How 'Black Myth: Wukong,' China's first AAA game, came to be

For years, one question has been repeatedly asked across various platforms, yet it remains unanswered: How close is China to producing its first AAA game?

"Today" – just after midnight on August 20, a gamer who pre-ordered "Black Myth: Wukong" sent this message to Jiemian News. He's one of 1.2 million people who have pre-ordered the game.

Four years ago, when the first trailer for "Black Myth: Wukong" dropped, it took the Chinese gaming industry by storm. Even people who don't usually play video games became familiar with its name.

Gamers have hailed it as China's most promising attempt at creating an AAA title. Meanwhile, non-gamers are amazed that the "Journey to the West" legend still resonates so deeply. The developer, Game Science, quickly found itself in the spotlight.

This company, which had previously kept a low profile, was shrouded in mystery, leading to rampant speculation online.

Many say that the founding team consisted of talented individuals from Tencent who were underappreciated. After years of hard work, they finally made a breakthrough. However, the team members themselves don't see it that way.

As Yang Qi, co-founder of Game Science, puts it: "Don't think that those who are now successful in the industry did something extraordinary in the past." Another founder, Feng Ji, adds that the team is simply experienced, highly coordinated, and passionate about single-player games.

So, how did this company, with only about 100 people, manage to create such a groundbreaking game?

A regretful journey at Tencent

In 2008, Feng Ji and Yang Qi joined Tencent and were assigned to Quantum Studio, one of Tencent's eight major studios at the time. Starting in 2009, they led the development of the "Asura" project, with Feng Ji as producer and Yang Qi as art director.

Also based on the story of the legendary Monkey King Wukong, the concept for "Asura" was ambitious. Feng Ji aimed to surpass "World of Warcraft" by creating an epic game rooted in Eastern culture.

At the time, Tencent was already making big money from games, but it still lacked a flagship product with a solid reputation.

The management had high hopes for "Asura." They waited over four years and invested significant funds into the project – one promotional video alone cost over 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million).

The game initially made a big splash upon release, but problems arose during its operation. As an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), "Asura" required frequent content updates, which clashed with the team's expertise in single-player games.

This led to inconsistent quality in subsequent updates, and user numbers began to decline.

The game, which wasn't profit-driven, was supposed to boost Tencent's reputation. But the downward trend put immense pressure on the project team.

Ultimately, in 2014, when Tencent restructured its studios, Quantum Studio merged with Light Speed Studio to form the Photon Studio Group. Feng Ji and Yang Qi chose to leave and start their own company.

Yang Qi later told IGN China that the main reason for leaving Tencent was the sense that the area he had once focused on was declining – PC games were struggling, and mobile games were on the rise. This realization fueled their desire to create something new and different, leading to the founding of Game Science.

After they left, as Tencent reclaimed and monetized resources, "Asura" quickly transformed into a heavily monetized game with little innovation in gameplay. It eventually faded from players' sight.

Starting over in a small office in Shenzhen

Feng Ji and Yang Qi later admitted that making money from games was important – at least you need to make money first before you can talk about ideals.

In a 300-square-meter office in Shenzhen's Nanshan District, Game Science officially began its journey.

The team's original goal was always to create excellent single-player games. Yang Qi, a gamer passionate about single-player experiences, believed that only this type of game could truly offer players an immersive experience.

But to pursue this dream, they needed to build up enough funds first, and developing mobile games was the most straightforward way to earn money at the time.

"Art of War: Red Tides" was Game Science's first truly successful product. It was released in over 154 countries on Apple's App Store, complete with recommendations.

At the time, China's gaming industry was booming, with a strong shift toward mobile platforms. Game Science was well-positioned to pivot and become a successful mobile game developer, making significant income.

But they didn't settle for that. They returned to the company's original mission: creating high-quality single-player games.

In 2018, Game Science assembled a team to work on a single-player project in Shenzhen. By the end of the following year, the team moved to Hangzhou, marking the official start of development for "Black Myth: Wukong."

