China’s first AAA game “Black Myth: Wukong”
By Jin Yingying
After six and a half years of development, China’s first AAA game, Black Myth: Wukong, was officially released to players worldwide on August 20, quickly taking the gaming world by storm.
The game’s developer, Game Science, is headquartered in Hangzhou’s Xihu district at ArtInno Town. In the game, players assume the role of a “Destined One”, controlling a monkey resembling the legendary Sun Wukong in a world where gods have vanished and demons run rampant. In this post-apocalyptic setting, players strive to “save” humanity.
An opportunity to explore Chinese mythology and scenery
Creating a AAA game is one of the most exhilarating challenges in the gaming industry. The term “AAA” denotes significant investments in time, resources, and money. Despite its potential, China’s gaming industry has long struggled to break into this prestigious category.
Now, Black Myth: Wukong provides global gamers with the opportunity to explore Chinese mythology and immerse themselves in Eastern aesthetics. Players wield Sun Wukong’s Jin Gu Bang (golden cudgel), master mystical skills like the 72 transformations, and battle demons while uncovering their origins and deciphering cryptic verses.
Players will encounter rich Eastern aesthetics, symbolized by ancient architecture and Buddha statues, throughout the game. To capture this essence, Game Science’s team traveled across China, documenting famous mountains and ancient temples.
The game features nearly a hundred different monsters, each with unique designs and animations--even their death scenes are distinct. Players will face over 50 level bosses and more than 30 demon kings, many of whom are familiar characters from Journey to the West.
The release of the game has also sparked renewed interest in Journey to the West, one of China’s four classic novels. The American video game website IGN published an article titled Knowing This Lore Makes Black Myth: Wukong Way More Enjoyable to introduce the novel’s background.
Follow Wukong’s journey to the west
Since pre-orders began, Black Myth: Wukong has shown formidable competitiveness on the gaming platform Steam, topping both global and regional charts. Even before its official release, the game gained recognition from renowned AAA creators like Hideo Kojima, based on limited gameplay footage.
Shortly after its global debut on August 20, the game garnered more than 1.4 million concurrent players on Steam, surpassing the popularity of other highly anticipated single-player titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring.
“This is a single-player game and will not have a long tail, but this week has already been crazy in terms of player count and, no doubt, sales, as this is a fully priced title, unlike many of the other games on this list. Taking that into account, it would no doubt be #1 in copies sold on Steam, at least in this initial time window,” says a Forbes article.
Early feedback shows that Black Myth: Wukong lives up to its promise of offering a substantial experience. IGN China revealed that completing the main and side quests takes around 30-50 hours, with a full, in-depth experience requiring at least 100 hours.
The British newspaper The Guardian described the game as “having fluid-feeling combat and boasting stunning visuals, cinematic beauty, and a refreshing sense of speed”. It also summed up the game as “the summer’s most exciting and most controversial video game.”
Rise of Hangzhou’s animation and game industry
Game Science, the developer of Black Myth: Wukong, relocated to Hangzhou with its project team in 2019 from Shenzhen.
In 2022, Hangzhou implemented its sixth round of animation industry support policies, aiming to establish itself as an international animation capital and esports city. The policy allocates 100 million yuan annually to promote the integration of animation, gaming, and esports with related industries.
Among the 173 projects selected that year, 40 were rated as high-quality, including Black Myth: Wukong. The game was recognized for its detailed visuals, diverse gameplay, and captivating depiction of the Journey to the West world. The criteria for receiving such funding emphasize projects that can elevate Hangzhou’s animation and gaming industry, promote healthy development, and balance social and economic benefits.
While the special fund provided some financial support for the development of the game’s real-time motion capture and asset systems, analysts estimate that each hour of development for Black Myth: Wukong cost between 15 and 20 million yuan, with total development expenses possibly reaching 300-400 million yuan.
With strong policy support and incentives, Hangzhou’s animation and gaming industry has experienced rapid growth. By the end of 2023, the industry’s output value had exceeded 50 billion yuan. The city is home to two national-level animation industry bases. Additionally, three national animation research and education bases are located here. The industry cluster comprises 274 animation and gaming companies, employing over 10,000 people.
By 2025, Hangzhou’s animation, gaming, and esports industries are projected to generate annual revenues exceeding 60 billion yuan.