Game Science released the first 15-minute gameplay demo for Black Myth: Zhong Kui on August 20, marking the second anniversary of Black Myth: Wukong’s launch.
The video, released at 10 a.m, showed the protagonist in combat for the first time, alongside several story sequences. It quickly climbed the trending lists on Weibo and Bilibili, and the Bilibili upload was approaching one million views about 50 minutes after release, according to 36Kr.
Game Science said the footage was captured from a work-in-progress build running at a 21:9 aspect ratio. The game remains in an early stage of development, and the studio cautioned that the final release may differ from what was shown.
Black Myth: Wukong launched globally on August 20, 2024, becoming one of the most prominent Chinese-developed blockbuster games to reach an international audience. According to 36Kr, the game has since sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and generated more than USD 1 billion in revenue. It also won “Best Action Game” at The Game Awards in December 2024.
A year later, at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 20, 2025, Game Science unveiled the first cinematic teaser for Black Myth: Zhong Kui. The video ran for less than two minutes and introduced Zhong Kui riding a tiger.
That same day, the official Black Myth: Wukong Bilibili account was renamed “Black Myth.” The move was widely interpreted as a sign that Game Science intended to build a broader universe.
On February 10, ahead of Lunar New Year, the studio released another six-minute video billed as gameplay footage. Rather than showing controllable gameplay, combat, or Zhong Kui himself, the video depicted a woman preparing a monster as a traditional-style dish.
Co-founder Feng Ji joked at the time that the studio had “basically made nothing,” but the video was still widely read as a showcase of the project’s visual quality. It exceeded one million views on Bilibili within an hour, per 36Kr.
The new 15-minute demo marks a clearer step forward. Compared with the early development cycle of Black Myth: Wukong, Game Science appears to have reached a substantial gameplay reveal for Zhong Kui more quickly.
During the first overseas stop of the Black Myth: Wukong symphonic concert in Los Angeles in July, Game Science told media that Black Myth: Zhong Kui would center on the theme of life and death and use a more direct narrative than Wukong.
The studio also said Zhong Kui would fight with a sword rather than Wukong’s staff, while the art direction would retain the series’ realistic style. Game Science said it plans to release at least one trailer each year to update players on development.
In early August, art director Yang Qi responded to questions about artificial intelligence on social media, saying the team would continue developing without AI for now. He also suggested that the August 20 update would be routine and would not include a full gameplay demonstration.
The studio ultimately released 15 minutes of combat footage. It is the first official video to show Zhong Kui fighting, filling one of the main gaps left by the two earlier teasers and giving players a clearer view of the game’s combat and story direction.
After the demo was released, some members of the gaming community began speculating that a 2028 launch could be possible. Game Science has not announced a release date.
RELATED ARTICLE
There was also no update on downloadable content for Black Myth: Wukong. Feng has previously said the title’s story would not end there, but the new Zhong Kui project appears to have taken priority.
A year after Black Myth: Zhong Kui was announced with little more than a cinematic teaser, Game Science now has a lengthy gameplay demo in public view. The second major entry in the Black Myth universe is beginning to take more concrete shape.
KrASIA features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Liu Shiwu for 36Kr.