Black Myth: Wukong 2024

About

Black Myth: Wukong came out on August 20, 2024 for PC and PlayStation 5, then for Xbox Series X|S on August 20, 2025. On Steam, 96% of 883,271 player reviews are positive (Overwhelmingly Positive). 3,357 people are playing it on Steam right now, with a peak of 24,415 in the last 30 days. Valve rates it Unsupported on Steam Deck. The main story takes about 26 hours, doing everything about 68 hours.

Black Myth: Wukong is an action role-playing game developed by Game Science, inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. Players control the Destined One, a staff-wielding monkey protagonist, through mostly linear levels interspersed with expansive areas. The game features Soulslike elements, a flexible skill system, and boss encounters of varying intensity. It was the first installment in the Black Myth series and is widely regarded as the first AAA game from the Chinese video game industry.

Story

Following his legendary pilgrimage to the West alongside the Tang Monk, Sun Wukong ascends to Buddhahood but rejects the Celestial Court in favor of his simple life on Mount Huaguo. The Court, grown mistrustful, sends an army led by Erlang Shen to force his submission. During their duel, the binding circlet incapacitates Wukong, and he is sealed in stone, severed from six powerful relics corresponding to his senses. Over the following centuries, the monkeys of the mountain seek to recover these relics and revive their fallen king. The Destined One, one of these monkeys, sets out on a journey across treacherous lands to reclaim the relics. From the fog-shrouded Black Wind Mountain to the barren Yellow Wind Ridge, the frozen peaks of The New West, and the fiery slopes of the Flaming Mountains, the path forward is guarded by powerful yaoguai and ancient figures from Chinese mythology. Old allies of Wukong, including the wayward Zhu Bajie, join the quest as the truth of the Destined One's connection to Sun Wukong slowly comes into focus.

What is happening now

Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG that arrived in August 2024 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The game has proven a significant cultural moment, particularly in China's games industry, and has since expanded well beyond its initial release through concert tours featuring live orchestral arrangements of its soundtrack. Developer Game Science continues building on the title's momentum while preparing a sequel, Black Myth: Zhong Kui, which will eschew generative AI in favor of traditional development approaches inspired by classical literature and film. Meanwhile, the original game remains in the commercial spotlight, with pricing variations across digital storefronts and regional pricing strategies, while gaming communities globally have embraced it as an aspirational model for action titles. The game's cultural resonance has even prompted comparisons to emerging triple-A ambitions in other markets.