The renowned game Black Myth: Wukong, hailed as China’s first AAA gaming triumph, is now facing unexpected competition—and controversy. A new side-scrolling game titled Wukong Sun: Black Legend has appeared on Nintendo’s eShop, available for preorder ahead of its December 26 release. The game has sparked outrage among Chinese social media users, who accuse it of copying the successful Black Myth: Wukong.
The Backlash on Social Media
The controversy erupted on Monday when posts criticizing Wukong Sun: Black Legend flooded Weibo, China’s equivalent of X (formerly Twitter). Within hours, the game’s name dominated trending discussions.
“Can you believe it? Black Myth: Wukong has been copied!” one Weibo user exclaimed, expressing disbelief. Another added, “Nintendo needs to take this down, just like they’ve done with pirated games before.” The game’s striking visual similarities to Black Myth: Wukong only fueled the growing outrage.
Gameplay Differences and Similarities
While Wukong Sun: Black Legend shares similar promotional artwork to Black Myth: Wukong, the gameplay offers stark differences. The former is a 2D side-scroller with simple sprite-based action, where players move left to right to battle enemies. In contrast, Black Myth: Wukong delivers a complex 3D action-adventure experience, featuring visually stunning graphics and intricate boss battles that offer a more immersive challenge.
Rooted in Chinese Mythology
Both games take inspiration from Journey to the West, the 16th-century Chinese literary classic. Black Myth: Wukong, developed by Game Science, delves into untold stories of the novel’s characters. Wukong Sun: Black Legend, on the other hand, claims to offer players the chance to “embark on an epic Journey to the West” and battle familiar mythological figures. However, many critics feel that the new game is merely exploiting the success of Black Myth: Wukong to attract attention, without offering much original content.
Accusations of Exploitation
Prominent Weibo users have denounced what they perceive as a troubling trend in the gaming industry—developers launching near-identical games in an attempt to ride on the coattails of successful titles. Pear Video, a well-known internet news outlet, accused developers of “reskinning small games and rebranding them with the names of popular games to deceive unsuspecting consumers.” A notable gaming blogger questioned how Nintendo would address the situation, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the game’s future on the platform.
The Role of Nintendo and Global Game Studio
Nintendo’s eShop allows developers to self-publish their games, creating an open marketplace for a variety of titles. Wukong Sun: Black Legend is listed as both developed and published by Global Game Studio, a relatively unknown company. The studio has previously released games in various genres, including sports, farming, and zombie shooting. Despite numerous inquiries, Global Game Studio has not responded to requests for comment.
Success of Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong has been a groundbreaking success for China’s gaming industry, selling over 20 million copies on Steam and generating more than $1 billion in revenue. Its breathtaking visuals and dynamic gameplay earned it a massive following, propelling it to the forefront of global gaming conversations. Despite this success, the game failed to win the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards, which led to backlash from its fervent fanbase.
Impact on the Gaming Industry
The controversy surrounding Wukong Sun: Black Legend highlights the ongoing issue of intellectual property infringement within the gaming industry. While copying successful games is not new, the swift backlash from fans indicates a growing demand for originality. The situation has placed pressure on platforms like Nintendo to ensure better vetting processes for third-party games to prevent the release of potential knock-offs.
