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Black Myth: Wukong Is Still Untouchable a Year After Launch

Huge performance patch incoming, franchise expanding, and Wukong’s journey still hits harder than most new releases

Black Myth: Wukong has been out for a year now, but for a lot of players it hasn’t really left. It’s one of those games you finish, stare at the credits for a bit, and then suddenly every other action game feels just a little too flat.

And somehow, twelve months later, it’s still right in the middle of the conversation – not just because of what it was at launch, but because of what’s happening around it right now: a massive new patch, a freshly announced follow-up game, and an ongoing cultural spotlight few modern action titles have had to deal with.

A Year Later, Wukong Is Still a Monster Hit

The numbers alone tell you this wasn’t just another stylish action game that came and went.

By August 23, 2024 – only three days after release – the developers publicly confirmed that Black Myth: Wukong had already sold 10 million copies across all platforms. ([X (formerly Twitter)][1])
Later data put its first-month sales at around 20 million units, cementing it as one of the biggest single-player launches of this generation.

That would be impressive for any studio, but it hits differently here. Wukong isn’t a live-service grindfest or a multiplayer phenomenon; it’s a focused, story-driven action adventure loosely built in the shadow of Soulslikes, based on a myth every player in China already knows by heart.

Despite that, it still managed to dominate global charts and stay there far longer than most purely single-player games.

Why Players Still Can’t Let It Go

If you ask long-time fans why Black Myth: Wukong still lives rent-free in their heads, the answer is usually a mix of three things:

• The world and atmosphere
• The combat and build variety
• How it all comes together in New Game Plus

A world that begs you to poke every corner

From the very first clash between Wukong and Erlang Shen, the game feels like it’s daring you to pay attention. The world isn’t just pretty; it’s deliberately constructed so you’re always wondering what’s hiding behind the next bend.

Subtle storytelling touches – like the headless musician who shows up to perform context-aware verses about your current situation – keep the journey feeling strangely personal and slightly surreal at the same time. Each region leans hard into its own theme: enemies, bosses, NPCs, loot, and gear all feel like they belong to that specific stretch of the world.

Secrets are everywhere, and they’re often layered in a way that feels almost too natural. That random bell you thought was just your character being cheeky? Follow that thread and you can easily stumble into a massive optional questline with rewards strong enough to stay relevant all the way through the game.

Armor sets deserve a special call-out here. Instead of generic loot that pushes you to mix and match endlessly, most sets in Wukong feel like fully-formed identities. Each has its own look, its own strengths, and encourages you to lean into a specific playstyle rather than just stacking random stats.

Bosses, meanwhile, function like loud exclamation marks sprinkled throughout the story. The Loongs are standout examples – secret encounters that balance spectacle and difficulty, with rewards that feel absolutely worth the effort. And fights like the Yellow Wind Sage have become fan favorites, not just for challenge, but for the character’s sheer arrogance and his connection to other side stories in the game.

It all adds up to a journey that feels hand-crafted and dense with meaning, even on a second or third playthrough.

Combat: Soulslike DNA Without the Same Punishment

Game Science has repeatedly said Black Myth: Wukong isn’t a Soulslike, but it’s pretty obvious where the inspiration comes from.

• Regular enemies can absolutely delete you if you play sloppy.
• Learning movesets and punishing openings is essential.
• Your build – armor, charms, drinks, and abilities – genuinely matters.

But there’s one huge difference: the game doesn’t punish you with the same brutal resource loss loop. Levelling your character isn’t tied to a high-stakes currency that evaporates every time you make a mistake. You still need to respect the game, but it doesn’t feel like it’s constantly laughing at you for dying.

Initially, some players were disappointed by the limited weapon choice – you’re basically married to your staff. But Wukong quietly sneaks in variety through its transformations and special skills. Abilities like turning to stone to “parry” incoming damage can completely flip fights that felt impossible before, especially against bosses like the Dragon Loong.

The key is how the game paces this depth. New skills and build options drip-feed in just fast enough to keep you experimenting without ever turning you into a walking god on your first run.

Then New Game Plus arrives… and everything changes.

