Journey to Success: Black Myth Wukong Shatters Records on Day One

Black Myth: Wukong, an action role-playing game developed by Chinese studio Game Science, witnessed an overwhelmingly successful launch on August 20, 2024, for PC and PS5. The remarkable sales figures, particularly in China, mirror the continuous industrialization of Chinese game development, the burgeoning global influence of Chinese studios, and the evolving consumer preferences within the country.

Within its first 24 hours, Black Myth: Wukong achieved over 2.2 million peak concurrent users (PCCU) on Steam, making it the most popular single-player game by PCCU in the platform's history and ranking second among all games, trailing only behind PUBG which peaked at 3.2 million.

First announced in August 2020, the game draws deeply from Chinese mythology and is based on the classic novel "Journey to the West," with Sun Wukong, or "The Monkey King," as its protagonist. The high-end graphics, truly transformational gameplay, and strong cultural connection struck a chord with Chinese gamers. The debut trailer amassed over 55 million views on the video platform Bilibili, becoming the most viewed gaming trailer ever on the platform. The initial interest, along with subsequent trailer releases and marketing efforts, led to more than 4 million gamers adding the title to their wishlists on Steam before its launch. It became the most wishlisted game on the platform in early 2024.

The game's outstanding performance in China is mainly due to the continued access to the international version of Steam without the need for a VPN. Over 93% of the 250,000 reviews on Steam are in Simplified Chinese, and an impressive 97% of these reviews are positive. The game's immense popularity in China was further demonstrated when Steam's download bandwidth peaked at 79.3 Tbps on August 20, with Asia accounting for 82% of this, breaking the previous record set on Cyberpunk 2077's launch day in 2020.

The success of the game isn't limited to digital platforms. Physical editions, including collector's and deluxe versions, sold out within seconds on JD.com. More than 700,000 gamers signed up for a chance to purchase the limited set of 30,000 copies. Game Science capitalized on this interest by partnering with brands like Lenovo to ensure their PC hardware is optimized for the game and with Luckin Coffee for on-the-ground activations, including branded merchandise and promotional offers. The buzz around these partnerships led to increased social media chatter leading up to the launch, with 1.7 billion views on Weibo on the launch day. The game was even covered by national news programs in China. The success of Black Myth: Wukong also attracted international media attention. Niko Partners' CEO Lisa Cosmas Hanson spoke to Bloomberg about how Black Myth: Wukong drives PS5 sales and showcases Chinese gamers' appetite for high-quality games.

Niko Partners has been able to track the game's success on Chinese game live streaming platforms using their suite of data tools. According to Niko Partners' China Games & Streaming Tracker, Black Myth: Wukong was the most watched game on Huya, DouYu, and Bilibili on its release day, surpassing other popular titles like League of Legends, Honor of Kings, and Valorant. According to the Niko Index, the game had 29 million viewers across the three platforms on launch day, with Bilibili accounting for around 74% of all viewers. More than $1 million was tipped/donated to streamers playing the game on this day. It was a record-breaking launch for a single-player game on Chinese game live streaming platforms, surpassing Cyberpunk 2077's metrics in 2020. The China Games & Streaming Tracker provides a window into domestic streaming platforms, helping the games industry understand the most popular games, streamers, and overall engagement.

The success of Black Myth: Wukong highlights a significant shift in the global video games landscape for both Chinese and non-Chinese developers. Firstly, the broader implications of this success cannot be ignored. It indicates that Chinese studios are now ready to directly compete with established Western and Japanese developers in the premium AAA space. Game Science's transition from mobile game development to creating a world-class AAA title, supported by heavyweights like Tencent and Hero Games, is a path that many Chinese game developers are increasingly following with growing success. Secondly, the game's popularity reflects the changing consumer preferences in China. According to Niko Partners' 2024 China Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Report, free-to-play games accounted for nearly 90% of total player spending last year, with mobile accounting for 68.7% of total spend and over 90% of players. The lifting of the console ban in 2014, access to the international version of Steam, the shift to digital distribution, increased willingness to pay for content, high-quality single-player and multiplayer game offerings, the requirement for an online connection (which prevents piracy), localized payment methods, and regional pricing have been key drivers of premium game adoption in China. In short, paid games are accounting for a larger share of revenue each year. Games like Overwatch (2016), one of the first successful premium games in China with over 10 million units sold, have shown that Chinese players are willing to pay for premium experiences, and Black Myth: Wukong further cements this trend. Although consoles have historically been a niche in China despite the lifting of the console ban in 2014, the PlayStation 5 is selling twice as fast as its predecessor in the country and has become an established platform alongside the Nintendo Switch. A limited-time deal on the PlayStation 5 this week has led to a surge in sales for the console, further solidifying these changing gamer preferences in the market.

In conclusion, Black Myth: Wukong is not just a one-time success story. It represents the growing capabilities and ambitions of Chinese game development studios and their ability to compete on the global stage. While non-Chinese developers will need to recognize and contend with these new challengers, it also presents an opportunity for collaboration and learning. At the same time, the success of the game as a premium title signals a broader shift in market dynamics within China and offers an opportunity for non-Chinese developers to benefit from geographic expansion and existing AA/AAA offerings.