Regardless of if you play the action-packed dating-sim or not, you've probably heard a bit about the intense controversy surrounding Love and Deepspace recently. And no, it somehow has nothing to do with its spicy content or gacha-style gameplay. Instead, it revolves around the introduction--and quick cancellation--of Valko, the game's sixth love interest.

There's been a new development in the ongoing drama, and it doesn't look good for all the fans who have been petitioning for developer Papergames to bring Valko back. Per Kotaku, Papergames has announced it is pulling Love and Deepspace's booth from BilliBilli World 2026, one of Asia's largest anime and gaming conventions. This somewhat makes sense considering how profoundly his absence was felt at last week's Anime Expo, in which an entire booth that was originally reserved for a Valko cosplayer was left vacant. However, the exact phrasing, written below by cross-referencing numerous translations, is concerning:

"Recently, the game Love and Deepspace has attracted widespread attention from all sectors of society, causing significant distress to all players and creating a negative impact. We are deeply remorseful. We have no excuses, and must profoundly reflect, confront our own issues, and take responsibility. We solemnly offer our sincerest apologies to everyone!

"We sincerely accept all criticism and corrections regarding the problems exposed this time, and will not shirk our responsibilities," Papergames continued. "We will conduct comprehensive personnel training, self-examination, and rectification, using reverence for history, protection of national sentiment, and inheritance of Chinese culture as our benchmark."

While this reference to protecting "national sentiment" and using Chinese culture as a "benchmark" seem innocuous--respectful, even--the story continues.

Since news of Valko's removal surfaced, a battle perceived as being between Chinese Love and Deepspace fans--who overwhelming do not want Valko in the game--and Western audiences, who do, has ensued. Across social media, Chinese fans have shared posts that seem to indicate there are primarily three reasons Valko should not be in the game: 1) He's taking away attention that desperately needs to be spent on the game's main story and already-existing love interests, 2) His appearance goes against Chinese beauty standards, and 3) Valko's promotion slogans, which included "What's wrong with letting a wolf into the house?" could be perceived as condoning trespassing and sexual assault.

Shortly after Papergames announcement it would not be attending BilliBilli World 2026, the Chinese government made its own post latching on to the third of these points.

"Recently, an online game targeting female players has sparked widespread controversy. The game features a storyline where the male protagonist breaks into a woman's home late at night, accompanied by offensive promotional slogans such as, "What's wrong with letting a wolf into the house?", packaging the illegal act of trespassing as a romantic encounter. This kind of entertainment-driven, traffic-driven creative work disregards public order and morality, crosses legal boundaries, and may ultimately endanger public safety," a representative from the Ministry of Public Security News and Media wrote.

The post went on to say that, "If a game packages such behavior as 'fun interaction,' it may be suspected of promoting and glorifying illegal and criminal methods, which is not only a disregard for the authority of the law but also a blatant transgression against the spirit of the rule of law." The writer then cited a 2018 case in which a 15-year-old "addicted to a violent video game" murdered his 23-year-old female neighbor as evidence that "online game content that crosses ethical boundaries can seriously negatively impact the healthy development of teenagers."

"As of now, all relevant characters and storylines in the game have been taken offline for rectification, a move that addresses public concerns," the post continues. "However, taking it offline is not the end; deeper reflection is needed. This incident serves as another warning to the industry: Any content production that deliberately blurs the lines of illegality, glorifies dangerous behavior, or undermines public safety will ultimately be subject to legal sanctions and public resistance."

In short, things are not looking too good for Papergames, which seems to have found itself in a lose-lose-lose situation that is quickly intensifying. With the Chinese government weighing in on the issue--and considering the amount of power it has over the country's media--it seems increasingly unlikely that Papergames will tempt legal action and that Valko will ever resurface.

In fact, this raised awareness could lead to more scrutiny towards Love and Deepspace in general, as the game frequently showcases behavior and scenarios that could be perceived as problematic, to borrow one of the internet's favorite words. The game's fifth love interest, Caleb, locks up and interrogates the player's character at one point, while Sylus fulfils all the dark romance tropes we love as the violent head of a criminal organization. It's possible all this attention could have major ramifications for the beloved game, and although the petition to bring back Valko is nearing a 250,000 signatures, I wouldn't count on that being enough at this point.

The nominees for the next Emmy Awards have been announced, and Amazon's Fallout TV show scored 10. Season 1, for comparison, picked up 16 nominations in 2024, ultimately winning two.

