Thoughts on the Valko Situation (as of 7/16/26)

DISCLAIMER: These are not facts and should not be construed as such. The following is simply my own educated suspicions. I am NOT an expert in Chinese politics, history, or culture. These are simply my thoughts and speculations ONLY based on my education (BA in Political Science) as well as the information that has been verified by the lovely @cairoblair

As time goes on, we seem to be developing a better idea of how exactly this entire incident that led to the cancellation of Valko went down:

Corporate sabotage & misinformation campaign/use of 'water armies' against Infold/Valko -> Antis (who appear to skew very young/even minors) bandwagon based on the misinformation (and their own parasocial whatever) and amplify the lies -> Infold shits their pants and panics about drawing government attention (due to the 731 in WU, news outlets claiming anti-Chinese sentiments, etc) leading to them cancelling Valko impulsively -> The global boycott happens - unlike the antis, we have positivity and actually spend money in the game so we are able to both spread positive messages about Valko and the game as well as tank their revenue, social media numbers, and engagement -> State sanctioned media outlets start retracting their negative statements -> The Present (7/16/26)

WHERE WE ARE NOW & WHAT I THINK MAY HAPPEN

Find all other reports here!

AWOOOOOO good evening everyone! I actually come bearing good news!!

This report is coming a little early today, but I will still be monitoring X and Tumblr from my phone for the next few hours. If I find anything important, I'll share it with you!

Current protest guide here.

6.0 Report 7/11/2026 PM

The Protest

We are trending on X once again—in several ways! Inflop is killing me.

Inflop's revenue is looking....yikes.

Let me explain a little bit. Those spikes are usually new banners, multi-banners, or new solo banners. For example, that big spike between April and May was Lingering Lust. Now, you can see a little bit of a pattern—big spike, drop, little spike, drop, repeat. But, after this previous multi-banner, we didn't get another spike. Instead, it has completely stagnated below their average revenue (yellow dotted line). THIS IS GOOD. This is what we want. We need to keep this going.

This is the global revenue data.

Basically, their revenue is down 32.4% globally. To any financial advisor, this would be a red alert kind of moment. Keep it going, friends!

The CN Media

Buckle up.

The RedNote video that I mentioned earlier (this one) is up to almost 20,000 comments. Reminder that this video was posted to help clear the air about Valko and dispel the rumors that are being spread in the media. The vast majority are positive! Here are several posts with screenshots of the comments:

Now, the media is trying to combat this—more rumors and misinformation are being spread, but people are waking up. Weibo is being censored simply because the comments on these articles are trying to disprove them.

I need y'all to understand how amazing this is. In China, fighting against the media is terrifying. It is almost social suicide. Our CN sisters are being so extremely brave by speaking up.

This isn't just hopium, this is genuine hope. More and more people are realizing that they were led astray by the media, and they're joining our cause. Instead of the snowball effect working against us, it's now rolling in our favor.

More 6.0 Bugs

Now, I bring you some humor to brighten your day. Y'all...6.0 is so bad.

I'll be back later to give you another brief update before the night's over! As always, feel free to send me any links that you think are helpful. Keep posting, keep fighting, and keep leading with love! <3

Tomorrow will probably be minimal social media day for me, but I’ll try to send at least one email to each address in the morning. No slacking off even if I have somewhere to be. 🤓

Find all other reports here! Dropping off some more information and hopium!

#VALKOWASFRAMED #VALKOISINNOCENT #BRINGBACKVALKO #BRINGVALKOBACK

Info/Reminders

Do NOT contact any US media outlet regarding the situation. This could raise tensions beyond our control.

Do NOT bring the fight to RedNote or Weibo. Stay on global social media apps (X, Instagram, TikTok, etc.)

Continue to boycott if you are already doing so. If you are playing the game, DO NOT spend any money.

Do not change your app ratings. We are not trying to encourage Infold's behavior. We are simply trying to address misinformation.

Emphasize positivity. We are trying to clear the rumors surrounding Valko in the CN media. Talk about his kindness, adoring nature, and other good qualities that are shown in his trailers.

Point out the discrepancies in the articles. They claim Valko broke into MC's house when he is clearly shown asking permission to stay. He appears injured when he arrives, and MC is shown with a med kit. He appears comfortable in her home, and she is comfortable in his presence. This is from their BOND STORY, which means they already have an established relationship to some degree.

Talk about your own positive experiences with the game.

Mention the charities we have donated to in support of Valko. He has become the face of spreading love and positivity.

Talk about the positive things Infold has done (promote women's safety and self-defense, share pieces of Chinese culture, etc.)

You can even talk about the similarities between Valko's nature and real wolves! Mated wolf pairs stay together for life, and often engage in playful behaviors to strengthen their bond. Male wolves act as the female's bodyguard, protecting her from other males and threats. Here is my post with other relevant wolf facts.

Hopium

Find all other reports here!

Gooooood morning everybody!

Okay, there's a lot going on. Let's take a breath (again). As always, I'm here to give you facts, my own speculations, and HOPIUM!

