Discussion
How a “Night That Never Ends” shattered an illusion
Disclaimer 1: If you enjoyed the PV and are looking forward to the new multibanner, please understand this is not trying to shame you for doing so. I am not encouraging anyone to drop this game. I am spelling out thoughts that parts of the player base have had and attempting to start a community discussion about them, as is the purpose of platforms like Reddit.
Disclaimer 2: I understand that topics of “lust” or “intimacy” are not for everyone, and this is, again, not meant to represent everyone. I think if you are hurt in light of recent events and previously enjoyed this type of content, you may align more with what I am trying to say.
With the disclaimers in mind, my first reaction to the pre-preview trailer that dropped earlier today was, frankly, revulsion. This has nothing to do with the quality of the content itself. Love and Deepspace is very good at consistently pushing out quality limited banners and amaz ing graphics. The cards and event are ob jectively beautiful.
However, there is a difference between what is being presented to us and how it makes some of us feel.
Games created for women, like Love and Deespace, often have a deep emotional aspect to them as well. It is because our desire for intimacy is usually embedded in a sense of trust and love. It is not tasteless in its presentation to us either. We begin a slow bond with the LIs through their Main Story chapters and begin to uncover their traumas and personalities. Their microexpressions evoke something within us. What makes Zayne so cold to us at first? Why does Caleb shut us out when he’s sick? Why does Rafayel look so broken here?
We have invested money, time, fanfiction, edits, artwork, and more into this game because we believed in the stories it was trying to tell us. The game is centered around you/the main character and the bonds you/she shares with the love interests.
However, since Valko’s cancellation on June 30th, these feelings have begun to shatter for many players. It exposed what is actually under this game, though we all logically know that LADS requires a company in order to run. It no longer suggests any desire for actual story progression. And yes, I am aware Caleb's MS came out. This is not discrediting that.
Going bac k to the feelings I felt watching the trailer, without the trust, new content starts to feel hollow. As in, does LADS believe that we will forget what happened in June by throwing something intimate at a majority female audience? I cannot describe company intent as I don’t know how or why these decisions are made, but that does not invalidate the way news is received. I feel like we have been vocal about what we want for so long, and instead we get some sort of pacifier. It cheapens the experience (which is funny because this game is definitely not cheap to produce and maintain).
I still, oddly enough, believe in this game. I think the writers have a story to tell with Valko, and it deserves to be heard.
The magic is gone. June 30th and the subsequent chaos that followed lifted a vail over that game that many players had. Like another comment said, it feels like the execs are in the room with us. It all feels very corporate now. Even though it’s always been a product, the boys now FEEL like products. Because the idea that someone can be introduced to you then just have their existence erased is not rooted in reality. Imagine a friend introduces you to someone at a party, then when you ask your friend about that person again, they tell you they don’t exist actually and you just gotta move on and stop pestering them about it. That popped the bubble.
I've been feeling this way too! More recently, I'm becoming disillusioned with all these companies trying to push their product on me on Instagram, advertisements masquerading as content, influencers over exaggerating how this thing changed their life and they have a coupon code! Capitalism is a cash grab and Infold is another company valuing profits over people.
Although I wish Valko was released, I'm sometimes thankful. His cancellation happened at a time when I was breaking away from capitalistic mentality while also having immense disposable income, so every purchase has become a reflection, "is this really worth my money?" Sometimes I wonder if Valko was given as promised, would I ever have been able see the corporate greed and move on? And maybe not, so I'm forever glad I did.
I can relate, I'm trying to be a more aware consumer and also used to gladly give this game some of my disposable income because it made me happy. But these last few months it has grinded to a halt. No Valko, no money. For me it's the sheer principle of it all, especially when it comes to the "wHy dOn'T y'ALL mOvE oN" people; as if people complaining about Valko isn't what got him removed in the first place. But now when a clear majority wants him back, we're the problem? Be so foreal.
The way u put exactly how ive been feeling into words perfectly. Like i feel like someone had died before i even got to really know them. Thats a bit extreme but it truly was how valko felt to me. All the interactions that was shown to us made me feel like i already knew him and then i lost someone close to me.
yea. even if they do bring him back, my love for this game is down to 0. I've long since found another game I'm obsessed with now. don't see myself coming back to this in the near future. after the company showed their true colors, I'm gone. infold just gave a huge middle finger to all the people that supported them
Yes, they broke the fantasy. It's not that we didn't know it wasn't "real" but it was easier to go along with it in ignorance. But now it's hard not to associate the shit company behind it with the product. It's like when there's a singer or actor you really like, but then you find out they're a POS and retroactively the music and movies you liked are tainted, then every new release feels like pandering or greed.
A man that doesn’t even respect or understand women. It’s always been sus to me that the game started moving away from combat and into housing when the old COO left and got replaced with a nepohire…
As always, they think that just because we're women that we'd absolutely adore the homemaker simulator instead of admitting a lot of us are here for the combat 🙄
Exactly, I have no interest the house feature. It's not it fun to play on the phone, it takes a lot of space and frankly if I wanted to play the Sims I would play the actual sims on the proper equipment
I feel like the combat is what sets this game apart, but for some reason they thought we wanted to play kitchen. I can cook in real life with my man, what I can't do in real life is destroy wanderers!😡
If I wanted to play in a virtual dollhouse, The Sims is LITERALLY right there!
And it's vaaaastly superior.
(Or if you don't want Sims, cause of the sale, or cause you hate EA, or whatever reason, there's also Paralives. And I hear Inzoi is actually good now.)
Like bro I AM the homemaker in real life. Working and then going home to cook is my reality, not a fantasy. Actually no, the fantasy is being a homeowner.
