Black Myth: Wukong, China’s first AAA video game, broke the record for becoming the most played title of its kind on its first day of sale on the digital games platform Steam, marking a significant milestone for its Chinese game developers Game Science. The game features six chapters, each with beautifully animated vignettes.
The new action game topped 2.2 million concurrent Steam gamers on its first day of release and is currently ranked second all time on the Steam platform. The gaming weblog Best-Selling Chinese Games reported that Black Myth: Wukong has already generated over RMB 1.5 billion ($210 million) in revenue by selling over 4.5 million copies across multiple gaming platforms.
In the past Chinese game creators have prefered to create low investment, high-profit mobile games. Game Science has adopted a different AAA game development strategy. Its success in terms of sales and player engagement will no doubt benefit the domestic gaming industry in China and most likely encourage other developers to consider the AAA development route.
Game Science has been catapulted to international fame with the development of Black Myth: Wukong. The game is based on the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” which has been a rich source of inspiration for various forms of media in China and beyond. However, Game Science’s interpretation of this tale is distinctively darker and more mature, emphasising action-packed combat, intricate storytelling, and a richly detailed world.
The reveal trailer for Black Myth: Wukong took the internet by storm, amassing millions of views within days and earning widespread praise for its stunning visuals, fluid combat mechanics, and faithful yet innovative adaptation of the source material. The game has been built on Unreal Engine 5, which allows Game Science to leverage cutting-edge technology to create a visually spectacular and immersive experience.
Black Myth: Wukong has been in development for over four years, with an estimated development and marketing budget of $42 million according to Game Science. Technode reported that the game’s development crew has apparently been bombarded by HR recruiters from other organisations on major Chinese employment platforms, with some Game Science employees changing their status to indicate that they are not looking for new jobs. Game Science’s success could pave the way for more Chinese developers to enter the global stage with high end multi-platform AAA titles.
