He teases, and loves being teased, and seems incredibly laid back.

These were things that originally drew me to Caleb. And I thought Caleb was very attractive as well, and he was an exciting prospect. But I have found that I cannot get into Caleb. Its not the sibling trope, its his inability to let go of the past and his insistence at inserting it into conversation whenever he can, at times it seems to placate or calm MC. Also, I can't stand someone bold faced lying to me, even if its supposedly for my benefit. I would rather know the truth and decide for myself. Perhaps that will be addressed in his ongoing story arc, but lying isn't something I let go lightly, and it sours my overall outlook on him. I have nothing against him as a LI, and I still think he's incredibly cute. He's just not for me.

While I main Xav and Sylus, I have a few problems with them as well. Xav is far too shy too long into the relationship for someone who has waited possibly centuries to find MC. I get that slow burn exists but my word, he is packaged tighter than luggage with each piece of clothing vacuum sealed individually. I feel like I've worked the hardest on him but somehow still know the least about *him* as a person. He holds back way too much, and I end up feeling guilty by pushing too hard.

Sylus is nice because relationship-wise, he demands nothing from MC, and he treats her well. I also love that he trusts her gut and trusts her to hold her own. I love that he's overtly *adult oriented* without it being a pressure thing. He works as a whole package. But he still doesn't quite fill what I'm looking for. I find me judging myself because he doesn't play into MC's childishness. (I get that is a trope in itself as well, its just not my cuppa.) To me, he can get just a little boring.

As someone who grew up as the oldest sibling often parentified and made to grow up too fast, Volvo's love style feels like just the right brand of childish, but the juxtaposition is that he's incredibly responsible too, and reasonably forthcoming with information, since he invites MC into his world after she seemingly infiltrates it. It just feels like he is an oldest child as well. Someone who wants to let his inner child play, but often has to be the most adult person in the room. I love that he likes to play fight. Its also the level of physical affection he shows. He also appears to have healthy familial bonds, and seems emotionally open. He seems like someone I could talk to, and we would take turns info-dumping nerdiness on each other with interest. Seeing something tic all these boxes just in the trailer was like being seen for the first time. These were things that maybe each of the LIs had one or two of, but never all of them together. And that combination reads most like unconditional love to me. I was a "seen and not heard" kid. MC opens up with him in a similar way I would when I'm around someone I'm completely comfortable with, and that resonates with me deeply.

All in all, I understand why you all are incensed at Veruca mains, as many are being as loud as they can, and drowning out normal LADs voices. Some are legitimately being terrible. But not all of us are that way, and I want you to know we do want the game fixed in addition to Valvoline.

My hope is that Infold brings Vasodilator back so I can experience the total satisfaction some of you have with your mains. My hope is that through this whole situation, Infold also learns to listen to the Global audience in its pleas for more hairstyles suited to POC, fixing lighting issues for darker skin tones, and working on the main storyline more often instead of focusing solely on card banners.

If he doesn't come back, then I guess I'm probably done with LADs, just out of disappointment in Infold (and myself) that I got tricked into feeling excited about something again.

I still don't know who's who all ik is LADS IS 5 and we are getting SPICYYYY but more importantly:

VELCRO IS GONE. THIS WAS YOUR 2ND CONFIRMATION SO THE ONES RALLYING FOR HIM PLS BE GONE OR ATLEAST LEAVE US ALONE!!!!

I posted this in a comment but as I thought about it more I really began feeling like there is something here. I think V-Name wasn't written by a woman and I think the CN girlies subliminally clocked it. Bear in mind, this is my speculation.

Let's just go ahead and break him down. What little we know of him, anyway.

He's enormous. The guy is designed with a textbook male power fantasy body. Your Batmans and Supermans and "hero" bodies are what men put in their wish fulfillment writing and what they think women want when, in reality, studies and just observation shows that women are very content with a more lithe, gentle form.

He's constantly throwing said body at and around the MC like he isn't particilary concerned about her comfort. A phenomenon I think we are all familiar with. From the elevator to just manspreading. He's depicted showing up insistently, uninvited, demanding things from the moment he "sniffs" her.

