elle

and in relation to caleb, we saw him as an npc. we watched MC's childhood home explode with him inside, and the ensuing volumes of the MS demonstrate how big of a toll caleb's death had taken on MC. his re-introduction as a love interest (LI) was met with much backlash because of his personality changes and dark themes, including bdsm yandere, and pseudo-cest. caleb was also in opposition to MC at times, seeing as he is the farspace fleet's colonel and she's a hunter who was tasked with retrieving the spatial core from the fleet.

all of this is to say, sylus and caleb's introductions as LIs can be justified and understood, even seen as organic or understandable. but valko's introduction feels jarring and unplanned, which often happens with "live-service".

6th li vs valko

in an interview with technode in 2025, producer, lizi, said that it takes two years to develop each love interest.

valko's chinese name "ao yin" (敖尹) was trademarked in november 2023 through one of papergames' subsidiaries. the name invokes a sense of freedom, movement, and authority. and valko quite literally means 'wolf'.

if we look at xavier, for example, his chinese name "shen xinghui" (沈星回) translates to 'star-return' or 'star-round', as in multiple rounds, which hints nicely at his lore, as in he's trying to return to mc/philos. and his english name 'xavier' translates to 'new house' or 'bright', which is similarly aligned.

if we go back to valko, i do think that 'freedom, movement, and authority' are characteristics you could assign to a wolf. but i could also assign these characteristics to a lion or some other predator. the meaning of his name is more forgiving than xavier's in terms of characterisation. ao yin is a feeling, an energy. xavier's name is quite literal.

at this point, you might be thinking, 'okay, elle, but that's xavier. i'm sure the other LIs—'

looking at rafayel, "qi yu" (祁煜) translates to 'passionate yet clear shimmer' (referencing his fish scales). furthermore, 煜 is pronounced yù, similar to fish 鱼, which is pronounced yú. his full name can be interpreted as '才高八斗' or 'talent above others', and '博学多才' or 'learned and multi-talented'. qi yu is also a homophone for '奇遇', meaning a miraculous chance encounter. rafayel translates to 'god has healed', which is quite different from the translation of his chinese name. however, this name is fitting, seeing as he is the lemurian sea god and 'rafayel' is a variation of 'raphael', one of god's archangels.

'okay, elle, so what about—'

"li shen" (黎深) can be understood as 'the night is darkest just before the first light'. one of his pre-battle lines in the cn dub (穿过黑暗就会抵达黎明) uses the term li ming (黎明), which translates to 'through the darkness and into the dawn'. dawnbreaker, anyone? zayne in hebrew means 'god is gracious' (cough divine emissary cough astra ain't so gracious but we ball cough). in arabic, zayne (more appropriately spelled zayn or zain) means 'beautiful', 'handsome' or 'adornment'.

and this is where i contradict myself BECAUSE the og3's names align well with their characters in a literal sense, and once it gets to sylus, it kind of falls off. we'll get to it in a second, but i do think that sylus's chinese name still works well with his character. caleb's name, however, i don't think works as well. like you can make a link, but it's not as explicit as 'star-return'. the newer LIs names evoke more of a feeling like ao yin rather than an explicit, literal tie like shen xinghui.

"qin che" (秦彻) invokes a sense of conquering (秦 referring to the first imperial dynasty of china). 彻 calls to mind 'a sharp sword piercing through something'., and the overall pronunciation of his name is sharp and clear. his original name, qing che, in his limited myth means 'clear' or 'pure'. sylus means 'forest' or 'woodland dweller', interpreted to mean independent, brave exploration, and quiet strength.

