Black Myth: Wukong blasted off in August with 10 million copies sold in its first three days, and the figure has since climbed to 18 million copies sold in two weeks. The new sales figure was confirmed by Bloomberg, which also reported that the game had a $70 million production budget and was in development for more than six years.
Black Myth: Wukong was developed by Chinese game developer Game Science, whose biggest external investor is Daniel Wu’s Hero Games. Wu told the site the game is capable of selling 30 million copies over its lifetime, and can bring in more money with an expansion that’s on the way.
Hero Games paid $8.5 million for a 20% stake in Game Science, but Hero Games remains unprofitable, according to the report.
“Wukong proves not only that we have top-notch game-making capabilities, but also we can tell a good story with Chinese elements,” Wu said.
The game has now brought in more than $800 million in revenue. Black Myth: Wukong now only trails Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V, which earned $1 billion in its first three days, 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ($1 billion in 10 days) and Hogwarts Legacy ($850 million over its first two weeks).
Wu said he and Game Science founder Feng Ji were “two drowning rats” before Black Myth: Wukong. Game Science’s previous games, developed for mobile, did not succeed in a meaningful way, and Game Science took a big bet on making console game aimed at the Chinese audience (where mobile games are relatively more popular).
As for the Black Myth: Wukong expansion mentioned in the piece, no further details were provided about it. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
Black Myth: Wukong has been controversial in some circles. Game Science’s guidelines for content creators ask them to avoid discussing “feminist propaganda” and COVID. A report from IGN in 2023 documented the alleged sexist and misogynist commentary from the development team.
If you’re just getting started with Black Myth, you can check out GameSpot’s Black Myth: Wukong guide that runs through 20 things to know before you jump in. We also have a dedicated guides hub where you can get all the key info you need. GameSpot’s Black Myth: Wukong review scored the game an 8/10.
Black Myth: Wukong is currently only available on PS5 and PC, but an Xbox version is in the works.