Black Myth: Wukong

Black Myth: Wukong is an action role-playing game. It is played in single-player mode from a third-person perspective. It also shows dodges, a spell (Rock Solid), and a varied combo (Resolute Strike) countering incoming attacks. The player controls the Destined One, a monkey protagonist based on Sun Wukong from the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. The staff can extend and shrink in size during combat. The combat mechanics involve resource management. Focus is accumulated by landing light attacks, executing well-timed dodges, and other means. A focus point is gained when the meter for focus is filled up. Meanwhile, stamina is depleted by sprinting, dodging, and attacking. Spells, which act as abilities, are divided into four categories, namely mysticism, alteration, strand, and transformations. They have cooldown periods and consume mana. One example is the Red Tides transformation, which takes the form of Guangzhi, a wolfman who wields a flaming glaive. and vessels are equippable components that offer both passive bonuses and active skills for use in battle. Each has its own qi, which is used to activate its skill and is replenished through attacks. Defeated yaoguai chiefs may leave behind their spirits, which are captured if they are absorbed into a gourd or retrieved from a keeper's shrine. Each spirit skill functions as a transformation that unleashes a unique attack. An example of a vessel is the Plantain Fan, which generates a hurricane that staggers enemies. The character customization is flexible, as skill points known as sparks can be freely reallocated to change the character's playstyle. The game's difficulty cannot be manually adjusted and varies throughout a playthrough. and a boss battle mode. == Synopsis ==

Setting Black Myth: Wukong is inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. It is structured into six chapters, each centered on a distinct location: Black Wind Mountain, Yellow Wind Ridge, The New West, The Webbed Ridge, Flaming Mountains, and Mount Huaguo. The world is home to gods from the Chinese pantheon, encompassing Buddhist, Daoist, and other deities. It is also inhabited by yaoguais, who are beings with preternatural abilities and strange appearances. The story hints at a growing instability in the relationship between the Buddhist deities of Mount Lingshan and the Daoist gods of the Celestial Court in the background. The game introduces cultural and natural scenery derived from the real world into its setting. It features, for example, scenes based on the Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, The first three cutscenes are grounded in Chinese philosophy. In the Great Pagoda located in The New West, Maitreya guides Erlang Shen and the Destined One to Mount Mei. Here, the Destined One defeats Erlang Shen and the Four Heavenly Kings. Erlang Shen, who took the Mind of Sun Wukong after their battle many ages ago, unleashes Wukong's memories from his third eye and shares his realization that their fight back then allowed Wukong to set a path to break free through a mortal death. The Destined One and Zhu Bajie return to Mount Huaguo. They retrieve Sun Wukong's armor and Jingubang. They pass through the stone on the mountain's summit into a realm shaped by Wukong's lingering memories. There, the Old Monkey ferries them across its waters. The group encounters versions of their present selves, which prompts the Old Monkey to reveal that the Destined One is the mind of Sun Wukong. He says that Wukong's mind is lost, as the mind is an essence unique to every life and is destined to fade away at life's end. Thus, he explains, Wukong can never return as he was, but the universe will always bear him a successor—the Destined One. At the journey's end, the Destined One defeats Sun Wukong's broken shell. The five relics, obtained during the journey, unite with the Destined One. As the shell dissipates, Wukong's circlet materializes on its head and drops into the shallow water. In one ending, the Old Monkey places the circlet on the Destined One and thereby binds him. In the other ending, having recovered Sun Wukong's memories from Erlang Shen, the Destined One does not wear the circlet and remains free. == Development ==

Black Myth: Wukong is a game developed and published by Game Science. On February 25, 2018, the decision was made to create a single-player game. Ultimately, they chose to adapt the Journey to the West and craft a story following the ending of that tale. The work then shifted to the level for Black Wind Mountain. The trailer demonstrated the game built on Unreal Engine 4. It showed the protagonist exploring the environment and fighting various foes Game Science released the video on social media without contacting any media outlet beforehand. Within one day, the trailer amassed nearly 2 million views on YouTube and 10 million views on Bilibili. The studio's intention was to attract potential employees to help build the game. The trailer therefore deliberately presented the Black Wind Mountain level in its current state of development, rather than being modified specifically for the demonstration. , for the game. Initially, development began on its predecessor, Unreal Engine 4. A spokesperson from Game Science explained that, in 2021, they had switched to Unreal Engine 5 as this would help with their pursuit of realism in the style. In designing the environment, the team conducted on-site studies of various real-world locations in cooperation with local cultural institutions. They created scans of scenes, such as buildings and statues, from numerous locations to incorporate into the design. Over the course of four years, they traveled extensively across China to carry out this work. The actor Yin Kai, who is a martial arts practitioner, provided the motion capture for the Destined One and several other characters. Most of his performances were for actions done by the protagonist during combat. They created the music using Chinese instruments and Western orchestral elements. They incorporated musical vocal styles rooted in Chinese traditions, such as Shanbei storytelling, Hua'er folk singing from Gansu, and Buddhist chanting. For the English voiceovers, Game Science encouraged voice actors to explore regional accents, such as Brummie for the character Yin Tiger. The game's artwork was produced in a variety of forms. Its six animated cutscenes were created by multiple animation studios. The art style of the first cutscene "I See" was inspired by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio's classic works and lianhuanhua comic strips. The sixth cutscene "Unfinished" was illustrated in the art style of lianhuanhua with elements inspired by the ink line drawing technique baimiao and old murals such as the Dunhuang murals. The remaining cutscenes employed a range of styles, which included stop motion and anime. Artists from the China Academy of Art created the art for the game's character portraits and in-game murals. It was done using both gongbi and xieyi techniques. Game Science had previously developed two mobile games before they cautiously took on the larger-scale project—an approach shaped by necessity to stay afloat as a new studio and by the team's prior experience with the risks of large-scale development at former employer Tencent. The team initially did not have high expectations for profitability due to the high costs for research and development. The Zhejiang Provincial Tax Service cited a statement by a Game Science financial manager regarding a 2023 tax incentive for research and development expenses, in which the costs were estimated to have exceeded CN¥300 million (US$42 million). == Release ==