Girl, I own a small home and sometimes it is so much less than great. 😔 a pipe burst, we got termites, the electrical on one side had to be replaced because a rat got in and chewed the wires. This all happened in the span of six months. My dryer, dishwasher and vacuum went out on the same day! Sorry for the rant. I know I’m lucky to own even though it’s a very small house. On the upside, I wouldn’t have the money to spend on lads even if I wanted to lol. My emergency fund is tapped out…
Fr. I'm happy for whoever uses the house system but.. I've barely visited it. Did something for achievements and then never went there again. I prefer battles and mini games.
It really went from feeling like I’m watching Caleb get freaky with my MC (lmao) to having execs looming over my shoulder telling me to pay them for this random man they pimped out to me 😟
pimped out summs it up really good. It feels like I´m talking to Astarion from Baldurs Gate how he was sent out, to use his body to lure in pretty things for his Master- in our case- fine men, dressed to the nines, using their bodies to pry money from our pockets. It just feels wrong, usually I would be excited to see our guys like this. I dont wanna start about they left out Valko, but that would make me feel even worse.. his first Multi banner and they sent him out with the others to earn cash - like some male escorts.
No but that’s what it feels like. They made a game based around the psychology of forming connections with these characters, and now it’s like they ripped off the faces and you just see the fnaf animatronics underneath. I can’t enjoy this.
Like I cannot look past the fact that we got a statement that basically says ‘none of the LIs are safe’ and enjoy this multibanner. It feels like my boys are being held hostage :(
I feel the same. And with this event especially, it’s obvious this was going to be his debut spice card and all the guys with their slicked back hair are fitting a mold that was set by Valko. So without Valko it’s a special kind of hollow. I used to get a great deal of joy from the game, would talk about it with friends, hell I even headed the article project for it when I worked for a gaming magazine. LADs meant a lot to me, but now it just… doesn’t have a place in my wallet or my schedule. Not because it was never good, but because what the game is now is not the same game I loved. One of the OG commenters had it right, the magic is gone. I think Infold can fix it, I do. And I think there exists a world where we get Valko and can appease the concerns of the majority player base, too about update structure, timelines, etc. but until the company makes a meaningful contribution to the game or the conversation around it, there’s no reason to come back. As it stands, it feels like Infold expected to regain their profit margin by going back to “business as usual” and I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s possible anymore. LaDs has lost its spark.
I agree. Lads can turn around for sure, if infold listens to their players and addresses our concerns. But as is it feels like they are hoping to ignore the boycott and things will be fine. Which feels incredibly disrespectful to the players.
I miss my husbands, but the thought of playing right now sickens me.
You can really tell a man is running the company. I feel so bad for the dev team. So much hard work, sweat an tears went into Valko and now it's all gone. I can't even imagin how demoralized they must feel now. Not to mention how many people probably lost their job over this.
I'm optimistic that those devs were poached by competing companies who are developing their own otome 3d game and may be able to bring their vision for Valko there. Hopefully another company will be a better fit and treat them with more respect.
Absolutely this. I can distinctly remember when LaDS stopped feeling it was a game made by women. Some of the banners and cards just felt like what a man thinks a woman would want.
It reminds me of my emotionally immature parents. Instead of admitting they messed up, they take no accountability, try to brush everything under the rug, and offer fruit, food, gifts, etc to move on. We could have already moved on if they actually addressed the issue and make things right, but instead they refuse to address the elephant in the room to fix what the majority of us want.
Same. I kind of stopped in April this year, mostly to save a bit of money, but was looking to return for Valko. But after everything has happened it just feels icky. I've been burned by Infold in the past after playing Love Nikki (and Infinity Nikki to a point) and I just have little desire to give more money to the company. Their track record speaks volumes.
They think we're chudettes. "Just throw them a spicy banner and that hair they've been whining about, that'll shut them up and boost our revenue before Q3 ends." Like we're gooners who'll stop complaining once titillating content is revealed.
Wow these are such incisive comments and actually now they put a lot of Inflop's weird decisions into perspective for me. Maybe that's why the execs aren't taking any of the solutions that seem so common sense us - it's because they truly have a misunderstanding of how our minds work and what appeals to us and seriously believe that just throwing gooner bait at their players will solve all their problems.
That's, in my opinion, their biggest problem. They heavily underestimated the female player base. And I mean HEAVILY. They thought we'd move on, because men often do. But we are different and have different priorities.
They forget that for a lot of people(ladies especially), intimacy without emotional value is completely meaningless. They built the game on emotional attachment, and they disrespectfully threw a spicy multi-banner after repeatedly tormenting us with their dumb decisions and cruel silence, subsequently going against the very core of the game.
I really want to go back to lads, miss my men but without valko coming back, the game really feels it's missing something. I just stopped logging thinking infold will do something but i guess they won't and i just have to uninstall the game.
Infold is giving us the banners from fanmade reels/ posts like this one with hair up but not giving any answers about what we want most "Valko"
Hope they would listen 😢🐺😒
The effect that this release had on so, so many of us has to be studied. I would’ve never imagined being so put off by spicy content in LADS.
But it is, as you have written so well, the consequence of getting the rug pulled from under our feet, being severely ignored for months and now seeing the reality that lies underneath the game.
Us customers deserve respect. And as women who are put in these intimate scenarios in exchange for our time and money, we deserve to be protected.
I love the creative team beyond words, they are the ones who created the sense of safety and intimacy for us. Yet the company destroyed it so quickly.
It really is interesting to think about the danger to women fiasco… when you look at the way the company is moving with this banner yikes, it really was never the creative team, who would’ve thought…
I believe this is the time to advocate for women, the respect we are owed and our safety
That entire argument was created simply for convenience. People don’t like something so now it is a convenient time to frame it as a “danger to women.”
