Black Myth: Wukong – Release date, editions, gameplay, platforms & trailers

Black Myth: Wukong is set to bring the famous Monkey King from the Chinese novel, Journey to the West, to life. Developed by Chinese studio Game Science, the game has taken inspiration from titles like Dark Souls and Elden Ring.

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming RPG, including the release date, gameplay details, platforms, trailers, and more.

Black Myth: Wukong release date

Black Myth: Wukong is set to release on August 20, 2024, which was confirmed through a trailer shown off during The Game Awards 2023.

Keep in mind that the Xbox Series X|S version will be released at a later date yet to be disclosed. Speaking on the delay, the devs explained: “We apologize for the delay and aim to minimize the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards.”

All editions

Black Myth: Wukong features three game editions: Standard, Deluxe, and the Collector’s Edition.

The Standard edition costs $59.99/£54.99, while the Deluxe edition of Black Myth: Wukong costs $69.99/£64.99 and includes a set of armor, weapons, and in-game items, as well as the game’s soundtrack.

On the other hand, the Collector’s Edition costs $399.99/£314.99. This edition, on top of all the previously mentioned content, includes a 40 cm figure of the protagonist, a necklace, a ring, a pin, stamps, and a postcard.

Black Myth: Wukong platforms

Black Myth: Wukong will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Players on the previous generation of consoles will miss out on the game as it will not be available on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. This is likely due to hardware constraints, but we’ll be sure to update this article if a last-gen release is announced in the future.

Story & gameplay details

Story details

Black Myth: Wukong’s story follows the Monkey King Sun Wukong, also known as the Destined One. The game’s story is based on the 16th-century Chinese novel, Journey to the West. As per the source material, Sun Wukong served as the chief disciple of the Buddhist Monk Tang Sanzang, and under the monk’s wing, he gained supreme power.

Nothing else is known about the game’s narrative besides what can be drawn from the novel. However, there is plenty of speculation surrounding the main character’s identity.

The novel establishes that Wukong can create clones of himself, leading players online to theorize that the game’s protagonist is actually a clone who has embarked on his own adventure. The theory emerged after players online pieced together some details, including the wolf boss from the first gameplay showcase referring to the player character as just “another monkey.”

Black Myth’s narrative looks to go beyond the original story and could instead be a retelling of the Monkey King’s tale from a different lens.

Gameplay details

Black Myth: Wukong features many gameplay elements that are considered Soulslike staples. This includes checkpoints at different locations where the player can rest to recover their health, gourds, and mana at the cost of repopulating the area with enemies.

The environments are open-ended and feature branching paths, although the game isn’t exactly open-world. Enemies lurk at every corner and so do challenging boss fights against all manner of mythical creatures. Following the beaten path advances the story, but straying away and combing through every inch of the region will see you earn hidden rewards.

The Monkey King is blessed with great strength and speed, as well as being very skilled in combat. These skills and powers translate into the gameplay, and trailers have shown Sun Wukong using various abilities such as Transformation, Immobilization, and Stone Skin.

His weapon of choice is a staff and he can trigger multiple combat stances, each suited to different enemy types. Combat mechanics are similar to FromSoftware’s Sekiro, as success against enemies hinges on precisely timed parries and dodges. The game plays out from a third-person perspective, allowing you to see the Wukong in action.

The game even features a bit of character customization, as you can outfit the Monkey King with various forms of armor, each providing stat boots.

Expected time to beat Black Myth: Wukong

In an IGN interview held back in 2020, Game Producer Feng Ji mentioned that it would take players “at least 15 hours of playtime” to beat it. However, as it was more than four years ago, it’s more than likely that you’ll need to play for longer than that to actually complete the game.

Additionally, Insider Gaming’s leaks suggest there are over 80 boss fights in the game, so it’s highly unlikely that the game will be completed within 15 hours.

Is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike?

No, Black: Myth Wukong isn’t a Soulslike title but it does have multiple features that are usually associated with the genre. The game is primarily an action RPG with melee combat and a ton of boss encounters. Other similarities to the Soulslike genre include checkpoints within levels that restore health, nearby enemies, and your healing flasks.

However, the overall difficulty is quite forgiving compared to other Soulslikes. Although you cannot change difficulties, you will probably not have a very difficult time in the game.

That said, there are many elements that highlight the game’s action RPG nature. For starters, Black Myth: Wukong features skill trees with unlockable abilities, which is unheard of in the most popular Soulslikes. Additionally, players also lose no XP upon dying and can pause the game whenever they want.

The devs have clearly taken inspiration and embedded Soulslike elements into their game but it remains an action RPG at its core.

Trailers

In 2020, Game Science released its first official gameplay trailer for Black Myth: Wukong, which featured 13 minutes of action, showing off some of the level design and combat.

On August 22, 2023, fans were gifted 19 minutes of gameplay from Black Myth: Wukong, giving players a cinematic taste of the game’s combat and more.

A bit of gameplay footage from Black Myth: Wukong arrived in the form of a release date trailer, dropped on December 8, 2023.

A more story-oriented trailer for the game was shown off during the WeGame event on May 19, 2024. It provided a closer look at the game’s world and a glimpse at a few of the unique bosses.

The devs dropped another trailer during Summer Games Fest 2024. It was centered around the Destined One and provided a glimpse at the game’s universe.

On August 8, 2024, the game released its final trailer, which includes new combat moves, story cutscenes, new levels, and even characters.

With the final trailer released, the game is now all set for its release on August 20, and Game Science will be hoping to turn it into one of the best games of 2024.