For Season 2, Fallout's Emmy nominations included nods for Production Design, Costumes, Hairstyling, and Stunt Performance, but no acting nominations. Many think Walton Goggins was snubbed after he turned in another incredible performance as The Ghoul in Fallout Season 2.

Here are the 10 Emmy nominations for Fallout Season 2:

• Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Period Or Fantasy Program—"The Wrangler"
• Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes—"The Strip"
• Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling—"The Strip"
• Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)—"The Strip"
• Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup—"The Demon In The Snow"
• Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)—"The Strip"
• Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)—"The Strip"
• Outstanding Stunt Coordination For Drama Programming
• Outstanding Stunt Performance—"The Profligate"
• Outstanding Emerging Media Program—"The World Of Fallout"

Fallout Season 3 is now in the works, with Goggins recently sharing a photo of himself getting back into character as production begins.

In the world of Fallout video games, it was recently reported that Obsidian is making a new Fallout game in collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios. There is no word on what this game is, however, or if it's separate from Fallout 5. Obsidian was one of multiple Xbox-owned studios that were hit particularly hard by the latest round of layoffs at Xbox, affecting about 1 in 4 developers there.

Microsoft recently announced mass layoffs affecting 4,800 people, including 3,200 at Xbox, and now US Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) has ripped the technology giant for cutting staff at a time when it's making massive profits.

Posting on social media, Sanders pointed out how Microsoft made more than $100 billion in profit in 2025, with CEO Satya Nadella getting paid $96 million. He also called out how US President Donald Trump's new tax plan would save Microsoft $12.5 billion.

"Please don’t tell me corporate tax breaks create jobs. It never trickles down," he said, calling out the Xbox layoffs and the Xbox console price hikes. The latest Xbox console price hike brings the Series X up to a whopping $800.

For the fiscal year that Sanders is referring to, Microsoft made $101.8 billion in profit (up 16%) on revenue of $281.7 billion (up 15%). Microsoft overall may have done well financially during the year, but Xbox was in a rougher spot, if commentary from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is to be believed.

She has said the Xbox business is "not healthy" and that a variety of bets made by previous leaders Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond did not pay off. That's left Sharma in a position where Xbox's operating margins are 3-10x lower than what she said were "comparable platform and publishing businesses."

Sharma said Xbox was operating as a business with 3% margins, which means for every $100 made, the company spends $97 and keeps $3. A business operating at that margin level could be fine, but Microsoft's other business units have 40%+ profit margins.

Microsoft's stock price is down 19% so far this year and more than 22% over the past year. In fact, June 2026 was the worst month for Microsoft's stock price since December 2000.

Some of the bets that Xbox made that did not pay off as Microsoft envisioned included Xbox Game Pass, releasing games on rival systems, and buying up studios, Sharma said. For Game Pass, a recent report said some Xbox employees worried that the plan to launch new games into the service was not actually a smart move, but management proceeded anyway.

In addition to mass layoffs, Xbox is divesting of five studios. Double Fine and Compulsion are regaining their independence, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs are being sold. Arkane Lyon is in the "consultation" process to determine its fate and the fate of the studio's upcoming game, Marvel's Blade.

Image credit: Bernie Sanders YouTube

Thomas Was Alone and Amberspire developer Bithell Games has announced its next project, a non-linear horror game in which the vampire King of England tasks you with assassinating his enemies. Set in an alternate timeline during the late '90s--so you're probably safe from hearing Hanson's MMMBop on repeat--Vampirium 1997 is billed as an immersive sim boiled to its essence by game director Mike Bithell.

"Dracula is King of England. At his command, master your dark gifts to assassinate his enemies and secure his vampiric empire. Infiltrate locked-down locations, adapt and survive in living environments, and uncover your own unique methods of executing missions," the synopsis for the game reads.

Gameplay will see players carefully plan their way through each level, observing their surroundings, talking their way out of danger, and upgrading their vampiric powers along the way. Every action has a consequence, and with each environment designed to be a dynamic arena for you to consider which tactics you want to use--from covert bluffing to overt decapitations--you'll have to carefully consider each move you make.

It's an area of expertise that Bithell Games excels in, as the studio has released several cerebral and challenging games over the years--including an official John Wick game that was sadly delisted in 2025.

Vampirium 1997 will be launching in early access for PC, but there's no exact release date for it yet. To set the mood, players can explore the dark fantasy world of the game through a novella that was recently released and runs for eight chapters. Titled "The Last Portrait," the story follows the artist Hart after they're commissioned to create a portrait of England's monstrous monarch.