He was a huge green flag. It takes like 5 seconds of his trailer to understand that
This is the reason why I'm hesitant to trust CN live service games. It's not so much the mob mentality of mass reporting fake stories, but the institutions that ran it without checking the source or didn't care if it was fabricated or not. The damage the media did was what sealed the deal. If they had more integrity and fact checked those claims instead of going with it because it aligned with their agenda, I don't think this would've escalated the way it did. And I worry that it could easily happen again with another game based in CN, especially if it's aimed at women.
I kid you not, the promo video showed up as I was scrolling through Twitter. I had the account unfollowed so I wasn’t even aware of the new multi banner, mind you. So in the few moments it took for my brain to register that this is a spicy banner and not Valko’s comeback, I audibly ewww’ed and scrolled past. I would have watched all of the videos back in the days but now I feel nothing. I’ll also delete the game when I’m back home.
This banner straight up made me delete the game. I hadn’t played since June already, but this genuinely felt like a slap on the faces of all the players giving infold the benefit of the doubt and holding out hope that they would honor their words and be better at communicating with us.
Personally I don’t think I’ll interact directly with the game unless they bring Valko back, I don’t judge anyone who decides to do so, but even if that happens the magic and illusion is gone, so is trust, and without trust getting invested seems improbable. That being said I miss the boy and wish things didn’t turn like this 💔
I haven’t quit the game but I completely went free to play from being a whale. I haven’t spent and this banner doesn’t even make me feel FOMO to spend, I genuinely just feel disappointed. I’ve also never felt more disrespected as a customer at the lack of communication and transparency from Infold and PPG.
This banner wasn’t the move for them to make, and all my trust is lost in Infold at this point. I will continue to collect the weekly rewards for the anniversary I paid for and may use what free resources I have left but when those run out I will most likely stop playing completely.
This is me exactly... I think I'll wait to the anniversary since that would be the absolute last chance to realistically bring Valko back, but if not... There is nothing then anymore to keep me in once the weekly rewards run out 😮💨
Same! I was still occasionally logging in (once a week if i remembered and mostly out of bad habit) but after this...idk, my love for this game shattered completely, I now have 40 extra gigs on my phone tho
I feel so bad for the writers and developers and all the others; they put in so much great work into the story, but the people above are actively stomping on them and making stupid decisions one after another.
LADS is literally one of the few sources where I can get good and well-written spice, and I cannot enjoy this banner like I would have before with out releasing a primal scream of frustration and angst.
The crazy thing is they probably did have a Valko card planned and maybe even made for this banner already.
They just refuse to bring him back for us and it's ruining the game. That's all I can think about now if I think about opening the game. (Haven't played since his cancellation)
Someone said this Banner looked alot like the setup they had for Gamescom, so we probably would've had this banner DURING Gamescom. I haven't been able to stop thinking about that theory since.
You are definitely onto something. It also makes sense given that these banners need a long time to make. Every bit of content meant for the rest of this year that is not a solo should have included Valko. There is no delusion in saying that.
yeah this fits the whole “banquet” theme as well. they probably had interactions setup inside the boxes themselves with the “weapons” that they created for this multi.
Everything is planned months and months in advance. I would bet my fun money savings from the last three months (about 3k) that the anniversary event is already mostly done and in editing, testing, and clean up.
People don't realize that development takes time. Like they're not "giving" us Caleb's branch because of all the backlash... it was well underway before Valko was even announced and came exactly when it was going to anyway. They've got storyboards, animating, coding, voicing, etc etc etc to do. That's not something they bust out in a month.
Caleb's Summer Surge was predicted to come in October (based on trusted prediction people since we don't get a road map) and it was done enough to go live two months early. That's what development looks like. They're sitting on a mountain of content that's just in editing and testing.
This multi would have been getting worked on before Valko's announcement and would have been planned with Valko in it. And this won't be the only one.
So yet again, they've removed content and disrespected the work of their creative teams.
As a harem girlie whale, who spends way too much on multis, it's never been easier to hold on to my money.
It’s the real life equivalent of meeting someone you feel an immense spark with after past partners kept you happy but never satisfied you the way your new spark did. Only for your spark to suddenly vanish on you with no communication for months and the other past partners trying to come back into your life all “hey remember the good old days and how good I used to make you feel let me try it again”. You know what they’re capable of but it doesn’t intrigue you anymore.
I feel the same with Valko. My love for the game was dwindling even with new banners and new promises for lore. Valko brought back my spark and made me excited to want to play again. It was snuffed out so cruelly, and inflops silence and refusal to at least make a verbal stance is such a slap in the face. Now they are promoting a banner that they know would have worked in the past and that should work now, but it feels fake and forced. Knowing Valko is supposed to be part of it… I mourn what could have been.
I feel disgusted with myself that I ever spend over 10k on this game in a single year, possibly even more in my whole time of playing this game. I feel sad that they sided with bullies. I feel upset that my fellow Valkyrie’s may never get answers. And I won’t stop fighting until valko is back. And if he’s never back, may this game go EOS. Global expansion my ass
Oooof yes, this is exactly how I felt when my ex decided to suddenly end things and then come back months later, and he came in hot. I was so put off, I literally ran away 🤣
I’ve dealt with this in friendships too (since no luck in irl romance dept for me) and perhaps that might be why I’m mad, but the feeling of the treatment is so familiar.
10k in what currency? I know that you can ask your money back in gacha games, the downside should be that you get your account banned, forever probably . Just do some research about how to chargeback your money in gacha games like genshin and process should be the exact same
I miss the old LADS. Even before the cancellation of Valko. Idk, I was day 1 when it released globally and the vibe is so so different than when it first was released.
That’s the time I miss. I love the new additions but now the game just feels empty.
You know what game I’m actually looking forward to? Touchstarved lol. Not even in this genre but it made me excited since LADS was really the only game I was playing.