Quick note: this weekend I'll be dealing with some personal matters, so I may not be as active as I have been this past week. I will still be giving you any important or relevant information, but I may not be able to post my full reports. I am still very much here with you!

7/10/2026 AM

The Chinese Media

Like I told you last night, our protest tactic has changed. Here are all the details that I am confident in sharing:

Multiple Chinese media outlets falsely portrayed Valko as a predator who broke into MC's house and assaulted her. They are painting him as dangerous. Our TOP priority is proving that this is entirely incorrect. This post explains it very well.

Here is our strategy: 1. STAY ON US MEDIA. X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube—anywhere you can post! But DO NOT get on RedNote or Weibo. Leave the CN apps to the CN girls—they will support us however they can. 2. Refrain from contacting any major news outlets. This could escalate tensions and encourage the CCP to get involved. STAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA! 3. Set aside your hate for—or disappointment in—Infold for now. Antis are going to use whatever they can against us. If they see us attacking Infold, this entire thing could backfire. 4. We need to focus on two narratives: Valko is innocent, kind, and not at all dangerous to MC or the players; and that Infold helps to positively showcase Chinese culture to global players. LADS is vital to China's global initiatives because of the international player base. 5. Remain KIND, RESPECTFUL, and PEACEFUL. This is not the time to attack antis, the CN media, or Infold. Our goal is to show that Valko is a symbol of love.

So, what do we post? Proof that the media gave false information. They clipped parts of his trailer and altered them to push their agenda. Post the full clips so that they cannot be misconstrued. Here are some links to good examples: - This post. - This post. - This post. - This post. - This post. - This post. - This post. Here are the hashtags to post under: #VALKOWASFRAMED #VALKOISINNOCENT #BRINGBACKVALKO #BRINGVALKOBACK If you don't have the resources to make any videos or edit any pictures, then I suggest reposting from others' profiles and adding the above hashtags. We need to be as loud as we can, and we need to work together.

Here is a general code of conduct:

What do we do about the game? This part is debated. Some believe we should be logging in and raising ratings, others believe we should continue protesting. Here are my two cents: I think we're fine where we are. The game still exists, they are still making money, and the bottom line of the situation hasn't changed. If you are not boycotting, that's okay. If you are, that's okay too. Our goal is to show that LADS is a positive game that should continue operating, but that we demand to have Valko's character released. I understand how confusing this can be. Trust that Infold is handling the situation on their end, and we will continue fighting as we have been for the past week and a half. Personally, I will still not be logging into the game. I am not going to touch the ratings, nor am I going to follow LADS on social media again, but I am going to post in support of them.

How are things going? I'm happy to report that things are going well thus far! Some of the articles have already been taken down, and we have been trending on X since last night. We ARE being noticed. CN girls are communicating amongst themselves and doing what they can to ensure our message is being heard. Remember, they have to handle the situation very delicately.

Hopium?

Always!! THIS IS NOT THE END. Remember that "rectification" was a big talking point a few days ago—NOT removal. The door for Valko is still very much open. We're most definitely looking at a delay at this point, but don't let this bring you down. If anything, let it give you hope!

Infold's silence makes MUCH more sense now. They're not purposefully ignoring us—we know this for certain. They're facing some absolute bullshit. I can't say I blame them for the way they've handled this, honestly.

Let's go back to the timeline for a moment. June 22nd, Valko is announced. For SIX DAYS, Antis spewed nothing but hatred. Infold endured, and even defended Valko. They issued a statement saying that they would continue pursuing a 6th LI. Then, the media gets involved. Slander, false articles, horrible press. THIS is when Infold folded and cancelled Valko's release. It wasn't because they wanted to—what choice did they have? They were fighting a war on multiple fronts—and still are!

I said it once and I'll say it again—Infold would NOT throw away a character they spent two years developing. He is vital to the storyline. The devs poured hours of labor into him. They love him, as anyone loves something they create. As a writer, I can't imagine someone spreading such hateful things about my characters or one of my books. It had to be devastating to them.

The tide is shifting. This is our chance to make our voices be heard. Be loud! I'm about to abuse the FUCK out of my first amendment rights.

For my spiritual friends: THE CARDS ARE MAKING SENSE. Many were talking about an outside/higher influence acting as an obstacle, which would cause this struggle to be much more drawn out. The energy is still in our favor, we simply have to push through the mud. There is light at the end of the tunnel! It's just a really fucking annoying tunnel!!

My Thoughts

It's truly amazing to me how all of this has unfolded. Everything last week really was just the tip of the iceberg...and the smear campaign rumors turned out to be true. Now, let me say this: if we go through all this bullshit and Infold doesn't properly compensate us, I'm literally going to Shanghai myself. I didn't sign up to be their PR manager, but here we are.

At the end of the day, I owe a lot to this game. It helped me out of some dark times. It helped me realize my own self worth after escaping a horribly toxic relationship. It raised my standards so much that they're virtually impossible to reach.

I know none of this has turned out the way we wanted it to, but when does life ever go according to plan? We've come together as a community, we've raised thousands for charity, and we've shown just how far we are willing to go to protect the things we love. This is not the end of Valko's story—it is only the beginning.

