Tencent-backed video game 'Black Myth: Wukong' hits record player numbers on debut

Weibo

20/08/2024 09:07

BEIJING, Aug 20 (Reuters) - A new video game title
launched on Tuesday by a Tencent-backed  0700.HK  startup has
quickly become the most-played game on a major online platform,
highlighting growing interest in Chinese-developed titles.
    "Black Myth: Wukong," based on the Chinese mythological
figure and classic novel "Journey to the West," topped Steam's
most-played games chart with 1.4 million concurrent players
hours after its release. 
    Game Science, the developer behind "Black Myth: Wukong," was
founded in 2014 by former Tencent employee Feng Ji. The company
has secured backing from several investors, including Chinese
tech giant Tencent and mobile game publisher Hero Entertainment.
    First teased in 2020, the game has attracted global
attention as a high-budget title from China. Pre-orders opened
on June 8, with the game topping Steam's China sales chart for
the week of Aug. 6-13.
    The Tuesday launch also made waves domestically, with "Black
Myth: Wukong" trending on social media. The hashtag ranked
second on Weibo, China's popular microblogging platform,
accumulating 1.7 billion views.
    Several major brands have leveraged the game's popularity in
their marketing efforts. Lenovo Group  0992.HK , Luckin Coffee
 LC0Ay.MU , and Didi are among those incorporating elements
inspired by "Black Myth: Wukong" into their promotional
campaigns.
    

 (Reporting by Liam Mo and Casey Hall, Editing by Louise
Heavens)
 ((liam.mo@thomsonreuters.com;))