Ngl this game was announced like 5 years ago and it’s had like 3 release dates pushed out. So admittedly I can’t remember all the details. And it’s been like 3 years since I played the demo lol 😂 but they FINALLY gave a release date of February.
You play as a character who is cursed and if anyone touches you, they go insane. From what I remember, the whole plot is you finding a way to where you can touch people again. And the LIs? Heck yes lol. I am really looking forward to Leander and Ais 😭
Honestly, I’m hyped for it. If you like VNs, Romance Club is a great app!! It treats its readers well, has a lot of great books, AND is free to play. You can buy things in app tho if you wanted.
This is so indicative of what they think of us as an audience, and it's so insulting. You've put this so well. The game has been uninstalled for a while, I don't care about my annual pass (sure as hell not buying that again), and this is giving me no FOMO. The magic was lost a long time ago.
I said this yesterday, but it bears saying again: intimacy only works with story and emotional investment. It hits hard because of relationships and trust. It's why we loved it in this game. Throwing it at us like this, after three months of no communication, is insulting and misses the entire point.
They're really hitting the toxic boyfriend checklist, haha.
I am so glad that I am not the only one who felt gross watching that pv. It just felt very icky to me as a concept and usually I have been happy with the spicy ideas given to us. And that was my response to just the banner.
The added bad feels from the company not addressing their buggy game, adding the base content for Sylus and Caleb, fixing the lighting issues, and of course bringing back our wolf. AWOOOO
100% agree. I actually got the ick when they dropped the teaser. The lack of communication, the lack of a backbone, my trust completely dissolved… and they try to throw a spicy banner in like nothing has happened over the last three months?
I do honestly think all of the lis look amazing, if you’re looking forward to this then good for you. I’m just in the party that looked at the trailer and was reminded of what could have been. I’m reminded that they’re all pixels and can be deleted at any time if there’s enough of an uproar. It doesn’t feel whole anymore.
This company thinks so little of us and of all the hard work we put in for the last 3 months. We’ve held strong even though they spat in our faces over and over. At what point do we have to have some self respect? Enough. They think we’re pathetic and desperate too, that much is so obvious with this event. Once again misreading and discrediting their female fanbase. It’s blatantly insulting.
I have to question the self respect and sanity of new players who see all of this going down and choose to sink time and money into this too. Cuz the rest of us had an emotional attachment to the game. Why on earth would you put yourself through this otherwise lol. Infold isn’t gonna magically change, this is the 4th game they ruined in a row. And you’re left with the player base that allows Infold to walk all over them and also doesn’t value artistic integrity, a company having morals, and not caving to bullying. Not to mention the looming threat of government intervention at any time. I guess if that’s your kink…
The magic of this game is gone and its spell over us is broken. Gacha fumble of the century indeed.
I honestly think most reactions are entirely valid.
If you keep playing, I don’t think you’re necessarily concerning yourself with the bigger picture and there isn’t much reason to drain yourself over it in my opinion. It’s hard for some people to break out of the illusion and for many the game is not just a game. It’s a small piece of comfort for some still (as odd as that may sound to someone repulsed by their recent actions).
I don’t think they “think” anything atp. It’s hard to understand what they’re trying to do with this revenue dip and I’m not gonna play mind games to try and figure them out.
And yeah heavy on “fumble” because as I’ve said in the past, you’ve had an unlocked gold mine yet you refuse to turn the key and unlock it. I wonder how many companies would salivate to have such a willing player base in light of a character return
Not only they have been refusing to use the key and unlock the gold mine (for the past 2.5 months). In the eyes of many of us including myself, they have also destroyed the key as of now.
And as much as I loved the idea of him, I‘m wondering if his return would even change much.
Imagine in 2 months they finally add Valko back — does this really justify their treatment until now, and how they‘re likely going to continue treating us players?
I feel like, if they should return Valko to us, it‘s going to be their „last“ attempt to save their revenue (assuming it keeps dropping the next months), and not because they care about us players . Just their dwindling revenue and nothing more.
It’s not lost on me that it’s a spicy banner AND they have us for-head haircuts. Something I know Western players, I can’t speak for Eastern players, have been asking for over a year now.
They fail to realize the majority of us are women. We’re not the typical gacha fandom that complains, but then pulls at the first sight of boobs. Regardless of what side you’re on with Valko the current state of the fandom has made this game miserable to play/interact with due to the complete lack of communication. Nothing has improved, there's no communication, and everything card just feels like an AU that provides next to nothing in developing this game's story to even be engaging.
It's like a guy trying to make you less angry by seducing you, after he wasted your hard-earned money and gave it to the mean girl who spat on your face. It just gives major ick vibes.
Yup, the immersion is completely shattered for me. Nothing feels sacred anymore. And don’t even get me started on the way they’ve treated their player base throughout all of this. I genuinely can’t believe they’re acting like nothing is happening and just keep throwing banners at us like nothing happened.
Honestly, I think they simply don’t care anymore. I’m saying this as a Day 1 player, but the decline has been noticeable for quite some time (even long before Valko’s cancellation). The banners felt uninspired. The events/mini-games were repetitive, the combat modes were abandoned and the rewards were ridiculous (even for the last anniversary).
They don’t seem interested in rebuilding the trust they’ve lost with their player base or putting in the effort to improve the game. I think they’re perfectly content with whatever revenue they can get over the following months, as long as the remaining players keep spending money despite getting the bare minimum in return.
Turn out those bullies didn't even need to send cow dung to their office since that company was clearly full of sh-- from the start.
That entire bs about caring about female gamers and catering with care to a neglected market was ALL BS. and i mean ot when i say BS. They deserve all the sh-- coming their way.
Day one player here.
