China’s first triple-A video game, Black Myth: Wukong, has emerged as a big hit more than two months before its official release, as initial domestic pre-orders were about 16 times oversubscribed as of Tuesday.
An action role-playing game based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West published in the 16th century, Black Myth: Wukong was developed by Shenzhen-based studio Game Science, which is backed by Tencent Holdings – operator of the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue.
A set of 10,000 physical copies of the deluxe edition of Black Myth: Wukong that cost 1,998 yuan (US$276) each, which includes online access to the game and souvenirs, were made available on e-commerce platform JD.com where total pre-orders reached 160,000 within a few hours, making the promotional package 16 times oversubscribed.
The much-anticipated game – to be released on August 20 for Windows and Sony’s PlayStation 5 – bears the industry’s informal triple-A classification, which signifies a large-budget, high-profile game produced and distributed by well-known publishers. These games often rank as blockbusters because of their extreme popularity. Game Science, however, has not disclosed the game’s development cost.
The latest demo video of Black Myth: Wukong in 2022 had 21 million views on Bilibili. The title will be available on Tencent’s flagship gaming portal WeGame and rival online video gaming platform Steam.
Mainland Chinese video gamer Meng Fanjie, who pre-ordered the physical deluxe edition of Black Myth: Wukong, said he has high expectations for the new game and intends to play it on his PlayStation console.
“It is a the first real masterpiece of China,” Meng said. “I will give my support.”
In Hong Kong, the physical deluxe edition of Black Myth: Wukong is priced at HK$2,151 (US$275). The standard version of the game costs HK$298, while the digital deluxe edition sells for HK$368.
The strong demand augurs well for the prospects of China’s video gaming market this year. This sector generated total sales of US$44.6 billion in 2023 to rank behind that of the United States, with US$46.7 billion in revenue, according to market research firm Newzoo.
When the first demo video of Black Myth: Wukong was released in 2020, it served as a valuable recruitment notice for Game Science at a time when the studio needed fresh talent. The start-up received thousands of applications as a result, according to local Chinese media reports at the time.