Black Myth Wukong has sold 18 million copies in only two weeks — marking one of the biggest video game launches in history.
The dark fantasy RPG’s stellar debut saw it beat gaming titans Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Elden Ring, which scored openings of 10 million and 12 million, respectively.
Daniel Wu, a lynchpin in the development and success of Black Myth, shared the sales figures with Bloomberg.
Wu said the game was expected to score lifetime sales of 30 million.
What are the best-selling video games of all time?
If it were to reach those lofty heights, Black Myth would become the joint 21st best-selling game of all time, alongside 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Diablo III, and Stardew Valley.
The biggest video games of all time based on sales are as follows:
- Minecraft: 350 million copies
- Grand Theft Auto V: 200 million copies
- Wii Sports: 82.9 million copies
- PUBG: Battlegrounds: 75 million copies
- Mario Kart 8 / Deluxe: 71.36 million copies
- Red Dead Redemption 2: 65 million copies
- Terraria: 58.7 million copies
- Super Mario Bros.: 58 million copies
- Overwatch: 50 million copies
- Tetris (Game Boy / NES): 48 million copies
- Pokémon Red / Green / Blue / Yellow: 47.52 million copies
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 45.85 million copies
- Wii Fit / Plus: 43.8 million copies
- Pac-Man: 42 million copies
- Mario Kart Wii: 37.38 million copies
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 34.66 million copies
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: 33.75 million copies
- Wii Sports Resort: 33.14 million copies
- New Super Mario Bros.: 30.8 million copies
What is Black Myth Wukong?
Inspired by one of the most influential works of East Asian literature, Journey to the West, Black Myth puts players in control of the Monkey King (aka Sun Wukong), an ape with magical powers.
The story follows Wukong as he embarks on a perilous journey through a reimagined ancient China, encountering mythical creatures along the way who are looking for a scrap.
Black Myth has been compared to the likes of Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls — three classics of the fledgling soulslike sub-genre, known for its gothic fantasy character design and fiendishly challenging combat.
However, the game deviates from its predecessors in several ways. Combat is faster and more fluid in Black Myth and it follows a linear structure rather than offering a fully interconnected world.
Additionally, players primarily use a single weapon, Sun Wukong's staff, which contrasts with the abundance of those found in many Soulslikes.
The game is the brainchild of Chinese developer Game Science, which counts Wu’s firm Heor Games as one of its main investors.
The former has emphasised that Black Myth is not a soulslike, highlighting its unique approach and cultural inspirations from Chinese mythology.
How successful is Black Myth Wukong?
The staggering success of Black Myth, which sold 10 million copies in its first three days, is making waves in China and worldwide.
This marks a turning point for China's video game industry. Strict regulations and a focus on mobile gaming have long hampered its growth.
After Beijing's 2021 clampdown on game approvals and limits on minors' playtime, releasing an AAA title of Wukong’s scale is a bold statement.
With more than 600 million gamers in China alone, the market potential is vast — and Wukong’s success demonstrates that China is ready to compete on the global stage.
Will there be a Black Myth Wukong DLC?
Wu confirmed to Bloomberg that a Black Myth: Wukong DLC is in development, with the studio hoping it will trigger a similar surge in sales as the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion did for Elden Ring earlier this year.
Rumours about the new content have abounded for weeks. They have suggested a summer 2025 announcement, potentially timed to the game’s first anniversary on August 20.
Game Science aims to launch 2 DLC's for BM:W before the release of their next game, Black Myth: Jiang Ziya.
— Lunatic Ignus (@ignusthewise) September 2, 2024
The game was meant to have 13 chapters, but they released only 6 longer chapters because of the budget.
Join my Discord for more info
Thank you!https://t.co/yweRAvgMt7 pic.twitter.com/VPIdYjspff
Leakers have mentioned the existence of two DLCs that could include some of the content left out of the original game. Black Myth was initially planned to include 13 chapters but was reportedly scaled back to six due to budget constraints.
The future expansions might finally deliver some of that edited gameplay, with audio files reportedly hinting at appearances from legendary figures including Buddha, the Jade Emperor, and Nezha.
One particularly intriguing rumour is the inclusion of the Bull King (one of the main villains from Journey to the West), as a boss or a playable character.
