Sanguosha's Character Search Easter Egg Exposed: Typing 'Big-Eared Thief' or 'Dog' Only Yields Liu Bei — Is the Dev Team Biased Against Shu?

In the character search interface of Sanguosha's (Legends of the Three Kingdoms) new client version, typing '大耳贼' (Dà Ěr Zéi, 'Big-Eared Thief' — a derogatory nickname mocking Liu Bei's supposedly prominent ears) or '狗' (Gǒu, 'Dog') returns Liu Bei as the sole result. Meanwhile, other insulting terms like '十万' (Shí Wàn, '100,000' — mocking Sun Quan's infamous quote about having 100,000 troops) or '厚颜无耻' (Hòu Yán Wú Chǐ, 'Shameless') yield zero matches. Easter egg, or deliberate bias?

The NGA comment section erupted instantly. One player bluntly stated '狗卡蜀黑人尽皆知' — 'Gǒu Kǎ's anti-Shu bias is known to everyone.' 'Gǒu Kǎ' (Dog Card) is a mocking nickname players use for Youka, the developer behind Sanguosha. The concept of '蜀黑' (Shu-hater) refers to the long-standing perception that the developers systematically disadvantage characters from the Shu Han faction. This theory has circulated in the community for years, and the search discovery just lit the fuse once more.

Another commenter hit the nail on the head: 'gk (Youka) traces its roots to Jiangdong (Eastern Wu), so being anti-Shu is perfectly natural. They even made Liu Bei strong only when he's NOT labeled as Shu faction.' The remark highlights a community belief that Shu Han characters are intentionally designed with lower stats and weaker kits — and that Liu Bei's power spikes whenever he appears under a different faction banner.

Not everyone was outraged, though. Some veterans shrugged it off with 'This is nothing new' and 'No proof needed — it's been common knowledge for ages.' Others fired back with the classic Three Kingdoms quip 'After all, Jiangdong rats' (江东鼠辈, a historical insult toward Eastern Wu) to mock Youka's supposed Wu favoritism. The comment section mixed genuine frustration with memes and in-game character quotes, keeping the vibe equal parts salty and hilarious.

One player mused that 'it's pretty funny how you can learn about a different version of Liu Bei across different forums and sub-communities' — highlighting how the discourse around this character has transcended the game itself to become a full-blown subculture. And the weary 'You called everyone out just for THIS?' perfectly captures the jaded veteran's attitude: for long-time players, Youka's anti-Shu antics are just another Tuesday.