Petition demands return of cancelled character Valko in Love and Deepspace
A petition with nearly 250,000 signatures and the hashtag #BringBackValko demand the return of Valko, the cancelled sixth male love interest in the mobile game Love and Deepspace. The character was removed after Chinese fans directed insults and death threats at developers, citing Valko's darker skin and muscular build as not conforming to local beauty standards. Developer Infold removed all promotional images and announced no new characters will ever be added to the game, sparking a boycott and loss of hundreds of thousands of social media followers. The game has over 50 million players globally. Infold has not commented on a potential return.
Key facts
- Valko was to be the sixth male love interest in Love and Deepspace.
- The character was cancelled after Chinese fans insulted him and sent death threats to developers.
- Critics said Valko's skin was too dark and his build not masculine enough by Chinese standards.
- Developer Infold removed all promotional images and announced no new characters will ever be added.
- A petition and #BringBackValko hashtag have gathered nearly 250,000 signatures.
- The game has over 50 million players in China and worldwide.
- Love and Deepspace has lost hundreds of thousands of social media followers due to a boycott.
- Infold has not commented on a possible return of Valko.
Entities
Institutions
- Infold
Locations
- China