Users on X are mobilizing to combat the misinformation being spread in the Chinese media surrounding LADS and Valko.

I am posting continuous information on my X account. Link here.

You can find a full explanation of the situation here.

Using hashtags: #VALKOWASFRAMED #VALKOISINNOCENT #BRINGBACKVALKO #BRINGVALKOBACK #SAVEVALKO

Here is a post with every outlet publishing criticism of Valko and Love and Deepspace.

In China, "under the PRC Civil Code, companies have a legally protected reputation. If a news outlet, blogger, influencer, or another company publishes false statements that damage a company's reputation, the company can file a civil lawsuit." We have to trust in the fact that Infold's legal department is mobilizing.

To my understanding, DO NOT MOVE TO CN APPS. Their media (RedNote, Weibo, etc) is highly controlled. We have the best chance of success on our own apps (X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, etc.) We are already trending on X.

Our goal is to flip the narrative. Show why they are incorrect. Prove that they're spreading misinformation about Valko and LADS. We bring the receipts. What they printed, next to what's verifiably true. Keep it straight-forward, to the point, and undeniably factual.

This cannot be rushed—it could backfire immensely. We cannot go against their government because it could negatively affect the CN players. The problem needs to be highlighted as “a danger to the positive view of China” from foreign players.

From a user on X: Bringing the importance of Chinese culture and tradition abroad, is the key part of all of this. It is our only leverage. We need to mention our only wish is for the company to keep being able to spread Chinese culture. We need to show them how we engaged with Chinese culture, and the charity we did in the name of the character we wish to have back, so that the company can continue.

This is vital, but it is delicate. Don't hesitate to message me here or on X if you need guidance. I will still be updating you as I get more information.

More information here.

Reblog, share, anything you can do to get this out. We need as many people involved as possible.

SHARE! REBLOG! THIS IS IMPORTANT!

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FULL BOYCOTT IN EFFECT. SEE DETAILS HERE.

ALERT: CHINESE MEDIA

DISCLAIMER: I cannot say with 100% certainty that this is true. However, there is enough credible evidence for me to believe it.

To put it in short, we're not just battling Infold. We're fighting the Chinese media.

Here is the post. I will outline the timeline here as well. This is directly from the thread:

As confirmed by a CN native. "state media commentary acts as a direct warning of incoming government bans." So, that's it, then. This is what caused it. Valko was being recognized by the state media. So why did Pro Valko ppl not go after the media for false reporting? On their socials? Why were we not instructed to? Timeline: June 22nd, Valko is announced. Fan Rioting pursues for 6 days straight. Company doesn't budge, continues to post normally. June 28, 1 AM: Apology, 20-pull compensation, and a promise: every male lead's story "will not change for any reason." It tops the overnight hot search marked 爆. Then watch the state media pressure. June 28, 9:08 AM: Beijing News "Six Questions" rejects that apology in print. It was 8 hours old. June 28, night: the Women's Federation's magazine — enters hours after the PV airs June 29: China Women's News named editorial June 29: China Women's News AGAIN, on the 0731 defense: "fails to convince" June 29, 8:20 PM: Guangming Daily. A central party paper. June 30: Ban Yue Tan. Xinhua-run. June 30, evening: Valko is cancelled. Permanently. With a promise to never add a male lead again. And still, to this day, they are STILL going after him, with Beijing News posting ANOTHER smear article on him JUST TODAY! Now look at PPG's attitude change. Anti's beginning riot? Didn't budge. Business as usual. Once the state media got involved? Silence. And knowing this... it makes sense. The marketing numbers didn't add up, a large portion of CN population really liked Valko. Obviously the rest of the world liked Valko.

Here is another post. I will include the screenshots from it below.

Here is a news clip posted to Weibo. THIS IS NOT FROM A GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT. On Weibo, the red V is a standard verified account. A gold V is for news, government and verified companies. This is just a random news channel, no government affiliation.

Here is a screenshot from a user on RedNote explaining the situation:

Here is a screenshot of every news outlet that has been running Anti-Valko campaigns (via this post):

So, what do we do?

Not to worry, friends! I never give info without a plan!

GET LOUD about false media in China. I mean LOUD. We have to change the narrative. Everything they are spreading is complete slander. This is where the sexual assault and predator allegations against Valko are stemming from. They're taking clips of his trailer fully out of context and changing the story entirely.

Contact US news outlets. Here is a link to the NYT. I will work on getting other resources for you.

Infold is fully capable of bringing a lawsuit against these media outlets. "Under the PRC Civil Code, companies have a legally protected reputation. If a news outlet, blogger, influencer, or another company publishes false statements that damage a company's reputation, the company can file a civil lawsuit." I am hoping that their current silence is because they are taking legal action. I'm not sure how likely that is, but my fingers are crossed.

Be louder than the media. Fight back. Change the narrative. This is vital if we want to bring Valko back.

This does not mean stop the boycott. We do not need to give any money or support to Infold. We're still posting #bringbackvalko, we're still going after them, and we are still NOT logging in.

Posting under #ValkoWasFramed, as far as I know. As soon as I have more information, you will be the first to know.