Layout Design: Jiang Jiang

"You've ridden horses in the Wild West, been a pirate in Europe, a sharpshooter on the battlefield, and an assassin in Egypt. Now you can finally return to your homeland, be your own hero, and become the Monkey King!"

Hey, fellow gamer, have you fought any monsters today?

The 3D action-adventure game "Black Myth: Wukong", based on Journey to the West, has been online for two days, but the excitement is far from over.

A new myth has been born: It is said that among the first batch of players, some have already earned 850,000 yuan per day from the game!

Just how remarkable is it?

SteamDB data shows that on the day of its release, "Black Myth: Wukong" surpassed 2.2 million concurrent players, outperforming "Monster Hunter Rise" released in January this year and currently ranking second in the all-time peak concurrent players on Steam. On August 21, the second day after the game's release, the peak concurrent player count on Steam surpassed 2.35 million, setting a new record.

Note that "PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS" ranks first with a peak concurrent player count of 3.2572 million on Steam. And it's only Thursday today, with the weekend just around the corner.

It is foreseeable that "Black Myth: Wukong" will soon top the charts.

This achievement is akin to the Chinese national football team reaching the semifinals of the World Cup or the first "hope of the village" finally being admitted to a top university.

Some gamers say that "Black Myth: Wukong" is to Chinese single-player games what "The Wandering Earth" was to Chinese science fiction films and "The Three-Body Problem" to Chinese science fiction literature – a true milestone.

And as the number one superhero in the hearts of the Chinese people, the influence of the Monkey King IP extends far beyond those 2.2 million actual gamers.

Weibo data shows that on August 20, "Black Myth: Wukong" appeared on 74 trending topics, with a total trending duration of 153 hours, cumulative live broadcast views of 42.24 million, and three topics ranking among the top trends.

Undoubtedly, "Black Myth: Wukong" has sparked a nationwide celebration.

As China's first 3A game (typically referring to games produced with "A lot of money," "A lot of resources," and "A lot of time"), "Black Myth: Wukong" has undergone six and a half years of development.

Based on information previously disclosed by Yu Kexue founder Feng Ji, the development cost of "Black Myth: Wukong" requires at least 400 million yuan.

According to domestic game sales rankings, as of August 20, "Black Myth: Wukong" has sold over 3 million copies on Steam, with total sales exceeding 4.5 million copies across Wegame, Epic, and PS platforms. Based on a standard edition price of 268 yuan, the game's total sales have exceeded 1.5 billion yuan.

Clearly, "Black Myth: Wukong" has passed this "test of destiny."

1

Behind the Global Gaming Industry Shakeup

Lies Impressive Technical Strength and Powerful Cultural Charm

The spectacle of "Black Myth: Wukong" was foreshadowed by a cup of coffee.

Before the release of "Black Myth: Wukong", Luckin Coffee launched a collaboration with the game, including special edition coffee and merchandise.

Luckin CGO Yang Fei exclaimed on social media, "Global merchandise sold out instantly, and male purchasing power has surpassed our team's expectations." Luckin's platform data also shows that sales of the "Cloud Soaring Americano" have already exceeded 100,000 cups.

A day before the game's release, the official PlayStation account tweeted a humorous leave request, saying, "How did you know I was going to face my destiny tomorrow?" accompanied by a photo of a PS5 ready to play "Black Myth: Wukong."

Countless "workers of destiny" fueled by black coffee were Boiling up – eager to play the game and lose interest in work!

Players on Baidu's "Black Myth" forum exchanged tips on how to ask for leave. Some even tried to fake busyness at work to take more time off to play the game.

On Xiaohongshu, there was even a trend of buying "Black Myth: Wukong" for boyfriends and husbands, with some ladies sending red envelopes of over 300 yuan.

Even PS5 consoles became hot commodities, with many stores' inventory being quickly snapped up by eager gamers.

Yesterday's overwhelming feedback from players confirms that "Black Myth: Wukong" lives up to expectations – every frame feels like watching a fantasy movie.

"We've adopted the world's leading 'Unreal Engine 5' development engine, which delivers cinematic-quality graphics for both static and dynamic effects," said Yu Kexue founder Feng Ji.

According to global game review website Metacritic, as of August 19, 54 global media outlets gave an average score of 82 out of 100. Notably, authoritative review outlet IGN China awarded "Black Myth: Wukong" a perfect score and labeled it as "the light of domestic gaming."

Players from both China and abroad, drawn to "Black Myth: Wukong," were further impressed by its art and music.

It is reported that the art team, led by Yang Qi, traveled across China's scenic spots and selected at least 36 ancient buildings as game backgrounds and elements. Along the way, they also established the world's first virtual asset library of Chinese ancient architecture.