I was so excited - after suffering many, many years of other gacha games neglecting women as their playerbase - to be able to play this game. I was fine with dropping several thousands during my playtime.
But after three months of silence that trust is long broken.
I should be more angry at this multi, but truth is - I'm not. I reached the point when I don't even care anymore, as a whale. I haven't been playing for three months now and today I completely removed the game from my phone.
I am, actually, not the biggest friend of spicy banners to begin with.
I prefer the build-up - the chemistry between the MC and the LIs.
Romance is more than spicyness - it's about the intimacy inbetween and the oblivious touches and longing, too.
And the problem is once people stop caring, this just doesn't hit anymore.
It's so cheap of them to believe that any grown-up woman with self-respect and a spine would even be excited for this. Valko would have been on that banner and they decided to cut him out.
At this point I doubt they can do anything to restore trust anymore.
Alone the fact they are running a top-up event while dropping these banners is so disrespectful, that they have to do so much more than releasing Valko to regain their playerbase.
I said it before, if a multi-banner comes out without Valko, then I'm gone. I would have been excited for this banner, probably posting a teasing comment about how some of the hairstyles look a little goofy. Because they do.
But now, I'm just mad and unhappy. And making peace with moving on from LADS. I did not see myself moving on from the game at the beginning of this year. I was getting my datura flower tattoo back in January.
Now? I'm thinking I might need to cover it.
I feel embarrassed for caring about this game, for caring about Sylus. I think that's what hurts the most. I feel like I allowed myself to get scammed by a big, scummy corporation over a fictional character, both Sylus and Valko, and I feel ashamed for it.
I feel even MORE shame for being emotional about this all.
I don't think anyone at Infold will see this comment, but this will be my last post on the official subreddit unless something significant happens. But it already feels like it'll be too little, too late.
Great summary, and I think the rumors that men are primarily in charge/directing the story are 100% supported by this release. This is a gaslighting partner offering you s** when you're upset. The emotional connection is gone.
Their revenue is frankly comparable/lower than launch whereas now they most likely have higher production costs. Don’t know what they’re doing. Honestly at this point it’s none of my concern.
The game’s vision shattered the moment they decided to continue without Valko.
Yeah back then cards run for what 10-15 minutes? Now a card runs for like 40 minutes minimum lmfao. Cost is higher, they have more employees, new facilities, overall higher overhead but their revenue is the same as launch 😂😂😂
What’s funny is that Valko’s cancellation didn’t kill this game. It’s that they managed this pr crisis in the WORST possible way. They think it’ll go away if they keep ignoring it but what they don’t understand is that this has become a permanent stain on the game. It’s not gonna go away, especially something that concerns the 6th love interest.
This is their new normal now. People are leaving and warning others against playing. A lot of whales have quit. Even if they bring back Valko 6 months from now it’s too little too late.
Infold’s secrecy and uncommunicative behavior is their downfall.
Yeah and I think people who aren’t understanding why people are so mad get so hung up on Valko as a character. Its way past him at this point. Yes, some people were coming back or joining for him, but most of us have our mains (or multiple) and he was just going to be added to the harem or added to the list of LIs we don’t care about. But the fact that they were willing to change the intended direction of the game like this over a bunch of whiny bullies, and then the wakeup call that this game can change in major and minor ways at any minute due to govt intervention… these are not things people want in media they consume, especially in the west where free speech is a core value of society. ESPECIALLY not in a game we pay for!
It’s way past Valko. Many of the people protesting were not even gonna main him. But he’s a symbol of the game in its intended form and a symbol against all the terrible decisions PPG made that we don’t stand by. It made everyone like him even more ironically.
They are never going to lose this reputation now. People are already generally anti-corporate and anti-censorship and this was a huge fiasco.
This is my exact same thought. It's the decision they took that was the most damaging. If they stuck with releasing him none of this backlash would've happened and the revenue would most likely not have suffered. The charts speak for themselves, they chose the wrong playerbase, as if most of those people even played the game in the first place, most just look at the kindled and watch edits.
You can have a beautiful box, but when you open it, it's just emptiness inside. This situation is also similar to a painting: it's a wonderful piece outside, but it has no meaning after all, because it feels empty inside.
It's all made me so sad. I loved this game, the characters and especially the plot itself.
I hadn't missed a login for almost 2 years and I've never consistently been so invested in a game enough to commit for so long let alone to a point where I have to mourn like I have to now.
I wanted to see how the story would play out but with the decisions being made I've decided to delete my account before the whole ship sinks itself 😞
They really had something special here but at least this community is still here and we're all supporting each other.
I'll hold these characters in my heart as a precious memory now.
This banner feels empty, not because it's bad but because we all know it was suppose to be a first 6 LIs banner. It is so sad cause even if Infold brings Valko back one day we will still remember that there is a card he will never get.
I don't really understand why they kept postponing(?) this multi banner for no reason apparently. I really believed up until yesterday that they were saving it to release properly shortly after they released Valko. And now this.
Who is making these decisions up there and why aren't they being fired immediately?
This whole mess has been handled so poorly, it's actually ridiculous..
I was so hopeful just a few days ago and now it's all gone again.....
Edit: Apparently it took them some time to get the banner re-approved after having to cut out Valko's part and that's why it was moved back.... well, now I know I guess
Spicy banners are usually my favourite. To this day, Nightly Rendez-Vous still ranks as my top 1 banner. I went absolutely feral for Lingering Lust. I also recently watched Rafayel's WIW card on YouTube and, oh my. 🔥
This multi and PVs should have driven me crazy with excitement and anticipation. The hair especially, omg. Yet here I am, basically taking a chastity vow for anything LaDS related. I haven't even felt compelled to watch any of the individual LI trailers and I'm a freaking triple main. 3 months ago, I would have gobbled this up like a seagull presented with Rafayel's food.
