A Chinese-Made Game That Breaks Records
A Chinese-made game backed by Tencent Holdings Ltd. has become the fourth most-played title on Steam within hours of its launch, an unusually rapid ascent that may help seal its place in industry lore.
Black Myth: Wukong, an action-adventure title based on the antics of the fabled Monkey King, garnered more than 1.3 million concurrent players on Steam shortly after its global debut Tuesday. That surpassed records set by much-hyped titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring, according to data tracker SteamDB. It overtook fifth-ranked Dota 2 and then Lost Ark by that metric, which measures the peak number of people playing the game on Steam, at any given time around the world.
A Strong Debut for Chinese Gaming
A strong first-day performance may help shore up expectations that China’s $40 billion-plus gaming arena is rounding a corner, after years of incessant regulatory scrutiny. This summer marked an unusually busy pipeline of major debuts, including Tencent’s own DnF Mobile, NetEase Inc.’s Naraka: Bladepoint and indie studio Mihoyo’s ZZZ.
Developed by a Local Studio
Wukong’s launch generated outsized attention in part because—unlike many of the blockbusters Tencent backs—it was wholly developed by local studio Game Science. Tencent has an investment in the Hangzhou-based developer and also handles publication domestically for the game on its own Steam-like WeGame platform. SteamDB doesn’t track that service.
Global Appeal
Available also on Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation 5, Wukong offers gritty combat that’s been compared to FromSoftware’s challenging Dark Souls series. The title, under development since 2018, is viewed by players and critics as China’s most serious attempt at making a big-budget PC-console blockbuster that could resonate globally. Prior successes from the country have mostly been in the mobile arena, such as Genshin Impact from Mihoyo.
Critical Acclaim
Major Chinese review sites, including IGN China, scored Wukong a 10 out of 10 on the eve of its rollout. Their global peers gave mostly positive, albeit slightly lower, ratings, citing some issues with gameplay and translation.
A Milestone in Chinese Gaming
The founders of Game Science, including Feng Ji, worked at Tencent prior to starting their own studio. Tencent bought a 5% stake in the startup in 2021, according to corporate registration site Qichacha.
Black Myth: Wukong’s success is a testament to the growing talent and ambition of Chinese game developers. It is a sign that China is ready to take its place on the global gaming stage. The game’s popularity is also a reflection of the growing demand for high-quality games in China, as well as the country’s increasing global influence.
Black Myth: Wukong is a game that is sure to make waves in the gaming industry. It is a must-play for any fan of action RPGs, and it is a sign of the exciting things that are to come from Chinese game development.
