Chongqing - Game Science unexpectedly revealed a CG teaser trailer for its new title, Black Myth: Zhong Kui, on August 20, during the Gamescom Opening Night in Cologne, Germany, rather than the previously rumored DLC of Black Myth: Wukong.
The visuals of the CG teaser trailer for Black Myth Zhongkui were released. (Photo/Game Science)
A year ago today, Wukong was officially launched. According to data analysis company VG Insights, within one month, the game sold over 20 million copies on Steam, generated over $961 million in revenue, and received widespread acclaim from bothdomestic and international players.
Under the Black Myth Zhong Kui trailer posted on the game's X account, a player expressed confusion about the decision to develop a new game instead of releasing a DLC for Black Myth Wukong. (Graphic/X)
After the teaser was released, the reaction on social media regarding Zhong Kui was sharply divided. On Weibo, China’s popular social media platform, Game Science's founder and CEO, Feng Ji, published an article explaining the decision. Many netizens expressed regret about the absence of the DLC while showing anticipation for the new title. Similar comments also flooded the Black Myth account on X (formerly Twitter), where players expressed both confusion over the lack of a DLC and strong excitement for the new game.
In his article, Feng reflected on his emotional journey following the release of Wukong. Despite the overwhelming success, he felt a sense of confusion and unease. Driven by these feelings, Game Science decided to shift focus from developing a DLC to working on the more challenging and innovative new game, Zhong Kui.
“New heroes, new gameplay, new technology, new stories” became Zhong Kui's core philosophy. Feng believes that while DLC might be a safer option in the short term, creating an entirely new game offers more freedom and creative possibilities.
According to the latest update on Game Science’s official website, the CG teaser released is intended to show players the current progress of Zhong Kui’s development and mark the official start of its production. The game is still in the early stages of development, with no real-time gameplay footage available yet. The story and gameplay mechanics are still in the initial planning phases, and a specific release date has not been determined.
Zhong Kui is the second installment in the Black Myth series, inspired by the famous Chinese folklore character Zhong Kui, a legendary exorcist. In the legend, Zhong Kui helped an ancient Chinese emperor expel evil spirits from the palace, earning the emperor’s deep gratitude. The emperor ordered a portrait of Zhong Kui to be painted and distributed to the public as a talisman for protection.
In line with Game Science’s storytelling style, Zhong Kui will not simply retell the traditional ghost-exorcising tale, but will instead use this classic myth as a springboard for a new narrative. While the specifics of the story remain under wraps, a line from the website: “To hunt the ghosts without is light, but those within burn deep to fight”, may hold the key to understanding the game’s themes. This line is a modified version of a proverb from the famous Chinese philosopher Wang Yangming, who developed the School of Mind, a philosophical school in ancient China.
On the Game Science website, a sentence can be used to infer the game's plot theme. (Photo/Game Science)
In addition, regarding the future development of Wukong, Game Science has stated that the story of Wukong is far from over, and further development is planned. Game Science aims to build Black Myth into a larger series that reimagines Chinese traditional mythological culture through video games.
During the development of Wukong, the company had already begun laying the foundation for the broader Black Myth. According to Tianyancha.com, a platform that provides public business data in China, Game Science’s affiliated company, Shenzhen Game Science Interactive Technology Co., Ltd., successfully registered several trademarks for Black Myth: Zhong Kui as early as 2021, signaling the company’s long-term plans for the series.