Black Myth: Wukong, a game developed by Chinese firm Game Science, has won the Best Action Game and Players' Voice awards at The Game Awards 2024, which are known as the Oscars of the gaming world. It also earned nominations for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, and Best Action Game. 
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"It is the support of the players that has allowed this Eastern myth about courage and wisdom to shine on such a grand stage," Jiang Baicun, a member of the game's development team, said at the awards ceremony held on Thursday (Los Angeles time).
"Culture must be understood as something living," Feng Ji, producer of Black Myth: Wukong and founder & CEO of Game Science, told the Global Times. "Without modern technology and efforts to make intangible cultural heritage engaging for today's audience, culture will become fragile."
Black Myth: Wukong is inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West and is an example of how modern technology can breathe new life into traditional culture.
"The game features a large number of elements related to traditional Chinese architecture, sculpture, and murals, faithfully recreating China's geographical landscapes and cultural treasures," Zhang Qing, from the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, told the Global Times. "With Black Myth: Wukong, modern games serve as a dynamic medium to preserve historical culture and share Chinese stories."
In recent years, China's gaming industry has experienced significant growth, particularly in terms of global influence. Games are no longer seen simply as entertainment but as powerful tools for cultural expression and storytelling.
According to the 2024 China Game Industry Report, China's gaming market achieved record-breaking sales revenue of 325.783 billion yuan ($44.758 billion) so far in 2024, up 7.53 percent year-on-year. Domestic game users totaled 674 million, up 0.94 percent from the previous year, marking another all-time high.
In 2024, the actual sales revenue of Chinese independently developed games in overseas markets has reached $18.557 billion so far, with year-on-year growth of 13.39 percent, marking the fifth consecutive year that revenue exceeded 100 billion yuan.
"As people see the success of Black Myth: Wukong, it could encourage more developers to pursue narrative-driven game design," Liu Mengfei, a game industry observer at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times.
"We believe that the Chinese gaming industry should focus on enhancing cultural expression and building systems that link culture with games," Liu said.
According to Liu, a country's gaming industry should be integrated with its own culture in order to be successful.
"I hope Black Myth: Wukong is not a one-hit wonder. The key is for the Chinese gaming industry to achieve global success through deeper cultural expression and sustainable development," she noted.