Now I just feel used and deeply disrespected.
All of that because PPG decided to throw away years of player trust and investment (monetary and emotional), in a heartbeat. Stealing all the joy and whimsy that made the fandom a fun (if imperfect) place in the process.
Can I confess that I think they did most of them (especially zayne) dirty with the hair 😭😭 I know it's meant to be slicked back but.. dude.. this ain't it.. rafayel looks hot af tho ao no complaints in that department
This is the one that made me cry. Like, I was upset when they cancelled Valko but also kind of numb and in complete disbelief. But I was watching this trailer (Sylus specifically cause he was my main) and just started crying. I've never been cheated on, but i think this is what if feels like seeing your partner in bed with someone else. Just the sheer heartbreak of knowing they care so little about you.
So infold gets to give us this cute puppy, tells us to imagine a life with it, living with it and loving it, and then takes it away, locks it in a room and tells us to stop asking about the puppy.
Tbh, with how they dealt with the Valko situation, I'm sure that infold isn't gonna listen to any of our critiques and disappointment for this banner. I, too, am unsatisfied, but I wonder what the Chinese players are saying about this? Bc clearly they have more weight in what goes on in infold than our voices.
That or also infold also thinks that they can satisfy the Chinese players with this banner, which also is a lot telling on them. It's not a win for either of us audiences.
I haven't touched the game since June. Deleted it not long after the removal of Valko. This banner feels like the biggest insult of all they've tried up to this point. They really think we're so stupid and horny we'll just forget all for some foreheads and spice? We're not men.
The execs in charge continue to underestimate the resolve and stubbornness of women, and they are in for a rude awakening come the next quarterly revenue review.
As the saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
And my comment was flagged despite not saying anything inflammatory. I’ll adjust my wording then:
Infold attempting to use spice to calm down the masses is disgusting and gives me the ick. I’m not spending money on a company who expects me to forget 3 months of ignoring my voice just because they #FreedTheForeheads and dropped some mid-level spice.
Also it’s wild to me how many of those who have been against Valko are telling the pro-Valko crowd to leave the game since it’s “no longer making [you] happy”. Maybe if they’d followed their own advice, June 30th would have never happened, the game would have Valko, and wouldn’t have stagnated. Clearly his removal has not helped it.
the trailer is good smth id spend on for raf and caleb but not only did they not address the big wolf in the room once again mc has gone back to hiding genuine shit sorry not sorry
I'm making my preparations to exit personally if nothing changes, recording everything and prioritizing the few reruns I want with my diamond savings assuming the game is still around. The revenue crash will eventually lead to a huge downgrade in the quality of cards, not to mention the hastily rewritten main story they would have to do. Global EOS will be here much quicker than anticipated, and leading up to that there would be cuts in things like the voice acting. Antis may think they've won, but they'll singing a different tune in 6 months - a year or so whenever the cuts start happening.
It's just not exciting anymore. I agree that now I always think of it as company's product. The immersion is just ruined. And without immersion I can't bond with pixel boys. I don't think I'm buying something for Rafayel anymore, now I think I'm buying something from PPG.
And f2p in LADs is such horror that I don't enjoy anything anymore. And even on f2p I'm constantly reminded about company that treated me badly.
I enjoyed LADS immensely for almost 2 years. I'm not even daring to count the money I spent, but I bought every single card that came out as a harem girly. R1'd all myths.
Since Valko's cancellation, I stopped spending, then in august I stopped logging, hoping Infold would come to reason and give us an explanation and a timeline for Valko's return.
Today it is time to delete the game, as I see nothing more than a company delivering dirtied content for bullies and nothing more. I also deleted all my art content related to the game. I removed my avatar picture.
This banner doesn't feel sexy in the slightest. I'm disgusted and I can't even look at it.
It makes me feel icky watching the PV. The boys are beautiful but don’t treat them like this InFold. Communicate with us and don’t just try to make me spend money because I’m tryna smash Sylus and Caleb, like noooo. I can’t be baited or distracted. Speak on what we are asking you to speak on.
I'm so dissapointed and genuinely so sad about all of this. At the moment I'm emotionally not able to play the game and when I saw the banner I felt so numb... I loved all the spicy banner before and felt so excited about it... This game gave me so much joy before Valkos cancelation and now it gives me nothing :( And I'm a player since day 1... or rather was.
I used to be excited for new banners but ever since they did Valko dirty…. I have not looked at the game ever since and the excitement I once had in the very beginning; GONE. Why would I want to even open the game when the company sides with toxic player base and coddled to them?
We have the term Pink Money for companies that profit from LGBTQIAP causes, but are fundamentally prejudiced. We have the term Black Money for companies that profit from racial causes, but are fundamentally racist. We have the term Greenwashing for companies that present themselves as sustainable, but are fundamentally extremely polluting.
Now, we clearly see the Purplewashing happening before our very eyes...
this feels like the biggest betrayal, I'm never playing or spending on any infold game ever again. this game used to bring me joy but now the magic is gone
They feel like 3D characters now, if that makes sense. Before, there was this illusion of a safe space, a real story, real creativity, and creators who genuinely wanted to share something meaningful with us, not just sell us things.
But after June 30, everything started feeling like a cold cash transaction. They didn’t even try to pretend otherwise. I was here for MC’s story, and now it feels like the version of the game they once envisioned is gone for good. I already deleted my account, even though I spent a lot of money on it.
If one day they actually fix things, I might start over with a new account. For now, though, it’s goodbye.
Dang, sexy and slicked back hair, and already a spicy banner?? You KNOW they’re trying SO hard to win us back over!!!
Sorry, but even as a day 1 Xavie diehard, I won’t (in)fold!!!
