Not everyone is ready to let this wolf into the pack.
The Love and Deepspace community appears to have gone a little feral following the reveal of the game’s sixth love interest, Valko.
Valko, who is set to arrive on 9 July, will be the game’s third post-launch Love Interest. In the trailers, he is portrayed as the head of a werewolf clan.
But while plenty of players have already been put on a leash by the new character, online reception to Valko has been far from unanimous.
What do Love and Deepspace fans think of Valko?
Many fans have embraced the reveal enthusiastically, filling social media feeds with werewolf memes, and plenty of playful reactions.
Although Valko is the head of a werewolf clan, players have quickly started drawing comparisons across multiple fandoms. The most obvious comparison for many has been the Twilight series:
Some, like X (formerly Twitter) user @kentanismo, even created a Sylus and Valko-themed version of the poster, referencing Sylus' vampire Myth:
EXO fans may also be experiencing a few flashbacks to the K-pop group's Wolf and Growl era. But EXO fans are not the only ones digging up old memories from the doghouse. Some players, including X user @lixiesflower, pointed out that one scene resembles Stray Kids' Bang Chan wearing a mask in one of the group's videos:
The K-pop comparisons have not stopped there either, with some fans also comparing Valko to Abby from Saja Boys:
That said, not everyone in the pack is sold on Valko's character design. Some players have argued that Infold missed an opportunity to give him a wolf cut or an overall rougher, shaggier appearance.
Others responded by sharing their own ideas for how they wanted Valko's hair to look. X user @aitaikimochi, for example, said they wished his hairstyle was closer to Theron from Silent Whispers:
Then there is the matter of Valko having a total of four ears (two human ears and two wolf ears), which quickly became another talking point after X user @n109wifiwentout highlighted the detail:
However, @Dren_XOXO was quick to point out a possible upside, responding: "[Four] ears to better listen to you, my dear."
Chinese fans demand refunds and call for a boycott over Valko's design
On the other side of the discussion, reception in China has reportedly been much less enthusiastic.
Under the game's official Weibo account, many players described Valko's design as "ugly", accusing Infold’s move to release a new Love Interest as being a “money grab” attempt, while also demanding refunds, and calling on other players to boycott the game in an effort to make their voices heard.
Some Chinese netizens also pointed out that some international fans don't want the character to be released either.
Do any Love and Deepspace fans actually like Valko?
Between the memes, the complaints, the haircut debates, and the four-ear discourse, it might seem as though the entire community has left Valko out in the rain.
Not all hope is lost for the newest member of the pack, however. Less than 24 hours after his teaser was released, fan artists and supporters had already started showing up for Valko.
Several pieces of fan art even portrayed Valko as a sad puppy, having seen the general audience’s reaction to his reveal:
Even a few players who are not particularly fond of his design have said that there are still reasons to keep an eye on him, particularly when it comes to his lore. X user @Aeendy noted that Valko's company, "EonCore Tech was introduced only in last WU chapter as a close cooperative company with EVER [Group]." EVER is a powerful in-game organisation with deep roots in the ongoing story.
For now, Valko appears to have achieved something few Love and Deepspace characters manage within a day of being revealed: getting the entire community barking about the same thing.
Whether players are ready to welcome him into the pack or would rather send him back to the kennel, Valko is set to arrive on 9 July, 2026, with the launch of Love and Deepspace Version 6.0.