"xia yizhou" (夏以昼) is arguably the simplest name on the list. it can be interpreted as summer and day or summer by means of day (or more simply, summer's day). caleb means faithful or devoted, and has linguistic roots in the hebrew word for dog.

so as you can see, infold really did well in the selection of the og3's chinese names. qin che (i think) gets a pass as sylus does invoke this sense of complete or thorough conquering and sharpness (look at his character design). onychinus's leader, the rivalry and the way he's snuffed out his competition to establish a new order, etc. yizhou's english name really saves him. i've seen theories around caleb fulfilling the story of adam and eve, with his own limited myth and then his chinese name as 'summer's day'. xia is also similar to xiawa, eve's name in the chinese bible. you can even (if you want to) link his name to his life before the explosion, with him being outwardly happy. i think his 5-star login bonus (couldn't tell you the name, but it's the one where he picks up MC from high school) or even his 5-star card 'endless summer' align well with this name.

for the most part, what i'm getting at is that the pre-existing LIs chinese names lend themselves towards the character. ao yin feel more impersonal in comparison to the other LIs names (excluding caleb, if you will) and as such, i don't think it's unreasonable to say that while infold has been planning a 6th LI from the start, that LI might not have necessarily been valko. then again, we don't know much about valko at this stage.

freedom, movement, and authority are the ideas of EVER's CEO (or someone connected to EVER in a position of authority). it fits well with the occupation of the 6th LI and how they will fit into the story. it's not indicative of a wolf, is what i'm getting at. these qualities don't tell me something about valko in the same way 'ruling power' and a feeling of 'to the end' or 'entirety', 'sharpness' do about sylus.

also this is more of an fyi but caleb's name was trademarked back in april 2023 alongside the og3. sylus's name was trademarked in december 2023, which is interesting, seeing as this was after ao yin, but sylus was released as an LI in july, 2024. i do think this supports the theory that sylus was designed and then named, whereas ao yin was given a name and then designed. that is, ao yin's character has changed and evolved as the game has, due to flexibility with planning as the MS has progressed.

i'm not arguing that there was never going to be a 6th LI named ao yin. what i'm arguing is that the 6th LI didn't necessarily start out as the valko we know today. as we all know (or are about to learn), rafayel's original beta design was more gothic (i.e. brooding, dangerous, morally grey with an edgier design overall) than the final character that was released. i suspect that valko's character similarly changed over time.

i would like to argue that he was rushed or that his character pivoted last year, which could be backed up by infold put out a casting call for motion capture actors in july of last year, preferring male models with a height close to 187cm.

furthermore, love and deepspace has currently attained market saturation in china. to continue increasing revenue, a reasonable strategy for infold would be to leverage its existing presence in global markets and appeal to new audiences in these markets. consider the leadership changes that occurred in mid-2025, and it's not difficult to see why infold would shift its strategy to appeal to a greater segment of western audiences as a way to expand the game and earn more revenue.

furries

at first glance, you might think that chinese fans would want a wolf hybrid LI. and while anthropomorphic characters are more acceptable in asia due to their alignment with manga, anime, and the like, dating one is not on the cards for many chinese fans.

from my research, one of the main points against valko's design is that he's (and i quote) "so...sweaty". fans feel that valko's design is too muscular and tough, very masculine, you get the gist, in contrast to the other LIs designs. there are also concerns around valko opposing MC and potentially hurting the other LIs as part of his story (which there were likely similar concerns with caleb). in the linked article, the fan who was interviewed, li tianyi, said of caleb, "he seems more like a real person, because he has black hair and dark eyes," which i think is interesting. it's very unlikely that you could meet a man who looks like valko irl. but also, i do think that meeting someone like rafayel, with pink-blue eyes, or sylus, with red eyes, would also prove to be quite challenging. nonetheless, what i think li was getting at here was how valko feels like diving into a fantasy. he doesn't look as real as the other characters do. (it's the ears and tail). other cn fans have even described valko as an 'amalgamation of other LI's' or having 'a generic "AI" look'.

furthermore, li went on to say how she felt caleb was someone she could potentially meet irl. and i would argue that you could say the same about the other pre-existing LIs. xavier could be that sleepy boy in your class. zayne the high achiever who is somehow an all-rounder, too. sylus, the bully who bullies the bullies with a secret love for poetry (bit of a megumi fushiguro angle i'm going for here. not that megumi canonically loves poetry but). and rafayel, the carefree artist who doesn't have to worry about unemployment because he's rich. valko feels almost in opposition to this slice of life au. he feels immersed in the fantasy realm, mr alpha ceo. it's hard to humanise him, in a sense.