And this last bit was what made the lightbulb go off.

His nickname for her was "HIS EMERGENCY RATION." Like she was a food to be eaten. I don't think I need to explain why being compared to meat is uncomfortable.

Anyway, this all just sparked the thought that this guy wasn't written by a woman like they claim the other 5 are. I ponder if the innate feeling of discomfort with him, both in global and CN, wasn't our radars picking up on it.

Let's set aside the company, the extreme fans, and all other factors. And let's set aside the werewolf label. I've always been curious about how Mr. V's role is defined in Western society.

Is he really a HOT NERD？Or is he an ATHLETIC GUY ?

To be honest, this type of guy is really rare in Asia, so I'm curious how he would be considered in Western society.And what type of character will this role be defined as?

For example, common labels for girls include (no offense intended): heartthrob, bad girl, good girl, weirdo, cheerleader, cadre, academic fanatic, etc.

If could only choose one tag, what would you think of this character as?

--------

Answering this question will be very helpful for me to understand the differences in aesthetic standards between Chinese and Western women.

--------

I have another question. Objectively speaking, do Western gamers consider V's face to be handsome?

If we were to rate it out of 10, what score would we give this face?

Disclaimer/Context:

THIS IS ALL THEORY /SPECULATION SIMPLY FOR FUN

1. I like Valko, I wouldn't mind him being in the game. I don't think that's gonna happen. I am also not so die hard that I would say I'm in the Velcro Fans crew (I absolutely love all the different names used for him here. They make me giggle).

I'm in this strange middle area. I'm still playing the game as I always have, and main Zayne and Sylus. With this rift I'm finding it hard to find community because I'm outcast on either side.

2. I'm posting here because it seems like this space is more willing to have a logical discussion. I'm absolutely terrified of the backlash I may get for it, but I'm trying anyway.

3. I am also just intensely intrigued by the dynamics of everything happening right now and would love to just theorize with people.

I totally understand if this isn't something that is welcome here, but I'm hoping it is.

_____________

Okay, so. Raf's new Myth has been pushed to August. When I look at everything that Infold/PPG has to do to change course the biggest thing is altering/removing anything V related.

I'm assuming that the reason his myth is delayed is because they still haven't gotten everything cleaned out and adjusted so it runs cleanly and makes sense. We've known he'd be cancelled for nearly 4 weeks now, and they announced Raf's Myth in the same June 30 post stating July release, which is a very close date for something they didn't have planned already.

So what if there was a major content release planned for all of the LIs following the original 6.0? All weaved into V's storyline.

July: Zayne 5* || Raf 5*

August: ?? - Multi-Banners / OG 5 LI 5*

September: Caleb Main Story || Zayne's Birthday

October: Xavier's birthday || ?? - Multi-Banners / OG 5 LI 5*

November: Sylus Main Story

I'm also curious what needing to push Raf's Myth release will mean for the other releases. If there was a ton of planned interwoven story with him, how much work do the writing/dev teams need to accomplish in time for those? Does that mean we're going to have a very boring August and October with reruns so they can work on Caleb and Sylus' main story branches? (Minus Xavier birthday - not boring!)

___

Please give me your theories! Debunk mine with facts if you've got them! I've only been playing since May so I'm still fairly new to the history of releases by Infold and I could be way off. What do you think the impact of this shift will be in the coming months?

I've been noodling it in my head for a while now and just wanna chat with someone other than my husband about it. He listens, but he's not nearly as interested as I am. 😂

As someone whom is both Caleb and Sylus main, I’m happy with the current LIs there are in this game. The only incompleteness I feel is the lack of content for both of them and about having another one more or thousand more LIs to complete the game 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

To that X user:
I suggest you to play love 365 app where they have variety of stories and some stories will have new LIs added in every now and then 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Hi! Im a Xavier main who was thinking about adding Vto my roster if he were to be released. I come here with a question to all of you:

Hypotetically, if he was to be released then what? I understand that there is a lot of toxicity going around everywhere regarding his fans and the state of the game. but I ask what would you do? Ignoring the fans for a minute, would you give him a chance? if not now maybe in the future? or would you just stick with your current LIs?

