Love and Deepspace, the hit romance gacha game from developer Papergames, has suffered its worst month of revenue since launching in 2024, following a bitter fan backlash over a cancelled character named Valko. The controversy exposed a deep split between the game's Chinese and international player bases, and even drew intervention from the Chinese government, marking the biggest crisis the game has faced since release.

Sensor Data reports show July revenue fell to just over $10 million, down sharply from around $40 million in June and never previously dropping below $30 million. The saga began when Papergames unveiled Valko as a sixth love interest in June, prompting criticism from mostly Chinese fans who wanted updates to existing characters instead, with tensions escalating to reports of cow dung being delivered to the developer's offices. Papergames cancelled Valko and any future love interests on 30 June, angering international fans who launched petitions and a "Bring back Valko" campaign, while the Chinese government later warned it would remove games perceived to blur legal lines, referencing claims that Valko's storyline glorified sexual assault and home intrusion.