It’s okay to be skeptical, and it’s okay to be hyped.
I need to ramble a bit because this is really bothering me. Valko has only been out for 24 hours (a very short time) and he, as a Love Interest, has already earned a lot of hate from other fans, alongside disappointment, demands for design changes, and so on.
I’ll say it honestly: I was anti-Caleb, I was anti-6LI, and I didn’t think we needed another guy in this story. But hey, here we are, he has been announced. So be it.
My ramble isn’t about whether he should or shouldn’t be here. Nor is it about whether I personally like him or not.
It's about the fact that two specific things are happening right now. Of course, there are people who love him already: the aesthetic is pleasing to them, they like the potential trope, and so on. But this is clashing with the people who don’t like him. There is a difference in opinion, which is fine. I am very much of the opinion that we should accept each other's views and let everyone enjoy the game.
This division happened with Catch-22, it happened with Caleb, and it will happen again. No character is going to be for everyone, and that is okay.
Where I have a major problem is when fans start getting nasty toward each other. It is not okay to talk down to people or feel superior because you think not liking the wolf makes you sophisticated. (Seriously, go touch some grass.) At the same time, it’s not okay to act high and mighty just because you do like him, acting like you're part of "the resistance" and shouting from the rooftops that he is the absolute best.
I will not slide into the comment section to talk him down. I won't try to convince others that Valko is super hot. I won't make it personal, nor are I'm going to shame other people's preferences. Because, again, it is just a game.
Infold does an amazing job every time, and I know a lot of decisions went into getting this final result. So, here you also have two options: you either take it or leave it. Or, I suppose, a third option: you complain. And that is what's happening a lot right now.
Maybe this design is a whole new strategy to get attention, or maybe they just messed up.
At the end of the day, we really just need to learn to tolerate each other's opinions and agree to disagree. The beauty of a game with multiple love interests is that not everyone has to like the same character. Personally, I’m still not convinced about Valko, and it’s going to take me some time to figure out how I feel about him. And that’s completely okay.
We don't all have to jump on the hype train immediately, but we also don't need to tear each other down over it.