Developer Game Science also revealed that there are three million concurrent players across all platforms. This comes following the game’s launch when it became the fourth-most concurrently played game in Steam history with 2.15 million players. Game Science took to social media to announce the news and thanked everyone who has played the game.

Black Myth: Wukong has sold 10 million copies across all platforms.
(Data as of 21:00 Beijing time, August 23, 2024)

Thanks to all players worldwide for your support and love.
Have a great gaming weekend!#BlackMythWukong pic.twitter.com/mp3mk9JxrX

— Black Myth: Wukong (@BlackMythGame) August 23, 2024

Putting things in perspective, Helldivers 2 sold 12 million copies in its first 12 weeks. The game became the fastest-selling  PlayStation Studios game of all time. Black Myth: Wukong is the most-played single-player game of all time on Steam, passing Cyberpunk 2077. It is now the second-most played game of any kind on Valve’s platform only behind PUBG.

One reason for the game’s success is due to the popularity of Black Myth: Wukong in China. Industry analyst Daniel Ahmed says that “the high sales, particularly within China, reflect the continued industrialization of Chinese game development, the growing global influence of Chinese studios, and shifting consumer preferences in China.

The game’s debut trailer, released back in 2020 surpassed 55 million views on Bilibili, becoming the most viewed gaming trailer of all time on the platform. The trailer and marketing push translated into 4 million players wishlisting the title on Steam, and went on to become the most wishlisted game on the platform in early 2024.

Ahmed notes that the game’s strong performance in China is primarily because of the international version of Steam, which is accessible without a VPN. More than 93% of the 250,000 reviews on Steam are in Simplified Chinese, with an impressive 97% of these reviews being positive. The overwhelming popularity of the game in China was further demonstrated when Steam’s download bandwidth peaked at 79.3Tbps on August 20, with Asia accounting for 82% of this, breaking the previous record set on Cyberpunk 2077’s (51Tbps) launch day in 2020.

Black Myth: Wukong was the most-watched game on several Chinese social media platforms including Huya, DouYa, and Bilibili during its release day, surpassing other popular titles such as League of Legends, Honor of Kings, and Valorant.

Daniel Ahmed says that “the success of Black Myth: Wukong highlights a significant shift in the global video games landscape for both Chinese and non-China based developers.”

“First, the broader implications of this success cannot be overlooked. It signals that Chinese studios are ready to compete directly with established Western and Japanese developers in the premium AAA space. Game Science’s transition from mobile game development to creating a world-class AAA title, backed by heavyweights like Tencent and Hero Games, is a path that many Chinese game developers are already trying to follow with growing success. Second, the game’s popularity reflects changing consumer preferences within China.”

“In conclusion, Black Myth: Wukong is more than just a one-off success story, it represents the growing capabilities and ambitions of Chinese game development studios and their ability to compete on the global stage,” Ahmed says.

“While non-China based developers will need to acknowledge and contend with these new challengers, it also represents an opportunity for collaboration and learning. At the same time, the success of the game as a premium title signals a broader shift in market dynamics within China, and represents an opportunity for non-China-based developers to benefit from geographic expansion and existing AA/AAA offerings.”