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Anna Bernardo
Love and Deepspace fans protest Valko’s cancellation at Anime Expo 2026
Valko may be gone from Love and Deepspace, but his pack is refusing to let this sleeping dog lie
The Love and Deepspace controversy is continuing even after the removal of Valko, who was supposed to become the game’s sixth Love Interest before harsh backlash towards his reveal led Infold to cancel the character altogether
Just yesterday, Chinese fans gathered outside Papergames’ office in Shanghai to hold a funeral for Infold’s ill-fated sixth love interest, bringing flowers, chocolates, and photos as they mourned the wolf pup who never made it into the game
Now, Western fans are making just as much noise at Anime Expo 2026, where the campaign to bring Valko back has followed Love and Deepspace all the way to the convention floor
Love and Deepspace fans protest Valko’s removal at Anime Expo 2026
At Anime Expo 2026, Western fans are making sure that Infold knows that Valko still has plenty of bite left in him. Fans have been handing out Valko freebies, setting up shrines and bringing signs to protest the character’s removal from Love and Deepspace.
One poster spotted at the convention turned Valko’s disappearance into a literal lost-dog case, featuring the cancelled love interest on a “Missing Dog” poster alongside the promise of a substantial reward.
Other attendees brought fans reading “Bring Back Valko”, keeping the message simple, as they called for Infold to reverse its decision and let the werewolf love interest off the leash
Artists were also quick to create their own Valko merchandise, giving fans of the fallen wolf something to take home, even though the character himself never made it into the game.
Valko Oshikatsu shrine grows outside Anime Expo 2026
The biggest show of support came from the “Valko Oshikatsu”, a fan-made shrine held outside the Anime Expo venue
Fans filled the shrine with notes, photos, handmade merchandise, flowers, and other tributes honouring the Love and Deepspace werewolf who never got the chance to launch
For context, “oshikatsu” refers to activities done in support of one’s “oshi”, a favourite character, entertainer, idol, or other beloved figure. In Valko’s case, fans turned that support into a growing memorial for the game’s missing sixth love interest
The shrine was initiated by TikTok creator_kurina, who posted a video calling on Love and Deepspace fans attending Anime Expo to take part. In the video, _kurina said the group would find an appropriate place to set up the shrine. She continued to post updates on her TikTok account, as more fans joined in and the collection of contributions grew
Valko’s empty Anime Expo booth gets a funeral memorial
Valko’s absence was also hard to miss inside the official Love and Deepspace meet-and-greet area. Five spaces were dedicated to the game’s existing love interests, while a sixth space was notably empty. That spot was supposed to belong to Valko
Instead, someone placed an Asian-style funeral photo of the cancelled character in the empty space, alongside a few flowers.
The memorial drew a mixed response. While some fans found it meaningful, others disagreed with the setup and described it as “disrespectful” to those still putting time and effort into campaigning for Valko’s return.
Valko cosplay brings the cancelled Love and Deepspace character to Anime Expo
Valko may never have officially joined Love and Deepspace, but one fan made sure the werewolf still got his Anime Expo debut. Cosplayer NipahDUBS shared their Valko cosplay and announced that the character would be roaming Anime Expo on Friday and Saturday.
Anime Expo has made one thing clear: cancelling Valko did not bring the controversy to heel. Infold may have put Valko down, but his pack clearly has no intention of letting him disappear quietly
Why was Valko removed from Love and Deepspace?
Valko was unveiled on 22 June through a surprise livestream, before quickly becoming the centre of Love and Deepspace’s biggest controversy to date
Within days, Chinese players had raised multiple separate concerns over the character’s story and promotional materials, alleging references to sensitive historical events, women’s safety issues, and recent real-world tragedies. Papergames later issued a lengthy statement addressing the controversy, before ultimately cancelling Valko altogether
The decision has only divided the Love and Deepspace community further. While some players supported his removal, others have continued to campaign for the werewolf love interest to return, with the backlash now spreading well beyond China, inclusive of petitions with more than 87,000 signatures as of time of writing
For a full breakdown of the Valko controversy and the events that led to his cancellation, read here
AuthorAnna BernardoAnna “AnnaBers” Bernardo is a writer at GosuGamers and GosuEntertainment. She has been covering gaming, esports, and anime since 2021 and joined Gosu in 2024, where she tackles news, reviews, guides, esports matches, in-depth features, and more. A foodie and indie game enthusiast, Anna loves exploring hidden flavours and discovering lesser-known gems in both kitchens and virtual worlds.
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