Chinese state media has embraced the success of Black Myth: Wukong, a Chinese AAA game that has sold 20M+ copies globally, hailing it as a soft power export
China is changing its long-critical stance thanks to the smash hit, according to Chinese game developers and industry analysts. X: @sluongng , @wstv_lizzi , @wstv_lizzi , @restofworld , @restofworld , @restofworld , @wstv_lizzi , and @danielolimac X: Son Luong / @sluongng : It would be nice if more Chinese classical stories get turned into quality games. @wstv_lizzi : It's been a pleasure exploring the Wukong phenomenon & its soft power impact, working with @joannachiu & team @restofworld. Unpacking how state media/policymakers have embraced the game's success has been fascinating, with a few unexpected findings. 1/12 https://restofworld.org/... @wstv_lizzi : Policy circles are drawing comparisons between Wukong and global cultural phenomena like Taylor Swift's Singapore concerts and K-pop's rise in the US. Wukong is now seen as a driver of China's entertainment exports and domestic demand. 11/12 @restofworld : The Chinese video game “Black Myth: Wukong” has sold more than 20 million copies since its release in August. Its global success has the Chinese government embracing games as a new form of soft power https://restofworld.org/... @restofworld : Move over, pandas. Video games are becoming China's new form soft power https://restofworld.org/... @restofworld : China is changing its long-critical stance of the gaming industry thanks to the smash hit “Black Myth: Wukong,” according to Chinese game developers and industry analysts https://restofworld.org/... @wstv_lizzi : From “spiritual opium” to “magic weapon,” I explore state media's embrace of Black Myth: Wukong. Is it a one-off success, or does it signal Beijing's recognition of adv gaming as a catalyst for tech innovation, consumption &soft power export? https://restofworld.org/... @AsiaPolicy Daniel Camilo / @danielolimac : I was briefly quoted on this great piece from @restofworld about Black Myth: Wukong's impact. I think this is it. Everything that was supposed to be said about the game launch has been said. Now let's wait until it reaches 25M copies sold... https://restofworld.org/...
Context & Ripple Effects
Black Myth: Wukong’s commercial breakout was visible almost immediately: it reached Steam’s second-highest concurrent-player peak within hours of launch, before selling 10 million copies in 83 hours. The subsequent state-media embrace turns a market success into a politically useful cultural narrative.
The shift matters because China’s game sector had faced an officially critical posture. Later coverage shows industry participants treating Wukong’s performance as a possible catalyst for renewed investment after crackdowns, rather than merely a one-off hit.
First-order effects
- Game Science and its backers gain domestic legitimacy alongside global commercial validation, while state media can present a Chinese-made AAA title as evidence of exportable cultural production.
- The game industry receives a clearer signal that globally successful, culturally rooted releases can align with official soft-power and domestic-demand objectives.
Second-order effects
- Chinese developers and investors have stronger incentives to fund high-budget games built for international PC and console audiences; Hero Games’ stake in Game Science illustrates how the breakout can validate early backing of such studios.
- Other developers may emphasize Chinese stories and production quality when seeking both global players and a more accommodating domestic policy environment, though one title alone does not establish a sector-wide policy reversal.
Third-order effects
- If official recognition is followed by sustained policy support, games could be treated less solely as a regulated domestic pastime and more as part of China’s cultural-export toolkit.
- That would intensify competition among national game industries for globally recognizable franchises, with cultural specificity becoming an asset rather than a barrier when paired with AAA execution.
The trend: Black Myth: Wukong is one data point in the growing alignment of blockbuster interactive entertainment with national cultural-export strategy.