Games

Black Myth: Wukong is a record-breaker. China also becomes a gaming powerhouse

The video game hosted by Chinese tech giant Tencent became the second most popular title ever on Steam within hours of its launch.

by Alessandro Longo

23 August 2024

3' min read

Key points

The game
The industry in China and the political value of the game

3' min read

A game developed in China and backed by Chinese tech giant Tencent has become the second most popular title ever on Steam within hours of its launch. It is a record, with a value that goes beyond the video game industry: for China it is also a way to spread its culture in the West, as reflected by the Chinese media in these hours, and to revive a market that has suffered many setbacks in recent years due to the government's stranglehold.

The Game

Black Myth: Wukong, an action-adventure title based on the exploits of the legendary Monkey King (a well-known character in Chinese culture from a 16th century tale), garnered over 2.1 million simultaneous players on Steam in its global debut on Tuesday. More than popular titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring, according to SteamDB data. It ranked just above Palworld and Counter-Strike 2 for peak concurrent players, which counts the number of people playing a game simultaneously worldwide.

Above all, it is a milestone for the Chinese video game industry. It is considered China's first 'AAA' title, a big-budget global game with sophisticated gameplay and advanced graphics. Chinese media reported that it is one of the most expensive games ever developed in China, with a budget of more than USD 50 million.

The Chinese video game industry is dominated by titles played on smartphones, not big-budget console or PC games that are released globally. Black Myth: Wukong is initially being released on Ps5 and PC.

The industry in China and the political value of the game

In recent years, the industry, worth around $40 billion, has been in turmoil in China. The government has tried to curb its success fearing that children might become addicted and corrupted by games. Beijing has introduced rules that prohibit young people from playing online games during school days and impose time limits on games on weekends and public holidays.

But the game's debut was greeted by a wave of national pride, with the game becoming a major trending topic on Weibo, the Chinese version of X. One Chinese media outlet noted in a Weibo hashtag that the game's default language is Chinese and added: 'It feels good.

Global interest in the game has also highlighted China's drive to exercise its 'soft power'. The novel from which it is based is considered one of the four great Chinese classics. The game also depicts important cultural landmarks throughout China.

"The success of Black Myth: Wukong is not only a victory for the gaming industry, but also an important milestone in the overseas expansion of Chinese culture," wrote the state-run Yangcheng Evening News in an article.

The Department of Culture and Tourism of Shanxi Province released a video highlighting the North China landmarks featured in the game. Confirming the game's close ties with the state, the publisher is Zhejiang Publishing & Media, a company majority-owned by the Zhejiang provincial government.

Its debut generated extraordinary attention in China also because, unlike many other blockbusters supported by Tencent, it was entirely developed by a local studio. Tencent has an investment in Game Science and is also responsible for publishing the game on its WeGame platform, similar to Steam.

At the same time, the Chinese government is not relenting on its basic principles of political control. A company affiliated with the China-based game developer has therefore compiled a list of topics to avoid during livestreaming, probably in deference to government directives.

Prohibited topics include politics in general, 'feminist propaganda', Covid-19, Chinese video game industry policies and other content that 'incites negative speech'. Covid is a dangerous topic for the Chinese government due to the severe restrictions imposed on individual freedoms during the pandemic. Another banned topic is Game Science's criticism of misogyny. The company came under fire for obscene and sexist comments attributed by the media to its founders and for 2015 recruitment material full of sexual innuendo.

"I have never seen anything so shameful in my 15 years of work. It is a document that clearly explains that we must censor ourselves,' said Benoit Reinier, a leading YouTube video game streamer and French journalist, in a YouTube video.