The action RPG Black Myth: Wukong for Steam and PS5 is currently one of the hottest topics in gaming. Numerous players are eagerly awaiting the release, while elsewhere the game is being critically discussed.
What is the current situation with Black Myth: Wukong? The action RPG from the studio Game Science is set to be released on August 20, 2024, for Steam and PS5. Many players can hardly wait to dive into the world of Chinese mythology, but the hype is dampened by several discussions.
- Early reviews have been positive: The game impresses with its great visuals and tight combat. It has a decent score of 82% on Metacritic.
- Even before its release, Black Myth: Wukong dominated Steam and is already a top seller.
- Since August 18, 2024, a document has been circulating with alleged requirements for influencers to cover the game. It instructs content creators to simply have fun with the game without discussing politics. Specifically, no “feminist propaganda,” no mention of the COVID-19 pandemic, and no content related to the Chinese gaming industry.
The alleged demands have sparked heated discussions online. However, many users doubted their authenticity. According to current information, the document was indeed sent to influencers.
Influencers confirm authenticity of the document
Where is this information coming from? The well-known gaming analyst and journalist Paul Tassi published an article on Forbes about the alleged requirements for influencers.
He spoke with a trusted U.S. content creator and was able to verify the authenticity of the document, according to Tassi. He was shown the email correspondence of the creator, which eventually ended with the mentioned guidelines after some back-and-forth.
The document itself was reportedly sent from a Gmail address, which caused skepticism among users. However, the email contact was initiated from an address that is tied to Hero Games, a marketing partner of Game Science. During the exchange, a real code for the game was also included, so according to Tassi, it is not just any document created and spread by an uninvolved person.
Tassi emphasizes that the document was not sent to game journalists and thus had no influence on the reviews of Black Myth: Wukong. It is also possible that not all content creators covering the game received these requirements.
The French content creator and journalist Benoit “ExServ” Renier also confirmed that he received the guidelines and announced in a video on YouTube that he would not show the game.
We have requested a statement regarding the guidelines and will update this as soon as we receive a response.
How is this being discussed? Very differently. In a thread on X, some users welcome the guidelines. It is a perfectly reasonable request that the discussion should focus on the game itself.
Others call the requirements “dystopian” and discuss what exactly the developers might not want to be mentioned.
Our colleagues already had the opportunity to get their own impression of the game. On GameStar, you can find the first impressions of Black Myth: Wukong (paid PLUS article).