occurs near a building based on the Dule Temple in Tianjin. Black Myth: Wukong was released for PC (Windows) and PlayStation 5 on August 20, 2024. It was released for Xbox Series X/S on August 20, 2025. During The Game Awards in December 2023, they released a trailer announcing the release date as August 20, 2024. In June 2024, Game Science disclosed that the Xbox Series X/S version of the game was delayed for optimization to meet their quality standards. Media reports suggested that this may be due to the technical limitations of Xbox Series S, while some sources specifically suggested a memory leak as the possible issue. IGN reported that the delay was, according to an unnamed source, because of an exclusivity deal with Sony and not technical issues. After speaking to his sources, Giant Bombs Jeff Grubb stated that Sony had no marketing deal in place to keep the game as an exclusive. In September 2024, Microsoft responded that the delay was not due to Xbox limitations "that have been raised to us." In January 2025, Feng Ji made a social media post about the Xbox situation, mentioning that the "10 GB of shared memory" was difficult to resolve without having several years of optimization experience. In June 2025, Game Science announced the Xbox version's release date, explaining that "Bringing Black Myth: Wukong to Xbox Series X|S—and ensuring the experience met our internal quality standards—was no easy feat. Fortunately, we were able to complete this challenging task smoothly within the first year of the game's official release." For the launch, Black Myth: Wukong received four editions: Digital Standard Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, Deluxe Edition, and Collector's Edition. The Digital Standard Edition contains the base game. The Deluxe Edition comes with the physical collectibles: Steel Case, The Constricting Headband, Chaos at the Peach Banquet (color print on silk scroll), Wind Chime (necklace), Thunderstone (ring), Gold Sun Crow (pin), Stamps and Postcard, and Warranty Certificate. A physical disc was not included in these editions. Black Myth: Wukong was the most-wishlisted game on Steam starting May 2024. Pre-orders for the game launched on June 8, 2024. The in-game content Trailblazer's Scarlet Gourd, which can also be obtained through gameplay progression, was a bonus incentive for pre-ordering. When the game's preload went live shortly before release, the download bandwidth usage on Steam reached its highest peak ever at 70 terabytes per second, superseding the previous record held by Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020. Hero Games, a marketing partner, reportedly sent some content creators an email with an activation code for the game and guidelines to not discuss certain topics such as politics, feminism, and other things in their coverage of the game at launch. The PlayStation 5 physical edition of Black Myth: Wukong includes a physical disc containing the base game and a voucher code to redeem the Deluxe Edition content. It was released in December 2024 or January 2025 depending on the region. Post-release content In December 2024, Black Myth: Wukong received a free update comprising new content, such as a boss battle mode unlocked following the story campaign, a map for each chapter, and an armor set created to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Game Science planned Black Myth: Wukong as the first installment in a Black Myth series that features stories based on Chinese mythology. On the decision to begin the development of that game, Feng Ji expressed that it stemmed from a desire to freely and boldly create a completely new title in the series. He noted that although he and the rest of the team were working on a DLC for Black Myth: Wukong, he found himself stuck in a haze following the release of the game, a project that he envisioned for nearly twenty years and one that greatly exceeded expectations. Media and merchandise Official events related to Black Myth: Wukong were organized and held. The Black Myth: Wukong Symphony Concert was held at venues across China. The Black Myth: Wukong Global Concert was held at venues across the world, such as the Peacock Theater, Carnegie Hall, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, and many others. The Bilibili New Year's Eve Gala 2024 featured live performances of songs from the game. The Black Myth: Wukong Art Exhibition, which was held at the CAA Art Museum in Hangzhou, showcased a wide variety of artistic works related to the game. It included elements from in-game scenes recreated in physical form, such as a life-sized replica of a keeper's shrine from the Black Wind Mountain level. Visitors received the art book Concept Works of Black Myth: Wukong as a souvenir. In January 2025, Game Science released a Chinese New Year short film announcing its official merchandise brand BLACKMYTH. The studio conceived it as a gamer lifestyle brand with products related to Black Myth: Wukong and other content over time. Moli, a CITIC Press Group subsidiary, produced an art book depicting the game's character portraits in a hardcover edition and a collector's edition that was designed with Chinese-style bookbinding. UCG Media produced a Chinese-language guidebook for the game. Moreover, some companies collaborated to create co-branded products based on the game, such as gaming controllers, keyboards, electronics, soft drinks, coffee, fast food, postage stamps, jewelry, and electric cars. Queen Studios, including its INART and MORFIG brands, is the official producer of figures for Black Myth: Wukong. They made the Confront Destiny protagonist figurine for the Collector's Edition of the game. Each bust comes with a numbered certificate signed by Game Science art director Yang Qi and Queen Studios art director Oliver Liu. The figurine line includes characters such as the Destined One, Zhu Bajie, the Fourth Sister, and others. == Reception ==

