UPON its release Tuesday morning, “Black Myth: Wukong,” a video game developed by Shenzhen-based Game Science, became an instant global hit, amassing over 1 million players within the first hour.

Inspired by “Journey to the West,” one of China’s ancient literature classics, the game brought the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, one of the most iconic characters in global fiction, to life for fans. Within one hour of its release, the game topped Steam’s most-played games list.

Steam, a leading online platform for PC gaming, is widely recognized for its vast user base, extensive game library, and significant impact on game sales, indie development, and community engagement.

By the end of Tuesday, the game had sold more than 3 million copies on Steam alone. Combined with sales from gaming platforms like WeGame, Epic Games, and PlayStation, 4.5 million copies had been sold, generating over 1.5 billion yuan (US$210.3 million) in revenue. The game also achieved an approval rating of over 95% on Steam.

During a routine press conference in Beijing yesterday, a  reporter from Reuters asked Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning about the game.

Mao stated: “I do not know much about video games, but thank you for drawing my attention to this game. The name of this game suggests that it is inspired by the Chinese classic novel ‘Journey to the West.’ I think this speaks to the appeal of the Chinese culture.”

SZ’s thriving

gaming industry

Feng Ji, the game’s producer and co-founder of Game Science, established the company with his core team in Nanshan District in 2014. In 2018, they set their sights on China’s single-player game market and quickly assembled a project team to develop “Black Myth: Wukong.”

From inception to early development, the entire process took place in Shenzhen.

The startup also has strong ties to the Shenzhen-based tech giant Tencent. All of Game Science’s founders had previously worked for Tencent, which later became a key investor in the company.

To craft a truly immersive, world-class game, Game Science spent years capturing footage from historical and cultural sites across China.

They used real-world scanning technology to upload digital models of ancient buildings, statues, and sculptures into Unreal Engine 5, a real-time 3D creation tool, laying the foundation for an ultra-realistic experience.

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