The Chinese video game “Black Myth: Wukong” has smashed sales records, selling over 10 million copies within just three days of its release.
Based on the classic Chinese mythological tale “Journey to the West”, the game allows players to ride the iconic cloud, wield the legendary Ruyi Jingu Bang (a magical staff that can change size), and use cloning techniques to defeat enemies.
Wukong marks the first time a game rooted in Chinese mythology has achieved such global success. The game is available on PC as well as consoles, where players can connect their devices to TVs and other displays.
While China has traditionally dominated the mobile gaming market, developing for PC and console platforms has been a different challenge due to the higher costs and complex graphics work involved. However, the success of Wukong suggests that Chinese game developers are becoming more influential in the global gaming industry.
The game’s developer, Game Science, announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Aug. 23 that, as of 9 PM on that day, sales had surpassed 10 million copies across all platforms. At its peak, the game had over 3 million concurrent players worldwide. Bloomberg reported that Wukong reached the 10 million sales milestone in just 83 hours, making it the fastest-selling debut game in industry history.
The gaming industry is closely watching the success of Wukong because it shows that Chinese games can now compete in the console market, which is known for requiring nearly a decade of development time and astronomical costs. However, this investment often pays off with high-quality graphics that create blockbuster titles with strong fan loyalty, allowing for brand expansion through related products and media—similar to Japan’s popular Zelda series.
The development of Wukong reportedly cost at least $56 million, excluding marketing expenses. The Financial Times compared the creation of high-quality console games to producing blockbuster films, noting that Wukong could provide a much-needed boost to the global gaming industry, which has been experiencing a downturn.
The game’s success is attributed not only to its movie-like graphics and stylish character design but also to the growing global interest in Chinese mythology. As players tire of Western fantasy themes, they are increasingly intrigued by the “Eastern fantasy” elements of Wukong, which is deeply rooted in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
Additionally, the buzz within China’s massive gaming community further fueled global anticipation for the title. Professor Haiqing Yu from Australia’s RMIT University noted in an interview with the BBC that Wukong is not just a game aimed at the Chinese market but a global game that introduces Chinese culture to the world.
Following Wukong’s success, Chinese game developers are expected to invest more to develop more console games. Previously, console gaming required physical devices like PlayStations, but now, with improvements in GPU performance, the same games can be played on PCs, creating a ‘multi-platform’ ecosystem.
This trend of China is likely to drive the global console gaming market, which is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 9.43%, reaching approximately $84.43 billion by 2029. An industry insider noted that “As multi-platform strategies increase monetization opportunities, console games quickly emerge as a viable alternative to the stagnating mobile game market.”
