u/DarnOutrageous1068

A father in China has filed a symbolic lawsuit against Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo, and 37 Interactive, seeking just 10 yuan (about $1.50) in damages. He says the case is not about money but about forcing stronger protections for minors.

China already has one of the world’s strictest gaming systems for under-18s, limiting playtime and requiring real-name registration. The father argues that children can still bypass those rules by using adult accounts, borrowed IDs, or rented accounts.

According to the report, his son became heavily addicted to online games, often playing until 3–4 a.m., eating poorly, losing significant weight, and eventually being hospitalized after taking 18 fever pills.

If the court rules in his favor, major Chinese publishers could face pressure to introduce stricter identity checks and tighter account-sharing controls. Supporters say that could better protect minors, while critics argue it may also increase user monitoring, data collection, and restrictions on gamer privacy and account use.

I've made a few jokes about a documentary being made because of how Infold is handling the Valko situation, but now I actually really want a professional, big-studio documentary (no offense to the influencers. Many have done amazing jobs with what resources they have). I'd like to hear about the behind the scenes stuff that went/has been going on during this entire thing.

Magic wand time: you are able to interview anyone who was a part of this and that person must tell the entire truth. Who would you interview?

For me, definitely the PR team. I would love to hear all the covert things they did to monitor and direct the flow of conversation...

Sorry to post twice in a day, but I'm starting to get heated. I've seen several posts and comments in this sub that are implying we are delusional for getting our hopes up. This boycott is unique in ways that make it a bit ridiculous to say 'you have no chance'. Forget revenue for a minute (since I've seen some 'arguments' against that) and let's look at the PR side.

-Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been donated to various charities. Off the top of my head, we have donated to wolf conservations, disaster relief, and a half-way house. These are charities from around the world, btw. Feel free to add more in the comments.

‐Unknown amount of money on billboards and ad trucks around the world. These went up in prominent spaces (including Time Square).

-Someone bought a star and named it Valko. Someone else added Valk's name (both EN and CN) to go into space.

-Our hashtags have been trending for a good amount of time. We even beat a celebrity (we beat the Swifties 😐) wedding hastag.

-Attention from influencers (with large followings) outside of the fandom.

-Official CN media has published an article suggesting that canceling Valko was a mistake.

Edit: I FORGOT THE WOLF NAMED VALKO (and Caleb).

C'mon now, the boycott IN players did against Infold was still eventually successful despite it not getting nearly this much attention.

Now let's look at something even more unquie- this boycott is changing the legal landscape of an entire country. China is going to be cracking down on cyber bullying and water armies. It looks like they are also going to be cracking down on minors playing adult games. Both of these issues are long-standing and well known (enough for a non CN player like me to know about) and this boycott has dragged these issues far enough into the light for authorities to go 'not anymore'.

All of this information has been shared on this sub ad nauseam.

Now, can anyone honestly say without ulterior motive, that the boycott is delusional? No, because no game protest has reached this scale.

Feel free to share this on any post that questions this boycott, because I would just like to say to them:

Bless your heart.

There is a clear uptick in posts/comments from people who are depressed or anxious (understandable). If you are one of those people or if you are starting to have negative feelings, I would like to gently suggest you consider the following:

-People use social media as a way of getting things off their chest. It is a safe place to talk about topics within a like minded community. You cannot prevent others from posting negative things.

-Many expect something to happen on or shortly after the 29th. I'm not here to debate the likelihood of that in this post.

-As we get closer to that date, people are going to be venting in this and other related subs/social media (again, understandable).

-If things do not go as expected on the 29th and a bit after, we are going to be seeing a lot of frustrated/anxious/depressed posts and comments (do I really need to say it again?).

If you are prone to spiraling, I suggest taking a break from social media a few days before, during, and a few days after the 29th for your own well being.

Keep in mind, you can still participate in the boycott while taking a short social media break (don't log in, don't spend, listen to the soundtrack, send CS emails, etc.). If you have trouble with breaks, you can...

...delete the social media apps from your phone. Having to reinstall and log in will give you time to consider whether this is the right move for you.

...Just look at the official LADS social media pages. If there is an announcement, that is where it will be. This can avoid potential triggers while still keeping up to date (at least in regards to official information).

...Limit your social media time. Set a timer for an hour and stick to that time frame. Be smart about WHEN you access social media. Do not log on before bed, before you have to concentrate (family time/school/work), etc. Give yourself a good buffer (so you can get yourself together if need be) between your social media time and when you need to 'adult'.

...Prepare for the spiral. If you cannot resist social media and you know you might get triggered, then make sure you have your healthy coping mechanisms at hand.

Remember: we can't force others to only speak positively on social media; we can only control our own actions. It is valid to feel negatively about what is going on and it is valid to step away from that negativity for your own well being. The community will still be here when you are ready to come back.

Be kind to yourself so you can come back well rested and ready to continue the fight.

#valkoisloved

Edit: I am not suggesting an organized SM blackout. That would actually hurt the boycott. Our positive PR is our second greatest weapon behind our wallets. This post is just a reminder to those who are feeling a bit fragile that it is OK to rest and regroup before continuing the fight.

I mentioned this in a recent reply, but I wanted to make sure it reached a larger audience. Even though the CN government seems to no longer be standing in the way of Infold, Infold is a company in crisis. Consider-

-Someone is getting fired over this (likely several people). It is clear from any business standpoint that canceling Valko was a mistake. I'm sure there is a lot of blame shifting and scrambling. This is probably going to be the biggest factor in when things get done. The more dysfunctional a company, the harder it is to get stuff done. Unfortunately, we don't know what is going behind the closed doors of Infold so we don't know whether the company is divided.

-Infold has to agree on a plan of action. If there is divisions within the company, this is going to take a bit.

-Infold needs to analyze and re-analyze said plan. I'm sure the social media posts/comments, emails, etc. have made it clear their players are upset (understatement, I know). They are not going to compound their mistakes by rushing another decision.

-Infold also needs to consider the legalities of, well, everything. They need to clear whatever domestic issues they have along with the harassment cases. They might even need to deal with international lawsuits (I understand some players reported Infold to the consumer rights groups within their countries) and they need to consider if their plan of action will hurt them legally.

This all boils down to this: be careful about getting your hopes up about a certain deadline to the point where you become pessimistic about all we've done. Just because we don't hear anything when we expect to doesn't mean there is no progress. It just means progress could be going on in places we don't see.

The caveat I'd like to add to this is it is OK to give yourself a personal deadline where you say 'if nothing changes by x date, I need to step away from this whole thing for my health'. Make sure you are kind to yourself in all of this ❤️