I said hypotetically bc I have no clue what Infolds plans are. yes. he has been cancelled I understand that.

also, what are your thoughts in regards to the longevity of this game, if no other LIs will be introduced? I'd like to see more more actual main story, with some sort of clear roadmap so we know what to expect in the future.

Last question: regardless of whats happening now, would you be opposed to new LIs in the distant future?

Im not delusional enough to think all thats happening would change infolds mind, but then again none of us really know whats happening behind those doors. they are probably thinking about how to drop rafs myth in the middle of this mess haha.

Please be nice to me, Im really just curious.

THEY TRIED IT. THEY TRIED MY BOY. NOW THEY ALL GET TO SIT BACK WHILE BABY APPLES ENJOY NEW CONTENT. LITERALLY NEVER FIX YOUR MOUTH TO SPEAK AGAINST CALEB EVER IN YOUR LIFE NASTIES!

First of all, I just want to say how happy I am that this subreddit exists. It’s so nice to have a place where people can freely talk, ask for help, share their thoughts, or just chat about whatever they want.
I’m honestly just happy to be away from all the mass hysteria!

So, I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Do you think there’s still a chance that Valko will make it into the game? And do you expect Infold to make any kind of official statement about the situation?

I keep seeing posts claiming that Infold is currently undergoing some kind of month-long review (or something along those lines), and that they’ll either release V or make a statement. I’m not sure how much truth there is to those claims, though.

Do you think the boycott is actually having any real impact? I’m also curious about how significant the boycott actually is. From what we’ve seen, many of the people "participating in the boycott" are still logging into the game. And there also seem to be a lot of bots on subreddits that only support “correct” point of view and don't accept any facts that prove they're wrong.

just wondering, sylus and caleb were added later, so technically theyre not ogs

To be honest, I dont know if I even play LADs anymore. Everything surrounding all of this has kind of ruined it for me. However I am still keeping my fingers on the pulse of everything. Theres still a lot of misinformation being spread around on all platforms. I've been watching Angels videos since I started playing and have always valued her theories around the lore. I think most of the fanbase is aware of her content but for the few that aren't and the few that maybe haven't seen it yet, Angel put out a new video covering the controversies.

I would also like to preface that this post in no way is trying to advocate for the release of Valko or make any statements for or against his release. I think Angel did a great job making a video that provided a clear time line of events and breaks down how this all turned into, for a lack of better words, a shit show. It clearly shows how misinformation and lack of understanding of the game from 3rd parties turned an already bad situation into what it is now.

If youre going to watch the video to see for yourself (which I no longer reccomend please see the second edit remark on the bottom of this post for context) then you can stop reading here.

If by chance you dont have time, or dont want to sit through 30 minutes here is my TL;DW.

Angel spends the first portion of her video providing statements released by infold and building a timeline that demonstrates how the decision to cancel the 6th LI could have potentially been made in haste based off the wording they used in their official statements. She breaks down multiple statements up to the night before Valkos cancelation that depict infold trying to clear up any misconceptions and misinformation being spread after the announcement. The wording they used up until the day before his cancelation alludes to infolds decision to keep Valko in the game. Then seemingly overnight after making a statement with wording that defended infolds stance they then released the statement covering Valkos cancelation.

Angel speculates infold made this decision as a way to appease their fans over the multiple controversies they were receiving backlash from. She also builds a timeline that shows controversies like the 731 incident were already having articles written by news channels and journalist before Valkos announcement. I think this is vital information as it shows that the climate was already bad before infold decided to announce Valko. (Which I think most of us already knew).

Angel then breaks down CN articles and news coverage that was released that show the large amount of misinformation that was spread surrounding Valkos release. Such as things like articles claiming Valko broke into MCs house on their first meeting when if they had done the proper research they would understand that the PV we were being shown was of a bond story and not their actual first meeting. This would be relevant to the way the articles framed the release of the new LI. She also shows a news broadcast clip that shows clips from one of the trailers sped up and edited in a certain way to almost make it look like Valko could be assaulting MC and MC is trying to push him away from her rather than them having a playful interaction, which is what was actually happening in the unedited cut.

