Chinese-made action game Black Myth: Wukong has made a huge splash around the world. As it debuted on Tuesday, it amassed more than 2.2 million concurrent users. This sprawling 3D role-playing game quickly became the second most popular "sandbox" on the US platform Steam within just a few hours, only trailing behind PUBG, the 2017 shooter game that peaked at 3.2 million.
Analysts stated that the runaway success of this game, which is based on the renowned Monkey King character from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, demonstrated how China's creative workers can bolster cultural confidence. It also highlighted an alternative approach to advancing China's often "heavily criticized soft power agenda," as one observer put it.
Data provided by industry trackers VG Insights revealed that by Saturday evening in China, the game had sold 10 million units, with 3 million concurrent players across all platforms.
When asked if a gamified Wukong could be considered an "ambassador" for China, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday that a game seemingly inspired by the Chinese classic indicated "the appeal of Chinese culture." However, she did not address whether this signified any potential "diplomatic gains."
According to Gejun Huang, an assistant professor of media and communications at Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University, this triple-A premium game is a great soft power vehicle with "immense potential." Huang, whose specialties are the gaming industry, cultural policy, and media entrepreneurship, said, "A new take on Journey to the West shows elevated levels of cultural creativity and innovation, which are often the aspects of China's soft power agenda that are heavily assailed."
Huang stated that the explosive and positive reactions to the game embodied China's promotion of techno-nationalism – the use of technology to project global influence – and complemented its existing cultural endeavors.
However, according to Feng Ji, the founding CEO of Game Science, the low-profile studio behind Wukong and a former game designer at multimedia giant Tencent Holdings, creating a cultural export was not the core aim. Feng told the state news agency Xinhua, "I believe good cultural or content products should first naturally resonate with local cultural groups similar to the creators. If the quality is high enough and endures for a sufficient period, it will naturally spread to the overseas market we're talking about."
Huang added, "Ideally, this game's contingent global popularity could attest to the enhanced persuasiveness of soft power discourses and legitimize a new way of presenting such discourses to a broader global audience."
In an interview with the state-backed newspaper Global Times, Game Science's artistic director Yang Qi said his team traveled across the country to research ancient architecture, including relics, temples, pagodas, and stone carvings before reproducing them in the video game. He described it as a "digital archive" of cultural heritage.
"Undoubtedly, this game will direct public attention to these real-life monuments, especially for the younger generations who often align their cultural identities with 'guochao' (China chic)," said Huang. "On the other hand, there is currently a lack of evidence in China that featuring cultural heritage in games will boost players' offline visits and related consumption."
According to Sheng Zou, who teaches media at the Hong Kong Baptist University, discussions on the diplomatic potential of a cultural product need to focus on a "more expansive notion of soft power."
Zou said, "Much of the discussion on soft power tends to center on nation-states as major actors, but in cases like Wukong, corporate or non-state actors are the driving force." According to Zou, China's media and entertainment sector has witnessed many corporate-led globalization efforts as Beijing seeks a more influential role in world media and culture. "It fits in well with the state's initiative to boost its international communication, as exemplified by the various 'going out' strategies in the media and cultural scene. Domestically, it also helps to strengthen a sense of cultural confidence."
Beijing's "going out" policy, introduced in 2000, encourages its enterprises to invest overseas and increase foreign direct investment.
Zou said, "Non-state actors operating on market logic may have a better chance of winning people's hearts and minds because their cultural influence is more subtle and appealing than things that are more overtly ideological or propagandistic." He noted that Chinese web novels had attracted large global followings, with companies like Dreame and iReader making a name for themselves both within China and abroad. Also, Singer 2024, the hit TV show with top-tier performers from China and abroad participating in weekly sing-offs, has made waves beyond the borders and been hailed by internet users and state-owned media as a global cultural platform.
According to Zou, although Black Myth: Wukong has the potential to inspire more positive impressions of China among a global audience, the change will be "subtle and gradual at best." Some users might simply enjoy the game for reasons other than its Chinese cultural elements, such as the gameplay, mechanics, and player experience.
