The keyboard also wants to be a "dating sim"? This time Logitech is really treating players like dogs.

Ever since the first Chinese Paladin (Xianjian), I’ve been that kind of old gamer who could be moved for half the night by a single virtual longsword. Back then I’d save up a whole year’s pocket money just so I could touch a Logitech gaming mouse in an internet café, feeling in my heart that it was a “famed weapon of the martial world,” an essential Heaven-Reliant Sword for late‑night team fights. As domestic games stumbled their way forward, we chased after better peripherals along with them, thinking that even if the games were a bit rough, at least the gear in our hands had to look worthy, so players wouldn’t feel cheapened.

Back to this Logitech ad controversy: to be honest, when I first saw that screenshot saying “Heard this gift set can keep your husband obedient for a long time,” I froze for a second. In the image, the “husband” is made to thank “wifey” for buying Logitech peripherals in a pose that suggests submission and even a bit of “kneeling.” This kind of idea would be tolerable as a dark-humor option in a romance game, but using it as a serious brand promotion just leaves pure awkwardness. How lovers address each other is their private business, but when a manufacturer uses this power dynamic as a gimmick to sell products, the taste changes immediately.

What’s more disheartening is that this isn’t Logitech’s first marketing disaster. There was that earlier slogan that called customers dogs, and the design with dog claw marks on the store page. Many players still get angry when they mention it now; some even left comments like “If Logitech doesn’t go down, it’s on all of you.” Harsh words, yes, but they’re an eruption after their patience has been worn down again and again. A single mistake can be called going off the rails; repeatedly leaning in this direction is like a sect elder who refuses to mend his ways—you can hardly make excuses for him anymore.

Beyond sentiment, we still need to calmly look at the problem behind this. Logitech is clearly trying to play the “topic marketing” card now: using extreme setups to provoke reposts and debate, hoping to drive sales through traffic. But treating players as mere traffic tools, as emotional switches to be flipped, is fundamentally a lack of respect. In wuxia stories, even the poorest orthodox sects wouldn’t gamble with their own sect rules; it’s the same for brands. You can make memes, you can build a persona, but when you keep using insults, bootlicking, and degrading people as punchlines, you’re no longer showing “martial-world spirit”—you’re veering into plain contempt.

From the standpoint of someone who supports domestic games, what I don’t want to see is this: the game industry working harder and harder, while the peripheral industry uses these crooked tricks to grab attention. Players are willing to pay for keyboards and mice because they accompany us through one game after another, through one patch after another. That’s companionship and trust—not a relationship between a master and an “obedient pet.” If Chinese Paladin once made us believe that “lovers with deep feelings will finally come together,” then what I hope today’s manufacturers can make players believe is that “good conscience will eventually be rewarded,” not that “with a different slogan you’ll obediently fork over your money.”

If you ask whether I still recommend buying Logitech products now, I’d put it this way: for the devices you already own, just use them until they’re worn out—no problem. Don’t waste money for the sake of “boycotting”; that doesn’t really help anyone. But for players planning a new purchase, you can absolutely look more at other brands in the same price range. Domestic peripherals are getting more and more decent now; they’re not going to be crushed in terms of performance, and it’ll also sit a bit better in your heart. When an established giant starts acting recklessly on the strength of its reputation, the most effective response has never been just cursing and posting screenshots—it’s directing your money toward the side that shows more respect to players. Nostalgia can earn you a second look, but if you don’t live up to it, don’t blame us old players for taking this once-famous sword and sliding it back into its scabbard.