u/ValkoMains_ModTeam

Hey Cocoa Beans 💛

deep breath

Things have been handled behind the scenes because we’d rather clean up messes before our community’s mental space is affected. This is going to be a stream-of-consciousness look at things we learned, things we’re newly implementing, and things that need a serious restate.

Before we dive into the breakdown, we want to start with some real-deal self-accountability. Looking back at where we started a month ago, when this sub first launched and the cancellation news was an unexpected storm, our team of two was operating on pure survival mode. In that frantic, early lockdown chaos, we know we were sometimes too trigger-happy with filters and communication was moving too fast. We know some well-intentioned posts got caught in the crossfire simply because we were strictly filtering out any meta-fandom commentary to keep this house focused purely on game media. To anyone who felt slighted or ignored during that panic: we are sincerely sorry. Being overwhelmed is an explanation for our stress, but it's not an excuse for poor communication. We’re human, we’ve learned a lot since day one, and we are fully committed to doing better for this Pack.

With that said, let’s get into the great news: WE MADE IT! THE WALLS ARE COMING BACK DOWN!

AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 💛🐺

Our heavy AutoMod filters are stepping back, meaning normal posting is back to basics and the flairs we locked down to keep out the spam are officially back on the menu! Here is a reminder of exactly what they are for moving forward:

• Discussion: Open conversation about our Wolfman, his character, his habits, and headcanons. Civil disagreement is welcome, but moral policing or corporate grievance sessions are not. Discuss the man, be kind to each other.
• Questions: For any inquiry specifically about Valko in the game/PVs.
• Lore & Theories: Fan nerd central. Deep dives into his official in-game story, details, and connections. Facts, close reading, and original analysis rooted purely in official media, as well as clearly marked theories and headcanons.
• Caught on Camera: For all official in-game/PV photos/videos where Valko is the star. Not for pictures you take of merch in real life (that goes under Pack Made).

Our standard creative flairs (Mating Season, Pack Made, Koko's Memes) remain fully active. If something innocent gets stuck in the filter, don't panic, we rescue comments caught by false alarms (like option "#9") as soon as we see them.

The Pillars & Fandom Safety Nets

To the tourists on their way to becoming burnt pancakes: READ THE RULES. That bot is our GOAT, he is viciously protecting the pack, and he has zero chill. Don't fuck with him. Easily 50% of the tourists who fly by don't care enough to read the rules and fix their posts. They were never here to participate with the Pack, they were just rubbernecking our reaction.

We have spent the last few weeks quietly transforming this entire sub behind the scenes, including a massive, top-to-bottom scrub of our sidebar, wiki pages, rules list, and AutoMod responses. As a reminder, our pillars remain iron-clad:

• 1. Valko Mains Content Only: Posts must center on Valko; he is not a supporting character in his own subreddit. This house is a dedicated sanctuary for character celebration, fan creations, and lore discussion. If it isn't official media, fan content celebrating him, or story theory, it simply does not live here.
• 2. No Outside Drama or Rumors: Drama, discourse, and conflict originating outside this community stay at the door. This space functions as an independent sanctuary; what happens elsewhere in the wider fandom does not follow you in here, regardless of context.
• 4. Keep It Koko and Keep It English: Low-effort, meta-drama, or campaign organizing content will be removed. All posts must be in English or contain a translation, and no hashtags are permitted in posts or comments to maintain a clean feed.

The antis didn’t get through our systems. Absolute win for the Pack. What we did see was an influx of scammy accounts trying to prey on our community with provocative art meant to stir the pot (they aren't even real antis, just opportunistic scammers riding the wave). We also saw a lot of low-effort, vague posts that were more about yelling into the void than having a kiki with the community. We love your MCs, but if a post is just an MC and a campaign # with zero actual Valko content, it's simply not the vibe for this specific house.

Regarding what’s happening in the wider fandom space right now: Yes, we have seen the screenshots you sent us in modmail. We promise you our eyes work perfectly. Please, stop sending us receipts of what people are saying about us elsewhere. We are completely fine, we are staying entirely out of it, and we do not need a play-by-play.

We ask you to give those spaces absolutely zero energy. Do not engage, do not retaliate, and do not bring their names into this house. Mute them, block them, and continue posting horny Valko content right here. We will not allow discussion or meta-debates about those communities anywhere in this sub. (Including in response to this post.) They do not get a platform or a voice here. Give them a total blackout.

Pack Call to Action: Who Wants to Host?