For instance, the game's depiction of "Kang Jinlong" accurately reproduces the colorful sculptures of the 28 constellations in the Jade Emperor Temple in Jincheng.

Ancient temples and landmarks such as Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing, Mingshan Temple in Anyue, Gaoyi Tomb Steles in Ya'an, Shuilu Temple in Lantian, Xiaoxitian Temple in Xi County, Shisi Temple in Lishui, Chongfu Temple in Shuozhou, and Yuhuang Pavilion in Weixian can all be found in the game.

Apart from the art design, the game's music also showcases strong Chinese characteristics.

In Chapter 2 of the game, "The Wind Rises at Dusk," the headless Lingji Bodhisattva holds a three-stringed instrument and sings in the style of Northern Shaanxi storytelling, accompanied by a sandstorm. This captivating form of traditional storytelling, popular in Yan'an and Yulin in northern Shaanxi Province, has deep cultural roots and historical origins.

The recording of this Northern Shaanxi storytelling is by Xiong Zhuying, winner of the China Quyi Peony Award and provincial-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Northern Shaanxi storytelling. Due to the popularity of "Black Myth: Wukong," young people who have experienced the charm of Northern Shaanxi storytelling through the game have begun to pay attention to this traditional art form.

The game has also driven the export of Chinese traditional culture. Many foreign players have even started cramming for "Journey to the West" to better enjoy "Black Myth: Wukong." Many have even turned to YouTube to binge-watch the 1986 TV series, becoming hopelessly addicted.

The storm known as "Black Myth: Wukong" has not only swept across China but also shaken the global gaming industry.

On August 20, multiple securities traders, including West Securities, issued reports stating that "Black Myth: Wukong" signifies that Chinese game companies possess the capability to produce high-quality, world-class 3A titles competitive in the global market.

2

Even the hair on its body is thicker than a leg

Everyone who has grabbed onto Monkey King's hair has won big

As a truly deserving hot topic, the overwhelming popularity of "Black Myth: Wukong" has sparked a series of competitions!

Cultural tourism bureaus across the country stayed up all night editing game footage, pairing it with music and special effects, attracting countless visitors to experience the game's charm in person.

Moreover, media outlets such as Nanjing Daily, Qianjiang Evening News, and Southern Weekly have sparked heated debates about the monkey's origins.

Everyone associated with "Black Myth: Wukong" has benefited greatly!

By the close on August 20, multiple concept stocks, including Zhejiang Publishing United Group, CITIC Press, and Xinxunda, reached their daily limit. Notably, Huayi Brothers has seen its share price surge by over 70% since August 14, with daily limits hit on August 19 and 20.

Luckin Coffee has seen a surge in sales, and brands such as NVIDIA, Hisense, Lenovo, Zhitai, JD.com, and Didi Qingju, which have partnered with "Black Myth: Wukong", have capitalized on this wave of popularity to reap substantial profits.

AR glasses manufacturer Rokid has also jumped into the fray, collaborating with Tencent START Cloud Gaming, one of the game's distribution platforms, to launch the Rokid station1 and a new AR lite series.

Shanxi, with 27 locations featured in the game, has been releasing a collection titled "Traveling Shanxi with Wukong" since 2022. With six related videos already available, this province, which boasts the largest number of ancient Chinese architectural relics, is poised to become the next popular destination.

In the original Journey to the West, it is written, "After the Monkey King attained enlightenment, he possessed eighty-four thousand hairs on his body, each capable of transforming into anything he desired."

Amidst all the commotion, clinging tightly to this hair thicker than a leg is the right path!

The success of "Black Myth: Wukong" has not only delighted countless gamers but also given domestic game companies a new glimmer of hope.

Guotai Junan Securities believes that "Black Myth: Wukong" holds profound significance for the overseas expansion of Chinese games and the export of Chinese culture, and that attention to the game sector is expected to continue to rise. CITIC Securities believes that "Black Myth: Wukong" will continue to drive interest in companies with strong R&D capabilities.

We possess sufficient technical prowess to challenge foreign competitors.

Our rich cultural heritage provides ample imagination for game development.

As an essential part of the cultural industry, excellent 3A titles like "Black Myth: Wukong" exhibit an influence comparable to that of "The Wandering Earth II".

"Wu Cheng'en and Shakespeare are not so different."

As the creator of "Black Myth: Wukong", Youke Interactive has set an example for domestic peers and truthfully portrayed the challenges and setbacks faced in developing such a 3A masterpiece.

However, as Feng Ji once said, "Sand will always be present, but embarking on the journey to retrieve the sutras is more crucial than reaching the Western Paradise."

Indeed, beginnings are always more anticipated than endings.

Let us witness together as a new spark ignites within the industry, heralding a historical moment of imminent spread.