Reviews Black Myth: Wukong received "generally favorable" reviews on PC and PlayStation 5 from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. According to Bloomberg, the ascent could help the game "seal its place in industry lore." On August 22, 2024, the game reached its all-time peak of over 2.4 million concurrent players on Steam. The feat maintained its ranking as second overall, placing behind only PUBG: Battlegrounds, among all games on Steam. Game Science announced that Black Myth: Wukong sold 10 million units, derived from data as of August 23, 2024, at 9 PM (UTC+8), and reached 3 million concurrent players across all platforms. The achievement made it one of the fastest-selling titles given the timeframe. Furthermore, the demand for the Deluxe and Collector's Editions was high. Hero Games CEO Daniel Wu, an investor, shared to Bloomberg that Black Myth: Wukong had sold 18 million units in two weeks. Bloomberg described this as "one of the fastest starts the global gaming industry has seen." During the Tokyo Game Show in September 2024, former Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Ken Kutaragi said that Black Myth: Wukong sold 20 million units in the first month. On October 1, 2024, during the Unreal Fest Seattle, Epic Games' Unreal Engine & Bill Clifford announced that the game had surpassed 20 million units sold the previous week and showed a video message from Feng Ji, who conveyed that one of their best decisions may have been to develop the game on Unreal Engine and that they will continue to collaborate closely with Epic Games to create the next generation of immersive virtual experiences. The Guinness World Records listed the game as the "Fastest-selling videogame based on a classic novel" for having sold 20 million units in the first month. At Sony's PlayStation Partner Awards in December 2024, the game received a Grand Award in recognition of its status as one of "the top three titles developed in the Japan and Asia regions with the highest worldwide sales between October 2023 and September 2024." The company managed the distribution of the PlayStation 5 physical edition across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Impact Black Myth: Wukong is widely regarded as the first AAA game from the Chinese video game industry. Nikkei Asia reported that it is seen as a new standard bearer for games from the Chinese industry, a sector dominated by mobile games but gradually shifting toward console games, and could inspire Chinese developers to pursue ambitious projects that draw international audiences. Following the game's success, industry professionals in China have noted increased confidence in domestic studios. For instance, Li Shen, former CTO of Tencent Games China and Epic Games China, observed that although Chinese developers have always been interested in single-player games, publishers became more willing to invest after Black Myth: Wukong sold millions of units globally. According to The Diplomat, the game's success reflects a broader trend of the Chinese industry, following its Japanese and Korean counterparts, to harness organic popularity to stimulate the global appeal of creative and cultural exports. The South China Morning Post reported that analysts expect the success of the game to positively impact the Chinese industry, as government agencies may become more inclined to encourage domestic studios to pursue AAA projects. For instance, sales reached the top for video game hardware and doubled compared to the same period last year on Tmall in the week leading up to the game's launch. Sony revealed that third-party titles, specifically referencing Black Myth: Wukong and another game, were key contributors to the increased sales in their Game and Network Services division during the three-month period ended September 30, 2024. Black Myth: Wukong's influence extended beyond gaming. It boosted tourism to the real-world locations featured in its scenes. It led to a greater global interest in other media related to the Journey to the West. It produced characters popular for cosplay, such as the Fourth Sister and Pingping. At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, the Chinese team won gold for artistic swimming in the team technical routine, performing a Wukong-inspired routine set to music from the game. Accolades Black Myth: Wukong received awards, sometimes referred to as kasayas by fans, from awards ceremonies. Beth Park, recognized for her role as a lead performance director on the game, was selected as a BAFTA Breakthrough in 2024. == Notes ==