Black Myth: Wukong, based on classic Chinese literature, breaks single-player game records

Black Myth: Wukong, a single-player action RPG game developed by Tencent-backed Chinese studio Game Science, has made headlines in the past week. Launched on 20 August 2024, the game sold over 10 million copies in its first three days. It garnered 2.2 million peak concurrent users (PCCU) on Steam within 24 hours of release, making it the most popular single-player game by PCCU in the platform’s history. The game’s popularity also helped Steam hit 37 million concurrent players for the first time.

Based on Journey to the West, a 16th-century Chinese novel, the game’s storyline follows the journey of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, and his quest to reclaim six mythical relics. Actual locations in northern China's Shanxi Province inspire in-game scenes (sparking a tourist boom) and the gameplay features a host of Chinese cultural elements.

Despite some controversy surrounding the game’s influencer briefing package, its popularity is the latest signal that Asian properties are actively setting the standards for cultural cool worldwide. For the Chinese-speaking gaming community, having a blockbuster game based on local literature and presented in Chinese is a source of pride and joy. For international gamers, it's a fascinating deep-dive into less familiar stories — a much-welcome antidote to the global monoculture that has deprived consumers of truly novel offerings.

🧮 📈 For brands, Asian culture is a form of soft power that can drive hard results. Celebrating, championing and collaborating with Asian cultural properties and players is an increasingly impactful way to drive audience engagement, brand equity and commercial results. So — are you in tune with the region's latest developments?