In a remarkable debut, Black Myth: Wukong has made waves in the gaming industry, achieving a staggering 10 million units sold within its first week. This impressive figure places it firmly in the spotlight, as highlighted by industry analyst Daniel Ahmad on X, “The Everything App.” Such a performance not only sets a new record but also eclipses some of the most significant game releases in recent years.
Comparative Sales Performance
To put this achievement into perspective, consider that Black Myth: Wukong is on track to surpass the 19 million players mark achieved within two weeks by its predecessors. It has quickly ascended to become the #2 most-played game in Steam’s history based on concurrent players. Previously, it held the title of the most wishlisted game on the platform, a spot that was relinquished following the unfortunate fate of The Day Before.
Critics have praised Wukong for its engaging gameplay, with PC Gamer associate editor Tyler Colp awarding it an impressive 87% in his review. He commended the game for offering a more accessible take on the beloved Souls-style combat, setting itself apart from the genre’s traditional giants like FromSoftware. The whimsical and magical elements described in the game evoke comparisons to the most entertaining quests from the Witcher series, where players encounter quirky characters such as trolls and forest sprites.
Regional Popularity and Impact
The driving force behind Wukong’s sales success can be traced back to its immense popularity in China, where developer Game Science is headquartered. According to an in-depth analysis by Niko, a games industry analyst firm, an astounding 93% of the game’s Steam reviews are written in simplified Chinese. Furthermore, the game’s launch on August 20 resulted in Steam breaking its previous download bandwidth record—previously set during the launch of Cyberpunk—by an impressive 28 terabytes per second, with 82% of that traffic coming from East Asia.
Gameplay videos and previews of Wukong have also captured significant attention on Chinese social media platforms, particularly bilibili, further fueling its success. As the Chinese gaming industry continues to explore high-budget releases like Wukong, we can anticipate more success stories on the horizon. One such upcoming title is Mecha Break, a live service multiplayer shooter that promises to deliver high production values and a unique Gundam-inspired twist on the hero shooter genre.