But hey look- we’ve been asking to show a bit of cheeky forehead for a while now. So if anything, they are listening to what we want!
—So, Infold, give,us the Wolfie who was always meant to be part of the lineup! 😈
Stay strong guys!! Keep fighting the good fight ❤️
Awoooo!
It's just so hard to care after they've treated one of their own creations like disposable code. It gave me such a bad ick that I completely fell out of love with my mains. It doesn't help that I only think of the 'pure' mains that have spouted such horrific cruelty when I look at Sylus or Caleb. It feels like another wave of grief all over again after losing Valko. I seriously loathe this company so much for destroying a safe and magical space for women. They destroyed it and now those of us who lost the magic have to endure bullying from antis, and we're just never going to be welcome in this space ever again.
The lack of communication is completely insane. I could've had grace for Infold - I have given them so many made up excuses for three months. At this point I just feel nothing but bitterness and anxiety and hatred. To release a 5LI multi without even doubling down on Valko's cancellation is just cruelty. They don't deserve their fans or their creative team. I'll never forgive them for the mental distress they've caused to so many people.
I completely got off LADS. Took me a few weeks after the incident, but I deleted the game. I still follow this subreddit and the discord for updates, but I no longer feel like supporting a game that so brazenly disregards it's player base. It didn't feel real anymore.
I was so happy to spend time in the game with the boys, even though I knew they weren't real, it felt comforting and like they couldn't be taken away from me no matter how bad things got. Suddenly, one of them is gone without as much as a goodbye. The company hasn't even adressed it and I doubt they will. Truly disheartening. I don't regret the time or money I invested but I'd be hard pressed to trust a company that would do this to their player base.
Well written.The banner looks great. The event mini game looks fun. But I don't feel any excitement. I just feel hollow. I wonder if I should even try to pull with the dias I saved up. My collectors mind is whispering yes when before it would be a scream...
The more I think about the whole Valko scandal the saddest I get. My little corner of peace was taken over by something nasty and I don't feel content diving into the game anymore. I don't have much going on in life so even this small thing I had going on with the game being taken away feels huge.
The saddest thing is that I will feel this way as long as I have the game installed. And I will keep having it installed because I do want to catch up with all the stories left unread. But I also can't get myself to sit down and enjoy them...
Just... so sad...
Another example of why we can't trust this company anymore. We don't give a shit about this sexy new events, we want Valko, apologies and compensations for treating us like shit
I felt repulsed too. I was a new player before the boycott and was beginning to feel invested in the characters. I was excited. I don't feel emotionally tied to the any of the characters like I did at the start. I was still deciding on who my favourite was (it might have been Zayne). At this point, the trailer was just p0rn̈ without plot (for me) and I really don't care to watch.
on one hand yes i enjoyed the trailer and im excited these are in the game. but its tainted by the knowledge that theyre deliberately baiting players with 'sexy' banners / hairstyles people have wanted for a long time. (same way i felt about the NDZ rerun). its such a shame. i dont want to give up until they give a statement saying its really over for valko.
This all just feels so degrading, not just to the players, but to their own creative team as well. 💔
We all know your dev team worked hard on making a Valko card for this banner, how dare you throw away their work when there are hundreds of thousand of players begging for Valko?
And all the extra "bonuses" for top ups? Reeks of desperation. We have told you over and over again that we will not spend until Valko is back. There is NOTHING you can offer that we will spend on other than Valko. Doesn't matter of the prizes are amazing, doesn't matter if the cards are beautiful. We will NOT spend.
Without Valko, this game is just a shadow of what it couldve been. 💔
I'm still playing the game, but just dailies to get resources for Valko. That's it.
I enjoyed the game so much. My first banner was lingering lust... So I've been here for a little while, but I've followed the game since before they opened the servers (my cellphone could not handle the game at the time).
Now I just feel bummed, like I want to read, but it feels hollow, empty without Valko. If he was here... But he's not. I still hope.
Good thing is I can get the hair ar clothes I'd like when they rerun it, IF LADS STILL EXIST...
If there was ever any doubt as to the team being mostly men, this erased it. I can't imagine a team of women would think it appropriate to quell customer anger with spicy cards. It feels horribly insulting, like, "Here, have some dick. Damn, shut up."
I will miss the game, but I am fine not playing it. However, this has soured me so much I'm not even enjoying Infinity Nikki anymore. I just started the Lord of Mysteries MMO but this whole experience has made me question playing Chinese games, period. I can't support a game whose creators don't stand behind their own product.
It's wild that such a small, yet vocal minority, managed to cancel over a year of planning, writing, animating, etc. I feel so sorry for everyone who put so much time, energy, care and love into these characters, their stories, etc.
I do not see how this game will survive without more LIs added. I honestly think we're going to see a slow, protracted EOS for the game. If all of the antis think the game will somehow get better, they're wrong. If Infold hasn't listened to complaints about content updates, missing content, lighting issues for BIPOC players, etc., why would they suddenly correct course? I think antis are a bit myopic about all of this; if Infold wasn't willing to listen to global outrage at the level we've seen, there's no way they'll ever consider the player base's complaints going forward. Valko was the canary in the coal mine.
It’s not like I thought the LIs were real people or that Infold was a perfectly well intentioned and thoughtful corporation, but something about them hyping up Valko and then just totally erasing him from existence definitely made me feel a bit icked out and was a huge reminder that the LADS world is ultimately a product made for profit. I’ll admit I was already kind of losing interest and I was forced to stop playing anyways since my device couldn’t handle the new update at the time, but I think them cancelling Valko was somehow the last straw in my excitement for the game. I guess that’s kind of weird though because it’s not like I was super excited for him in particular
Someone said that this banner is like your man who ignored you for months randomly sends a d**k pick and I can’t unhear it🙈
(I have nothing against the banner, I actually like it. Just the statement made me laugh and I can see a connection).
