Brand-New Love and Deepspace Valko Petition is Blowing Up

A petition to bring back Valko as a love interest in Love and Deepspace is blowing up online, with it garnering well over six figures in signatures within 48 hours. The backlash to Valko’s removal from Love and Deepspace is interesting, if only because the backlash to his addition was just as fierce.

When Love and Deepspace developer Papergames first revealed Valko, many fans were deeply upset. That backlash centered on the fact that adding a new romance to Love and Deepspace would take resources away from others, further dividing development resources when new and longstanding players wanted new content for their current, preferred characters. Following Valko’s announcement, the game’s social media accounts reportedly lost a large number of followers, attracted widespread criticism, and some fans even staged real-world protests, including reports of cow dung being placed inside company lockers.

Current Banner, Next Banner, And Past Banners In Love And Deepspace

Here’s a list of Love and Deepspace banners, from the old one to the newest.

Love and Deepspace Players Want to Save Valko

In turn, Papergames apologized, confirmed there would be no additional love interests in the future, and that Love and Deepspace Version 6.0 will proceed without Valko. In turn once more, fans who were excited about Valko were deeply upset, with a brand new petition crossing 218K signatures in just 48 hours. If it kept pace, it would likely cross 350/400K by the end of the July 4 weekend. Supporters of the petition, in a statement to GameRant, said, “We are asking [publisher] Infold and PaperGames to bring back Valko in Love and Deepspace as a love interest, as was originally intended.” They continued,

“Global fans have made it clear that Valko matters to this story and to the people who have followed it with care. A character like this does more than fill a slot in a game. He shapes the world, the relationships, and the emotional pull that keeps players invested. When a love interest is removed or left out after being intended for that role, it is not just a creative choice on paper. It changes the experience for the whole community.”

The statement continued, “Many of us came to Love and Deepspace because we wanted meaningful character connections, memorable storytelling, and the chance to grow attached to the people in that world. Valko is part of that promise. Bringing him back would show respect for the original vision and for the fans who have been asking for his return.” In summation, the entire point of the above petition is to reinstate Valko in Love and Deepspace as one of the key pillars of the game’s core promise to players. Not everyone will be happy, but new content is better than no new content, and Papergames could continue to improve romances from here on.

If Papergames does not restore Valko, then it’s been stated that rewards originally tied to his Love and Deepspace event will instead be distributed to all players for free. Players will receive one free Deepspace Wish daily for 30 days, as well. The studio also says development will shift its focus to expanding the game’s existing love interests and main story, with new content for Rafayel in Love and Deepspace arriving in July and story updates for Caleb and Sylus planned for September and November.