Black Myth: Wukong, a Chinese action RPG based on the classic legend of the Monkey King, has taken the gaming world by storm, achieving unprecedented success on Steam. Within just 24 hours of its release, the game garnered over 2 million players, making it the most-played singleplayer game on the platform in history. This staggering number even places Black Myth: Wukong as the third most-played game overall on Steam, trailing behind only PUBG and Palworld.
The game’s popularity is undoubtedly fueled by the massive Chinese gaming market, with approximately 88% of Steam’s game owners based in China, according to analyst group Game Discover Co. The game’s developers, Game Science, have strategically leveraged the Chinese player base, with significant marketing efforts in the country, even receiving coverage on national news channels, as noted by Niko Partners director Daniel Ahmad. It’s important to note that this data does not include Tencent’s WeGame platform, a Chinese equivalent of Steam, or the game’s performance on PlayStation 5, suggesting an even larger overall player base.
During the peak of its launch day on August 19, 2024, Black Myth: Wukong’s players accounted for approximately 6.3% of all active Steam users. This record-breaking performance, coupled with its top position in Steam’s charts for both sales and concurrent players, signifies a massive success for the game. The impressive numbers suggest that the game’s popularity is set to significantly benefit major gaming platforms like Steam, Tencent’s WeGame, and PlayStation 5, highlighting the potential of the Chinese gaming market.