another criticism of li which has been echoed by various cn fans is the aesthetic clash of valko with the pre-existing LIs. 'alpha wolf' is distinctly western, whereas the other LIs dance closer to their chinese roots. sylus is a good example of a character that has captivated both western and eastern audiences. the way he's presented with careful control, as opposed to valko's 'rugged' look, appeals to western audiences without 'alienating the core cn demographic.'

meanwhile, valko has received a relatively positive response from western audiences, with fans likening his character to jacob from twilight. not to mention, the cheering for the 'release of the forehead' and jokes being made about how caleb (the og dog, if you will) might feel now that valko has taken his canine place. i'm sure that as of seeing this post, your dashboard has been inundated with valko content, some of which (much of which, for me) is brimming with excitement over his release and calling for fans who are 'hating' (apostrophe's as this word tends to get thrown around without reflecting true hatred) on him to remember that 'it's just a game'.

the meat of the story (reader discretion is advised)

okay, so at this point, you're probably going, 'elle, babe, just sounds like cn fans don't like a manly man,' right? WRONG! enter the promotional video (PV) for the moonhowl party: rule no.1 - never bathe in the pot. this PV is for the next main story update, which (looks like it) will be centred around valko. i've linked the english version, but, in a turn of events, i will exclusively be talking about the simplified chinese version released on weibo.

the tagline of the PV (translated to english) is 'there are many ingredients in the jungle. before enjoying, please find a steaming container…' additionally, the text "if you are in the kitchen" and "absolutely do not..." flashes on-screen during the short video, interspersed with a boiling pot. now, this all seems relatively harmless, HOWEVER...

the 'iron pot wife murder' was a brutal domestic murder case where husband, li, killed his wife, wu. after continuously assaulting her on september 4, 2024, with a steel ruler, a belt, and a meat cleaver, li poured boiling noodle soup over his wife and forced her head into a pot of boiling soup.

to say this case shocked chinese society is an understatement. the imagery of a boiling pot in the kitchen has become interwoven with extreme domestic abuse and femicide in china following the case. for infold to deliberately play on these images feels incredibly tone-deaf and culturally insensitive; a betrayal of chinese fans. as one redditer put it, to tie this imagery to their latest LI 'shows a profound lack of empathy and basic human decency.'

in that regard, not only have infold chosen to appeal to western audiences with 'quirky' marketing, but have forsaken and insulted its core cn fan base to do so. you can argue that it wasn't intentional, but referencing a horrific chinese femicide case as a chinese company in your upcoming promotions for a western-centric character... personally, i can't believe that no one on the PR or marketing teams didn't catch that before release.

like kpop?

the controversy surrounding valko's release has been likened to the controversy kpop companies create around their new groups. often, companies will make decisions that lead to controversies (for example, le sserafim's 'provocative' choreogprahy in their debut song, 'fearless') to make their new group memorable. redditers have been likening valko's entrance to this strategy, seeing the major backlash they've received since the release of his trailer.

when it comes to kpop idols, there's the illusion (and half-truth) that when you support an idol, you actually support the idol, and not just their company. with love and deepspace, if you buy deepspace wishes, you know you're supporting infold, not the LI you're pulling for. you cannot access the LIs without the game, in the same way you can't watch an anime without a streaming service or the animation studio. yes, there's fanfiction. but you'll never be able to canonically experience the LIs without the game, as you would be able to experience a kpop idol who can leave their company.

in that way, players have to resign themselves to infold's tactics if they want to play the game and experience the LIs at all.