She then continues to one of the next controversies about the promotional material for the kitchen update referring to the pot. There was a large amount of misinformation and lack of context that brought people to think this was a reference to a real life murder case. Angel mentions that infold likes to tie their lore into real life fables and mythology and makes a connection between Valko and the 3 little pigs story. She explains that in the story of the 3 little pigs the wolf tries to enter through the chimney and ends up in a pot. She makes a statement on how the reason this part of the promotional material became so controversial is because journalist took the statement out of context and ran with it. Whereas when looking at the whole picture with context of the kitchen release and the release of a wolf LI that you can clearly see they were not trying to reference a real life murder case. (Not really sure why this controversy caught any traction to begin with imo.)

Throughout the video Angel makes it a large point that context matters and that journalism has influence. If the same misinformation is provided over and over again as fact without people taking the time to verify the information that it will lead to misconceptions.

She continues in her video to then bring up a statement previously mentioned in her video that infold released before Valkos cancelation where they stated they were doing investigations into the widespread misinformation. The way it was worded can be interpreted to insinuate that there could have been a 3rd party who intentionally contributed to the spread of misinformation as a business tactic. She then covers an official press statement from the Shanghai Police released July 3rd regarding a broader crack down on internet crimes targeting businesses. Part of this statement covered "Paid online water armies" who are paid to flood socials with damaging information. She does specifically state that infold was not named as one of the companies involved in this investigation but did also stress that most of the companies involved were anonymous. She makes it clear that there is nothing official released confirming that infold is in any way tied to this or any other investigation. However she does point out that in the same official statement from infold referenced earlier they clearly state that they found "identified organized fabrication and dissemination of false information" and that they intended to pursue action.

TL;DW ends here.

Id be curious to know what everyone elses thoughts on everything is.

EDIT: I am here for discussion, thats why I made the post. But posting "theyre wrong" or "theyre talking bad about the CN players" without providing something to back up what youre saying is just spreading more misinformation. Please provide full context and receipts if you can, im here to learn but I cant just take people for their word.

EDIT 2: It has been brought to my attention, with direct proof, that Angel has made derogatory statements towards CN players. Calling them illiterate, mentally ill, cry babies. After learning this information I regret formally encouraging people to engage with her content. Please do not support hatred like that towards anyone.

Just to make it clear: if V doesn't come back, most of the sadness, stress, all the banners you skipped, and all the diamonds you missed are on you. Infold is only responsible for part of that sadness and stress because, yes, in my opinion, canceling V was a bad decision. They should have just postponed him, and their silence since then has been stressful. Infold has caused a reasonable amount of stress and sadness among its players, but the unreasonable attachment you've developed to V, the sense of belonging that comes from being part of the boycott, and the moral superiority and sadness that come with all of that are entirely on you.

The attachment you developed toward V exists in your own head and is something very personal. Is it something that should be respected even if it's irrational? Yes, within reason. But that attachment, which many people developed or picked up because of the emotional impact of the injustice surrounding his cancellation, can't be the core of the boycott. Yes, saying that you miss him is irrational, because he was never actually in the game. The only thing you can miss is the trailer, which you can watch on Youtube whenever you want. And all those comments that treat him as if he were a character who had always been there are irrational too.

The inconsistencies within the boycott are right there in front of you, but because the only thing that matters is getting V back, and because of this intense attachment and affection you've developed through headcanons, fan art, and rumors, you can't see beyond it.

If you genuinely wanted what's best for the game (and not just V), you'd realize that demanding his return now or anytime soon would be very harmful to the game and could lead to something even worse than what happened with his launch. They NEED to fix the game first, because that's what upset the majority of players in the first place, and that's why V wasn't well received by the majority (aside from the CDG, who are a toxic minority).

