Last week, the Chinese video game “Black Myth: Wukong” reached 2.3 million concurrent players and sold 4.5 million copies in two days, making it the second-highest-selling game ever introduced on global video game platform Steam.
The emergence of this game, developed over the past seven years by Tencent-backed startup GameScience, is no coincidence: Whether intended by its designers or not, its global popularity is marking a major shift in Chinese society and its relationship with the world.
China is shifting its focus from manufacturing to entertainment, moving from connecting with the world through material goods to captivating global audiences with emotional, intangible stories.
For decades, Hollywood movies and Disney and Pixar animations have been the entertainment mainstay for billions of people around the world, and likely will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
Consumers in countries speaking many different languages have absorbed American aesthetics and storytelling styles through these blockbuster films.
Witty, violent, romantic, thrilling — all the elements that characterize dramatic stories produced in the United States have shaped the film culture of many around the world.
Although criticism of some unwholesome content continues, the superiority of American film culture cannot be overemphasized.
Storytelling that resonates
But the success of Black Myth: Wukong signals a shift in this dynamic. How could a 16th century tale of Sun Wukong be so successful?
This is certainly not because it is Chinese, but because the themes revealed in the myths resonate with people of all cultural backgrounds.
As the world currently finds itself in a state of uncertainty – war, economic instability, a worsening climate crisis and rising inequality – the story of Monkey King, rooted in the journey of a monk and his disciples searching for Buddhist scriptures in India, is more relevant than ever.
The game is based on the Chinese classic novel “Journey to the West,” with monsters, enemies, and opposing forces of various powers thwarting the protagonist's journey to collect Buddhist scriptures and reach the Pure Land.
But group courage, wisdom, justice, and teamwork will ultimately overcome the odds. Internal unity against these fearsome external forces is the strength the world desperately needs.
The game's themes of curbing uncontrollable desires, battling powerful celestial gods, and fighting injustice resonate with modern players.
These themes address issues such as economic inequality, environmental degradation and exploitation by powerful industries, making the story more than just a game – it reflects what society needs right now.
It is important to understand the content strategy behind such entertainment success, as some reports say the success of games is related to China's soft power, which is built by the media.
Without compelling content or the right platform, you won't get any attention. What makes your content compelling? Content that demonstrates a deep understanding of yourself and an equally deep knowledge of your audience.
China seems to have finally discovered the secret to creating content that sells globally. By re-examining its cultural heritage and recognizing its beauty and value, China's cultural industry developers have discovered that the secret toolkit lies within its own traditional culture.
State-led cultural trust
China's emphasis on traditional culture is reflected in national policy: the challenge of building cultural credibility was reaffirmed in the country's 14th Five-Year Plan, which sets out a goal of significantly enhancing China's cultural soft power by 2035.
The policy impacts university research, K-12 education, public knowledge, social media platforms, and more.
Instead of the castles and cathedrals common in Western video games, Goku incorporates Chinese temples, pagodas and gazebos, all based on centuries-old ruins, primarily in Shanxi province, known for its ancient wooden architecture.
Numerous scenes unfold in beautiful, realistic settings, including misty mountains, lush forests, Buddhist sculptures, crystal clear waters and ancient pine trees. Rooted in the aesthetics of Chinese painting and architecture, these landscapes build atmospheric and immersive scenes within the game.
The poetic quality elevates the player's experience from typical video game combat to a cultural appreciation.
Misty mountains and pine trees in a video from Black Myth: Wukong. Credit: GameScience
Many other Chinese games and animations have also achieved international success, such as the animated film “Chang'an,” which depicts the life of the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai.
Another animated film from the same company, “Legend of the White Snake,” is based on a famous legend about a romance between a human and a snake spirit who can transform into a beautiful woman.
Mobile games such as Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3, which have garnered millions of fans on the app store, have extensively incorporated traditional architecture, art, poetry, costumes, and even opera into their stories and scenes.
The rise of multimedia technology in China, and the associated increase in government funding and support, has effectively fueled the success of these cultural products. Chinese museums and cultural heritage sites are leveraging VR, metaverse and AI technologies to better engage with their audiences.
The Dunhuang Grottoes Museum has launched a successful e-museum and VR program, and in Sichuan province, they have created a digital scan and VR database of over 83 monuments dating from the 14th to 17th centuries.
In fact, “soft power” still relies on hard technology. The gaming industry is permeated with high-tech elements, from 3D scanning and high-end CPUs to high-resolution imagery, and these popular games reflect China's transition and commitment to investing not only money but also time in building technologies capable of crafting memorable global narratives.
This emphasis on futuristic science and technology coincides with the recent rise of Chinese science fiction on the global stage, including Liu Cixin's Netflix series “The Three-Body Problem,” Hao Jingfan's interstellar tale “Jump Notes,” and “AI 2041,” co-written by AI scientist and entrepreneur Li Kai-fu and sci-fi writer Chen Qiufan.
The issue of equity in growth
Goku's success is remarkable, but it also raises questions about how the economic benefits will be shared.
With production costs exceeding $50 million, the revenue generated is likely to go primarily to the tech giants and investors who back the game's developers, rather than to ordinary working-class Chinese and the heirs of the cultural heritage the game references.
Game developers should allocate funds to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the cultural sector, especially those that focus on preserving and promoting traditional arts and crafts.
Additionally, developers are required to participate in community-based projects that directly benefit local artisans, educators, and cultural institutions. For example, profits could support cultural preservation efforts, such as restoring heritage sites or funding traditional arts education in rural areas.
The Yun'gang Grottoes depicted in “Black Myth: The Monkey King.” Image: UNESCO
Additionally, it is essential to foster a more inclusive and collaborative environment within the games and cultural industries. By creating opportunities for smaller studios and independent creators to collaborate with larger companies, the industry can diversify its output and ensure a wider range of voices and talent is represented.
In the long term, for China, or any country, to truly enhance its soft power, it needs to foster an environment where not only cutting-edge technology and visually stunning storytelling can flourish, but also understated displays of cultural heritage can capture people's hearts and minds.
Historical heritage truly shines when the focus shifts from spectacle to cultural richness.
Gerui Wang is a lecturer and researcher at Stanford University where he teaches about AI and the cultural industries, with a particular focus on technology and East Asian culture.