New Game Plus and the Joy of Breaking Yourself

If the first playthrough is about scraping by, New Game Plus is where Black Myth: Wukong invites you to break yourself in the best way.

The game leans hard into high-risk, high-reward builds. One fan-favorite example is the Centipede Armor – essentially a “hurt me to help me” setup that boosts your damage in exchange for making you more fragile. With the right charms, drinks, and supporting gear, it turns you into a blender:

• Standard enemies melt in seconds.
• Early bosses from your first run suddenly feel like training dummies.
• You get that intoxicating power fantasy without removing all threat; a few bad decisions still get you killed fast.

That mix of:

• Skill-based combat,
• Wild build experimentation, and
• Enemies that still hit hard enough to keep you awake

…is why so many players keep coming back even after multiple clears.

Massive New Patch Incoming – And It’s a Big One on PS5

Wukong isn’t just coasting on its launch version either. A new update is rolling out that focuses on bug fixes and performance optimizations, with the PlayStation 5 version getting a particularly chunky patch.

According to the developers’ latest announcement:

• The update targets stability and performance, especially on consoles.
• Due to the way data is stored on PS5, the patch will require around 93.5 GB of free space.
• Players who are low on storage may need to manage their install or even reinstall the game to apply the patch properly.

Earlier post-launch updates have already added things like improved performance modes on PS5 and new upscaling tech options on PC, including support for the latest DLSS and XeSS versions on compatible hardware.

If you’ve been waiting for “just one more patch” before starting a fresh run or a New Game Plus build, this is the update you were probably waiting for.

The Future: Black Myth: Zhong Kui and “More Wukong Later”

Instead of going straight into a direct Wukong sequel or expansion, Game Science has chosen a different path for the franchise.

The studio has officially revealed Black Myth: Zhong Kui, a new single-player action RPG in the same universe focusing on Zhong Kui, a legendary ghost-hunter figure from Chinese folklore. A teaser trailer has already been shown, but the developers openly admit the project is still in very early development, with no release window in sight.

The important part for Wukong fans: the team has also stated that Wukong’s story isn’t over. Any major DLC or a true follow-up to his journey will require time and significant development resources, so players shouldn’t expect it “right now” – but it is on their long-term roadmap.

In other words, Wukong’s legacy is safe, but for the near future the spotlight is shifting to another mythic hero under the same “Black Myth” banner.

The Cultural Spotlight – And the Controversy Around It

Black Myth: Wukong isn’t just a commercial hit; it’s also become a flashpoint in multiple ongoing debates.

On one side, the game is celebrated as a milestone for big-budget games developed in China – a homegrown, console-focused action RPG that broke through globally and proved there’s a huge audience for high-quality single-player adventures from Chinese studios. Industry voices have pointed to Wukong as a symbolic “starting shot” for a new wave of ambitious Chinese AAA projects.

On the other side, the game has been at the center of criticism around:

• Influencer and streaming guidelines that asked creators not to include politics, “feminist propaganda”, certain words related to COVID, or discussion of Chinese games industry policies when covering the game.
• Past public comments from some studio figures that sparked wider conversations about sexism and workplace culture in the Chinese games scene. ([The Guardian][8])

The result is that Wukong has, willingly or not, become a kind of symbol in ongoing culture-war arguments around games, representation, and censorship. The developers have mostly stayed silent on these broader debates, focusing public communication on patches, performance updates, and future projects.

Why Wukong Still Feels “Untouchable”

For all the noise around it, the core reason players keep coming back to Black Myth: Wukong is simple:

• It looks incredible.
• It plays with real weight and intention.
• It respects your time while still demanding your focus.
• And it tells a journey that feels complete, yet still leaves you wanting more.

From grand, cinematic boss encounters and bizarre side characters to build-breaking NG+ setups and that unforgettable late-game healing-flask moment, Wukong delivers a fully rounded action-adventure that hits on almost every axis.

Even with a growing list of excellent action games released since, the trek through Wukong’s life still feels like the modern benchmark for myth-driven, single-player action. With a huge patch landing, a new entry in the franchise announced, and long-term plans for more Wukong content somewhere on the horizon, it doesn’t look like this journey is fading from players’ minds anytime soon.