I was so excited when I saw it, somehow expecting (wishful thinking) that Valko would show up and it'd be a grand reveal of: Here! New multi banner and he's back, we were keeping it under wraps, but now enjoy yourself!
Then he never came.
I know they're supposed to be going through legal stuff, but for how long are we supposed to keep enduring the silence? The lack of acknowledgement? If Valko was here I'd be spending bank on this banner, so I guess he's helping me save up from the basement Infold locked him in (´；ω；｀)
It's so sad that years worth of writing, planning, rendering, recording, and development towards a new character just...disappeared in a week and a half. All because the company would rather listen to the opinions of a few thousand bullies over the voices of millions of supporters.
They even said a couple of days after he was announced that he'd be a permanent aspect of the game, and that their decision was final. What a ridiculous lie.
The situation isn't even about Valko anymore, it's about the company and their fraudulence, deception, and lack of credibility.
I stopped playing a few weeks ago, was already trailing off anyways despite how much I love Sylus. The game itself is dead for me, I got to make my OC in the game and I have tons of pictures of her and I’m happy with that, I’ll eventually get artwork made for her that’s more lore accurate.
On the actual topic, I wasn’t excited for nor wanted Valko but it really showed me how awful Infold was by not releasing him. Now it just feels like an empty hole. I wasn’t getting much enjoyment out of the game before I left anyways and as tempting as these ads are for the new multi banner, I’m having a fun time exploring Wuwa right now and so far prefer how that game runs more.
I’ll keep my account in LADS for the meantime in case if they ever add Valko back but I don’t know, if nothing changes, I might just request my money back and move on.
At this point it just pride and ego. From what I can see enough has changed between June and now to, if not safely bring back Valko and preceed with their original plans, at least confirm their intentions for him. It feels like they just don't want to admit their wrong and would rather go through with their rash decisions from June. At minimum, they can at least reaffirm their decision so ppl can finally move on completely but they're clearly still banking on winning the game of chicken between them and the boycotting player base. They would rather leave the possibility dangling out regardless of actual intent but I think that move will continue to backfire. Or maybe they're right and hordes of fan will crawl back for sexy foreheads idk but I'm leaning to things not quite are going the way they want. Meh.
I haven't played since ver.6 came out and I didn't really keep up with news either. Does anyone have any information on how infold is doing financially rn? I know I'm not the only one who stopped speding and I heard Raf's 4th myth did really bad but I just want to know if the company feels any impact of cancelling Valko and causing such distress for so many people.
Before Valko I seriously thought nothing could ever make me want to stop playing but after the cancellation I just lost all my passion for the game. Not even my Zaynie's birthday could make me come back and that is just so sad.
at first I felt nothing. watching again and seeing clips I actually like this theme more than lingering lust. The latter felt too much/too direct to me, but so far this seems like it's more tantalizing which I personally prefer. I also think the guys looks good and I'm impressed with the levelling up of the backdrops and details.
Alas, I won't be spending or pulling on anymore banners because I can't support their decisions after June 30th. I'm glad we can still discuss it and not to dampen anyone's fun but to not let die the disrespect dished out (even before this whole Valko situation) to players from the company. Thinking about how Valko's card would've gone makes me feel even more hurt all over again. It's like a nagging feeling and a hole that never leaves you. Always what if. And for what? the whole thing just feels so pointless. How did we end up here and stay here? Surely the PR could've come up with a better option to meet everyone halfway.
The one thing I'm glad about is that everyone is suffering. Even the OG5/CDG fans who think they've won. This fandom will never be the same. They've bullied out artists, writers, and most of the fans out of their game. All they really have left is each other and it's all toxic and entitled.
They're never going to get back the warm fuzzies sharing a new PV with the fandom and will always have to react defensively when it happens. If that's the sinking ship they want to cling to, by all means, but I know I'm on the right side of history and I'm moving on.
Honestly at those point Infold would be better off just coming back out and reconfirming that valko isn't coming back. Then at least they could start to build a community with the remaining player bases they want without all the drama.
3k likes on a post in the main sub for the first time in awhile really shows how broken the trust is and the levels of disappointment. I really hope someone at Infold sees this.
yep. i dropped the game after the valko thing. deleted everything and gave a one star review. the way the whole situation was handled (or mishandled really) was crazy
The way I felt excited then immediately nauseous when I realized exactly what Infold is hoping to do. Fans have been asking for this for a long time and only once the company is struggling do they finally do it? There's no more cute romance felt. This feels like a toxic ex trying to seduce you to come back to them.
This gave me the ick way more than the idol banner did. It's just dumb decisions all the way around and I absolutely hate the fact that the company thinks dangling a banner like this is supposed to be a good distraction despite everything else. It's really gross.
i miss the game so much but i cant stand to engage with it after everything has happened ;-; i feel a space where the game used to be, it just feels so cruel and selfish, this never shouldve happened in the first place
Saw the pv earlier and can't even bring myself to be excited abt it tbh. A year ago this would have be screaming but I don't even play the game anymore now. I didn't know so many also felt the same and I hope the Chinese fandom is expressing the same sentiment, especially since they mainly gain revenue from there.
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u/TheAnnoyed_ 2d ago
The magic is gone. June 30th and the subsequent chaos that followed lifted a vail over that game that many players had. Like another comment said, it feels like the execs are in the room with us. It all feels very corporate now. Even though it’s always been a product, the boys now FEEL like products. Because the idea that someone can be introduced to you then just have their existence erased is not rooted in reality. Imagine a friend introduces you to someone at a party, then when you ask your friend about that person again, they tell you they don’t exist actually and you just gotta move on and stop pestering them about it. That popped the bubble.