Earlier this year Paralives released in early access, and so far, things are looking good for the life-sim. The game has proven to be popular since its May launch; the cozy vibes have been praised, and the promise of free post-launch DLC and updates for the lifespan of Paralives continues to be a big selling point. In an industry focused on extracting the maximum amount of cash possible out of every player, it has become the norm--just look at how GTA 6 is locking in-game shops away from players who purchase the standard edition--Paralives' commitment to investing in its players feels refreshing.

"That plan is something that we had announced before the game was released, and our sales in the first week--the first day--confirmed that that was going to be viable," Paralive's communication manager Gab Boyer-Antoni said to GameSpot. "We're a very small team of 15. We don't plan on increasing that much, just a few senior positions, and we don't have any investors. We don't have to pay back anybody. The development so far has been fully paid for by our Patreons. And we're good. We can last years like this and make sure that we offer free updates and free DLCs to players and keep on working on the game."

Another game that has become notable for its free content drops is No Man's Sky, as it has upgraded its universe of explorable planets and systems with substantial expansions. These often come out of nowhere and with very little hype, and most importantly, they've all been free. Developer Hello Games has released over 30 of these expansions at no extra cost to their players since 2016, and they're largely credited with helping the game find its redemption arc and attract new players, 10 years after launch.

Paralives has already seen several pieces of free DLC added to the Gilmore Girls-inspired life-sim since launch--including an adorable collaboration with Unpacking--and its first major content update is expected to arrive this fall. Players have also been instrumental in creating new content for the game through mods, and if you're looking to grab a few, you can check out our guide on the best Paralives mods to download.

Fans of life-simulator games have been eating well lately, as the dominance of The Sims 4 has been challenged by new kids on the block like InZoi and Paralives. While both of these titles are considered to be serious challengers in a cozy genre of living your best life, the team behind Paralives doesn't see itself as a "Sims-killer," preferring instead to view the game as another option in the genre. After all, competition in this field will ultimately benefit players by offering them more choice.

"I think having more than one life-sim game makes for such a better experience for players," Paralive's communication manager Gab Boyer-Antoni told GameSpot. "It helps games get better and improve, and we want to offer a great experience for players. So that aspect of competition is great to have. There shouldn't be just one amazing [life-sim]. Also, I feel like a life-sim game is three games in one and caters to so many types of players.

"Some people just want to build their cozy little bedroom, apartment, or house, and they don't care about the live mode. Some people are really into the stories, the challenges, and [creating] generations of Sims, Paras, or Zoi. There are so many types of players, and I think we need a lot of games to help cater to different needs. It's a lot to expect one game to [do everything]. In most other genres of video games, you have a lot of [titles]. If you think of shooters, there are so many huge games that have huge fan bases--it's really rare to have just one that somehow caters to everybody. I think it makes for a stronger ecosystem of games that they don't."

It's still early days for Paralives, but the game appears to be hitting its stride mere months after launch. Its creators are already confident that it can deliver years of free content to its players thanks to strong launch sales, and it's looking to carve out its own space in this genre as its early access journey continues.

Meanwhile, The Sims 4 is looking to turn things around after several turbulent months, starting with an overhaul of the Maker Marketplace that angered the game's community. 

After two and a half years in early access, the Pokemon-like game Palworld has reached 40 million players before its 1.0 release. Developer Pocketpair announced this milestone just days before the game's massive 1.0 update, which brings several major changes to overhaul the game.

"Palworld passes 40 million players," the developer said on social media. "Thank you all so much for your incredible support! Over the last two and a half years, Palworld has grown alongside our community."

Of course, hitting the 40 million mark doesn't necessarily mean Palworld has sold 40 million copies. Palworld often ranks high on Steam's top seller list, but the game is also included in Xbox's Game Pass subscription. Having 40 million is still a major accomplishment, and the player count is likely to surge even higher with the 1.0 launch on July 10.

Palworld's big update was first revealed at Summer Game Fest with a cinematic trailer, and the developer also announced several major changes. These updates include several new Pals to catch, an improved combat system, and overhauled raid mechanics. Players can also expect revamped quests and main storyline missions to learn more about the world.

It seems the developer was initially considering a price hike for its creature-catching game, but it has now announced that Palworld's price will remain the same beyond early access.

"After much thought, we have decided not to raise the price of Palworld following the 1.0 release and will keep it at $29.99," the developer said. "We are incredibly proud of how far Palworld has come. Thanks to the amazing support of our players, it has become a success beyond our wildest dreams."

Palworld is currently available on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. The game is not available on either Switch platform, as Nintendo sued Pocketpair in 2024 on patent-infringement accusations. Palworld was updated in 2025 with altered game mechanics due to the legal matter.