If you're going to aim high, aim for the top

The first major decision after committing to a single-player game was choosing a theme.

Initially, the team considered Xianxia, Wuxia, and other Chinese mythology themes. However, after much discussion, they realized they had the most ideas and enthusiasm for "Journey to the West," so they decided to stick with that.

To prepare for developing a Souls-like action game, many team members played well-known console titles like "Dark Souls 3" and "Sekiro."

Yang Qi told IGN China that he was not skilled at action games and hadn't played "Dark Souls" or "Bloodborne" because he didn't connect with the Western medieval knight theme. However, when he does play, he critically thinks: "How do they achieve this? There are so many aspects I can't imagine or understand, and I feel like I could never do it as well."

A bigger challenge came from the choice of engine technology. Previously, Game Science's products were developed using Cocos and Unity engines – both relatively easy to learn, with low barriers to entry, making them ideal for small startups.

But since they were aiming to create a game on par with AAA titles, and considering the long development cycle, "Black Myth: Wukong" needed to ensure its graphics would remain competitive for years. The Unreal Engine was the obvious choice.

This decision came with a steep learning curve. The entire team, including Feng Ji and Yang Qi, had to start learning Unreal Engine from scratch, embracing the challenge of mastering the hardest tools.

Switching to a new engine also created staffing challenges. The team initially planned to complete the design for a monster every two weeks, but development progress was slower than expected. Adapting to the new engine significantly increased the difficulty of the project, with numerous technical challenges extending the timeline.

Yang Qi believes the biggest challenge is that things that seem effortless can become puzzling due to inexperience, often leading to frustrating roadblocks.

"It's like an exam – you can't let a tough question hold you up. Skip it and move on, or you'll end up with a blank paper."

The team realized that hiring was imperative, and they needed to recruit the best talent to overcome these hurdles. This was one of the key reasons why they decided to release the first trailer for "Black Myth: Wukong" in August 2020, not just to build hype, but to attract the skilled professionals they needed.

Managing expectations amid the hype

The story surrounding the release of the first trailer can be summed up as "six years of quiet work, followed by overnight fame."

The trailer's success was beyond anyone's wildest dreams. The team had only hoped to earn some praise within the gaming community, but the response was overwhelming.

"Black Myth: Wukong" went viral in a single day, with its popularity sweeping across major social media and short video platforms in China. The trailer received over 10 million views on Bilibili alone (now surpassing 55 million), a level of attention typically reserved for blockbuster titles from established global developers.

Because Game Science hinted at their need for more staff in the trailer, their inbox was flooded with over 100,000 resumes in just a couple of days.

A Game Science partner told Jiemian News that during those days, the office was inundated with job seekers, investors, collaborators, and interview requests from media outlets, to the point where it disrupted the team's regular schedule. At one point, they even drew the curtains to keep curious onlookers from peeking in.

The original intent of releasing the trailer was to recruit talent and raise awareness within the industry. But now, external expectations were sky-high.

Game Science suddenly realized that "Black Myth: Wukong" had already become a legend before it was even released.

Yang Qi reminded the team to return to the mindset they had before the trailer was released–relax when needed, not to get carried away by praise, and avoid overworking in a frenzy of enthusiasm.

Since "Black Myth" is the main title, it means there will be more games after Wukong. For the team, this is just the beginning.

Thus, before the official release, Game Science repeatedly urged the media and players to provide feedback, actively managing public expectations and refusing to be mythologized.

The core team was concerned that overly high expectations might prevent players from objectively experiencing the game, as over-hype can be one of the greatest risks for a startup.

Despite these concerns, "Black Myth: Wukong" was released on August 20 this year, creating a massive stir. While its quality will still need to withstand the scrutiny of a broad player base, the game's significance extends beyond that – it marks a pivotal moment, signaling that players can now anticipate more AAA titles emerging from China.