The “Black Myth” universe expands! The new Chinese mythological game “Black Myth: Zhong Kui” by Game Science

The “Black Myth” universe expands! The new Chinese mythological game “Black Myth: Zhong Kui” by Game Science, the studio behind the globally popular “Black Myth: Wukong”, made a grand finale appearance at the “Opening Night Live” of the Cologne Games Show, officially announcing the series’ new installment and revealing that it will offer the world’s first tryout at the 2025 Cologne Games Show, instantly igniting the global gaming community’s anticipation.

The Underworld Judge Returns to the Three Realms
The new work will focus on the legendary story of Zhong Kui, the “Demon-Slaying True Lord” in Chinese folk tales. According to the trailer, this game continues the series’ dark and realistic aesthetic style, presenting an ink-wash-like Underworld and ferocious evil spirits. The combat system features Zhong Kui using his “Demon-Slaying Sword Technique” and “Demon-Binding Rope”, and introduces an innovative “Judgment of Good and Evil” mechanism – players must decide the fate of demons during battles, and different choices will trigger multiple plot branches.

Evolution of Technical Power
Developed with the fully upgraded Unreal Engine 5.4 technology, the demo showcases a dynamic ghost and demon transformation system, real-time crumbling ancient building scenes, and environment interactions based on the Chinese Five Elements theory. The “Hundred Demons Scroll” collection system integrates AR technology, allowing players to unlock in-game demon encyclopedias by scanning real-world items with their phones.

Global Distribution Strategy Upgrade
Feng Ji, co-founder of Game Science, said in a video message: “Zhong Kui is not only a demon-slaying celestial master but also a cultural symbol carrying the Chinese concept of justice. We will use contemporary game language to let global players understand the Eastern philosophy of ‘slaying demons and protecting the good’.” This game will be the first to feature simultaneous Chinese and English dubbing, and plans to be co-published with overseas AAA studios.

Industry analyst Zhang Hongyi pointed out: “The success of ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ with over 10 million copies sold on Steam has paved the way for global distribution of the sequel. Choosing the Zhong Kui IP not only continues the Eastern mythological thread but also broadens the artistic expression boundaries through the theme of the Underworld.”

It is reported that the game’s development has entered the core content stage and is expected to be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms, with a cloud game version also in development. A 10,000-player trial event will be held at the 2025 Cologne Games Convention, and domestic players may get to experience the technical demo at next year’s Chingaji.

As of the time of publication, #BlackMythZhongKui# has topped the global trending topics on X (Twitter), and the first trailer has surpassed 2 million views on YouTube. This team based in Hangzhou is using keyboards and mice to reconstruct the world’s understanding of Eastern mythology.