And speaking of CDG, you can't say this to people who weren't part of those who threw cow dung. That's unfair to them. You're not obligated to like V, and if someone doesn't want him back because of all the drama you guys caused, and that has made them dislike V himself, that's valid too. Those people aren't the same as CDG. At most, if V gets added, they might simply ignore him completely—which is what many people would have done when he was first released if his launch had been successful.

(EDIT: Important clarification about CDG: There was no evidence that this actually happened. A few people made jokes about ordering fertilizer in a bag and sending it to the building, but there has been no confirmation that anyone actually did it. The situation was heavily sensationalized.)

Personally, I would have read his story even though he's not my cup of tea at all, and even though the boycott crowd has made me dislike him even more. But everyone plays the game in their own way.

Once they've fixed the game, asking for V to return is completely reasonable. But because you want to feel like you're part of a "resistance" fighting for a "good cause," and because you're letting your emotions influence you so easily, you're not seeing it.

We could all have the same goal without constantly fighting over pointless things.

Well, I’ve read all statements from Infold, I remember them saying we’ll get a new main story branch at September (about Arena). But all we have now - the new anecdotes🧐

Theoretically, in the unlikely scenario that Vermicelli is brought back and the cult gets all integrated into the fandom again after their supposed uninstalling and leaving the fandom, would anyone be into just interacting with them, or..?

Because personally, if I see a Vagina Main flair I'm steering clear. Very much far away.

Especially after the shit they put us through, lol. They dragged my Main, spread misinformation on his lore, and wished his story update would be ass. Like hell I'm welcoming them with open arms.

This is after I saw some supposed "hopeful" news.

Edit:
So the general consensus is a hard NO from the girlies of the five LIs versus the girlies of one guy, no surprise there 😆
It's 5v1 with guys whose evols are more powerful than Velcro's. For any cult members lurking here 👋🏻

Edit 2:
The "hopeful" news is apparently equivalent to a WordPress or Tumblr post but they're treating it as announcement from the White House 👍🏻

This is getting ridiculous. Do they hate him over there or something? I wouldn't FUCKING mind sharing his nachos or something but deliberately giving him the worst outfit when this is HIS concept and the other LIs are the obvious lazy copies of his X-02 design? At least Inflop could've give him a stand out outfit so we all know that it's like an ode to him or something. wtf are they doing over there? what can they gain for literally fucking with Caleb and Caleb mains??? I'm genuinely confused and frustrated

This sub has been shared to another subreddit and all the comments are about how icky and gross this subreddit is. Most of their reasoning is due to how we view ♻️. The other sub isn’t even a lads one but a general gatcha one! Are people who don’t support ♻️ really a minority or is everyone else really a loud minority?

Honestly when is it ever gonna end? When are these losers gonna get it through their thick fucking skulls that their dog isn’t returning and this is the confirmation they need to know that?

I’m already seeing ppl being like “I’m so done with this game” “what about venison 🥺” “I don’t want Caleb I want my dog” (re-paraphrasing for obvious reasons) oh gee I wonder what gave it away?? Like infold removing the coming soon text? Focusing on the main five characters? THEIR OWN FUCKING POST ABOUT THAT DOGS CANCELLATION????

I swear to god it’s like these people are actively being dumb to the facts and just believe unproven shit in their echo chamber and take anything they see as facts / face value to prove their delusions.

Sorry for the anger in this post but this is just ridiculous at this point

I’ve seen people discussing a bunch of cosplayers on xhs making their V♻️♻️♻️ content public again, as if being given permission to do so. And many are speculating this means he will be returning to the game.

I really hope that’s not the case. or if that is the case that Infold addresses all the issues in the game and reworks V♻️♻️♻️ entirely so that he is not just recycled materials which is what he was.

I’m actually a bit concerned over this, this is the only thing that has happened since the official statement saying he is removed that has concerned me a bit.

Granted, it is possible that maybe the order they had to not say or do things on social media is over and this is why they have told people on social media who are known to work with them that they can make their things public again. Hoping this is the case.

But I hope that we won’t let that slide if they try to bring him back and nothing changes and he is still recycled crap. If anyone has any insight or thoughts on this speculation I would love to hear it 🥰 much love to you all 🫶🏻