Paper Games’ 3D romance game Love and Deepspace has been caught in what appears to be its biggest controversy since launch following the reveal of its sixth romanceable male character, Ao Yin.
The announcement triggered widespread criticism over the character’s visual design, story background, and the company’s communication with players, leading to a surge in complaints, falling user ratings, and intense debate across online communities.
On June 22, Love and Deepspace unveiled Ao Yin during a livestream. After several days of growing controversy, the game’s development team published an open letter in the early hours of June 28 in response to the controversy.
Players raise three major concernsAccording to the official introduction, Ao Yin is a 26-year-old character who serves as both the chairman of a technology conglomerate and the leader of a werewolf clan. He is scheduled to debut alongside Version 6.0 on July 9. Player criticism has centered on three main issues.
The first concerns his visual design. Ao Yin’s red-haired werewolf appearance differs from the more realistic, East Asian-inspired aesthetic of the game’s existing five male leads. While some players argue that his design feels inconsistent with the game’s established art style, others welcome the addition of a more diverse character design.
