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

Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong climbed to the top of many players’ wish lists following a series of impressive trailers. So, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming RPG, including the release date, story details, gameplay, and more.

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
• All Black Myth: Wukong editions
• What platforms is Black Myth: Wukong available?
• Black Myth: Wukong story & gameplay details
• Is Black Myth: Wukong souls-like?
• Black Myth: Wukong trailers

Black Myth: Wukong release date

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

It’s important to note that the Xbox Series XIS version will be released at a later date that is 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 Black Myth: Wukong 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, in addition to all the previously mentioned content, includes a 40 cm figure of the protagonist, a necklace, a ring, a pin, stamps, and a postcard.

What platforms is Black Myth: Wukong available?

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.

Black Myth: Wukong 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 souls-like staples. This includes checkpoints at different locations where the player can rest to recover their health, gourds, and mana but 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.

Is Black Myth: Wukong souls-like?

No, Black: Myth Wukong isn’t a souls-like 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 souls-like genre include checkpoints within levels that restore health, nearby enemies, and your healing flasks. It is also similarly difficult with many punishing bosses.

With 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 souls-likes. Another staple RPG feature in the game is different gear rarities denoted by color. Players also lose no XP upon dying and can pause the game whenever they want.

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

Black Myth: Wukong 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.

All in all, that’s everything you need to know about Black Myth: Wukong so far. If you want to know more about other upcoming titles, we suggest checking out our Delta Force: Hawk Ops, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, and Harry Potter Quidditch Champions guides.