We know our official footage is short and precious right now, but that just means we get to keep his spirit alive together through our own creativity. To make everyone a true part of the Pack, we are launching a Community-Hosted Thread Cycle!

Instead of the mods dictating everything, we want you to run the show. We want to know: What recurring posts or community themes would you like to see the Pack participate in?

Is anyone willing to step up and host a thread?

Here is how it works: Drop your pitch or thread ideas in the comments below. Every Monday, we will announce the selected community hosts and their general thread ideas for the week. Then, on your designated day, you get to post and host your thread in the sub yourself, running the discussion and hyping up the Pack in your own style.

Let's breathe some real, roaring life into this place on our own terms. Thank you for understanding the humans behind the screen. We are so incredibly happy to have you home.

Let's be excellent together. 💛

Hey cocoa beans. 💛

Our walls just came down. We finally got to breathe, and the sub has been feeling like us again. Normal daily life, normal chaos, normal cuckoo for our Koko puffs.

But we're sensing something before it's even here. Infold is expected to break their silence at the end of the month, and if the deep space tunnel fluctuates the way it has before, we're likely to see tourists stopping by. Some well-intentioned, some not, but either way capable of wreaking havoc in a space that isn't built to hold that kind of traffic.

So before we get our tails yanked, we're doing something about it now instead of after. Starting the 28th, we are proactively locking down the hunting grounds. Walls are going back up to where they were before, for what we expect to be about a week, maybe a little more depending on how things shake out.

Note for tourists: all our rules will continue to be in full effect but these are the main understandings at a glance:

• 💛 Valko Mains Content Only 💛
  • General LaDS posts, and incidental Valko content will be removed.
  • If it isn't in-game/PV Valko, fan content celebrating him, or story discussion, it doesn't live here.
• No Outside Drama or Unverified Rumors
  • What happens on Twitter, TikTok, XHS, or elsewhere stays outside.
  • No unverified speculation, rumors, or screenshots from unofficial sources.
  • These will be removed instantly, even with a disclaimer attached.
  • Personal theories about official content and official Infold content are always welcome.
• Keep It Valko: No Extended Infold Complaints
  • This is a fan space for Valko and the Pack, not a customer service channel.
  • Posts focused on Infold complaints will be removed.
  • Brief frustrations in comments are fine, but threads derailing into grievance sessions will be locked.
  • The main LaDS subreddit exists for those conversations. Take that energy over there.

NOTE ON FLAIRS: Some flairs are being taken down for a purpose. Do not post something under a different flair just to sneak it through. The flairs are on pause for a reason. Wait until they are reinstated, or go to r/ValkoHQ if you cannot wait.

💛What This Means For Cocoa Beans💛

It means banding together. REPORT. USE THE REPORT BUTTON. Downvoting does nothing, reporting gets it to us. If you see bad faith, if you see someone clearly not here for Valko, report it and let us handle it. We don't want that energy in this sub. After a certain amount of reports hits the system, comments/posts will automatically be taken down. Use this wisely.

During this window, our approach is going to be: when in doubt, remove first and approve later (potentially longer than usual depending on traffic volume). We'd rather block out the void creatures and take another look once things settle than leave anything visibly rule-breaking up in the sub while we sort it out. This is exactly what got us through last time. Despite real mod fatigue, this Pack stayed safe and drama-free, and we're leaning on that same approach again.

Expect delays in posting and approvals. If we can ask boldly: consider holding off on posting for that first week starting the 28th if it's not urgent. Know that we're still working through the queue, it will just take time. We're here, we're just slower than usual because death crunch be crunching.

Official Announcements are Mod Only

If any official Infold announcement about Valko drops, remember: announcement posts are mod-only. Even if a cocoa bean sees it before we do, non-mod posts about it will be removed per the rules. We know that's hard when you're feeling some type of way, so we ask for your patience.

If you have urgent needs that cannot wait for us, use the other territories:

• Go to r/ValkoHQ if it's something to organize, campaign, or handle grievances around.
• Go to r/ValkoWidows if it's something that involves grief and rage.

Any Valko-related announcement, and any post or comment at any time, must still follow our rules.

If an announcement drops that has nothing to do with Valko, it doesn't belong here either. Please take it to the applicable sub.

And lastly, the wave itself might not even happen. This is a precaution, not a prophecy. But after what our two-person volunteer mod team unexpectedly went through last time, we'd rather be early than caught off guard again. We'll keep adjusting as things develop, and we'll keep you updated if anything changes.

We're doing our best out here. We're still human. 💛

The Pack runs at midnight! Awoooooooooooooooooooooo!