infold's response

you can read it here. but i'm just gonna say it: they were tryna fill the word count. said absolutely nothing with a bajillion words. lots of 'we hear your concerns'. no clarity around any changes to the pity systems or why valko's design is very similar to the other LIs. i already made a post on how his wolflord outfit is very similar to rafayel's abysswalker outfit, none of which is his fault, but his designers.

in that post, i think i touched on it, but i didn't fully flesh it out: to me, valko doesn't feel like a unique character. all of the pre-existing LI's feel so unique and distinctive. i'm yet to really get a sense of valko. he's seems like a blend of everyone else. and if you've been on twitter, you would have seen the claims about the use of recycled animations for his character as well.

this is a comment i particularly liked (you don't have to like it. you're free to have your own opinions and interpretations):

conclusion

i can understand why many cn fans are incredibly upset and disappointed about this release. i didn't even talk about how valko's release will (currently, as we know it) lead to more unwanted pulls and longer MS updates for your main.

something i realised during my research, which seems kind of silly now that i think about, is that cards in the standard wish pool and the MS are free. you, as a player, don't have to pay any money to access these features, which is why limited wish pools are prioritised because they generate much revenue for infold. of course, infold doesn't want to update the MS more frequently or fill in the content gap for sylus and caleb. they're not getting paid to do it! which is really disheartening when it's not even viable to use them as a battle companion without (essentially) paying for their limited cards.

fun fact! i couldn't fully match stellactrum for caleb's deepspace trials for months because i only had one yellow card. for any battle needing two yellow cards, i simply couldn't match his stellactrum because infold only gives you one yellow card for free. which oh yk elle it's not a big deal. OKAY I'M SORRY BUT WHY THE TRUCK are caleb's deepspace trials so hard?! oh i know, because he came out later, so infold is working under the assumption that you have super powerful cards. yeah, i do. but not for him?!

anyways... haha um. this is not to say that i don't like valko or that i won't end up liking him, maining him, writing for him, etc. i've felt a bit uncomfortable with his release, and that's coming from an otome veteran (eight years in✊). i think this post has really helped me put my thoughts into perspective, and i hope that you learnt something new by reading it!

“for starters you’ve asked me once,” you state, satoru grumbles at your words, “and plus i don’t wanna seem like a leech.” satoru immediately strands up straighter as your words, mouth slightly open in shock and brows furrowed.

“sweetheart.” his voice is deeper than you’re used to, gaze more intense than you ever remember it being. you swallow harshly, trying your hardest to keep your eyes on his gleaming blue ones.

“you realize everything I have is yours? i don’t care about anything if it’s not for you.” your eyes lower to his chest, he’s quick to put his finger under your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze.

“i bought this house because you liked it. i decorated with that art piece because you said it would look good. we went shopping for bedsheets together. you bought me houseplants!” you try and protest he cuts you off with an ‘ah!’

“you have access to my bank account and have my black card. i want you to rely on me, i want you to have what’s mine. you could never be a leech, because I’ve already given you all that’s mine.” he smiles down at you for a moment, dimples adorning his cheeks as he thinks for a moment, “well almost everything.”

you furrow your brows, “what else is there to give?” you almost regret the question as soon as you ask it, a small giggle leaves satoru’s lips before speaks again.

“just my last name, but i already have that planned out,” he says simply, as if it was just another item to be added to a grocery list.

you don’t say anything, eyes widening as you realize his implications. your hands fly to your mouth in shock, “satoru!” your heart beats erratically in your chest, he was going to propose?

“I meant it when i said you’re the only one for me, sweetheart,” he places sloppy wet kisses to your face, finally slotting his lips against yours. you reciprocate quickly, melting into his touch.

“so? will you move in with me?” he mumbles the question against your lips. you smile, pressing a soft peck to his lips before pulling away and looking at his hopeful expression.

“‘course i will angel boy,” you smile, heart fluttering at the way his eyes sparkle at your words. his arms curl around you tighter, laughing in excitement as he pulls you on top of him.

satoru moved everything of yours into the house the next day. he had added your name on the lease of the house when he first bought it.