Why is there so much fuss about this Chinese video game?

A campaign against anthropomorphic monkeys and “feminist propaganda” has erupted in the video game community this week, following the launch of the most successful Chinese title of all time.

Many players were outraged after the developers of Black Myth: Wukong sent players a list of topics to avoid while livestreaming the game, including “feminist propaganda, fetishism, and other negative content.”

Still, within 24 hours of its release on Tuesday, it became the second-most-played game of all time on streaming platform Steam, garnering more than 2.1 million concurrent players and selling more than 4.5 million copies.

The game is based on the 16th century Chinese classic novel “Journey to the West” and is seen as a rare example of popular media airing a Chinese story on an international stage.

Black Myth: Wukong is a single-player action game in which players take on the role of a “destined man,” an anthropomorphic ape with supernatural powers.

“Soulmate” is based on the character of Sun Wukong, or Son Goku, a major character from “Journey to the West.”

Considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Chinese literature, the novel is heavily influenced by Chinese mythology, as well as Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist folklore.

The work has inspired hundreds of international films, television shows and manga, including the popular Japanese anime series Dragon Ball Z and the 2008 Chinese-American fantasy film Forbidden Kingdom.

“Black Myth” was first announced in August 2020 with a highly-anticipated teaser trailer, and was released on Tuesday after four years of anticipation.

This is the first AAA title (a title usually given to big-budget games by major companies) in China’s video game industry.

High-end graphics, sophisticated game design, enthusiastic promotion, and the size of China’s gaming community, one of the largest in the world, have all contributed to the game’s success.

“This is not just a Chinese game targeted at the Chinese market or Chinese-speaking audiences,” Haiqing Yu, a professor at RMIT University in Australia who specialises in the socio-political and economic impact of Chinese digital media, told the BBC.

“Players around the world [are playing] It is a game with Chinese cultural elements.”

This is a great source of national pride for the country.

The culture and tourism bureau of Shanxi province, home to many locations and sets featured in the game, released a video on Tuesday showcasing real-world landmarks, sparking a surge in tourism that has been dubbed “Goku tourism.”

Videos posted to TikTok after Black Myth’s release showed tourists flocking to the temples and shrines featured in the game, with one X user describing it as a “successful example of cultural rediscovery.”

Niko Partners, a firm that researches and analyzes Asian video game markets and consumers, similarly noted that Black Miss “helps introduce Chinese mythology, traditions, culture and real places in China to the world.”

Ahead of Black Myth’s release, some content creators and streamers said that a company partnering with the developer had sent them a list of topics they should avoid discussing while livestreaming the game, which included “feminist propaganda, fetishism, and other content that promotes negative narratives.”

It’s not clear what “feminist propaganda” exactly meant, but a widely circulated report published by video game magazine IGN in November revealed a history of sexist and inappropriate behavior by employees at Game Science, the studio behind Black Myth.

Other topics specified as “not to do” in the document, which was widely shared on social media and YouTube, included politics, the coronavirus and China’s video game industry policies.

The directive, issued by co-publisher Hero Games, has sparked controversy outside China.

Several content creators have refused to review the game, claiming that the developers are trying to censor discussion and stifle free speech.

Some chose to directly defy the warning.

A creator with the username “Moonmoon” started a Black Myth Twitch stream titled “Covid-19 Quarantine Taiwan (actual country) Feminist Propaganda.” Another streamer, Rui Zhong, debated China’s one-child policy on camera while playing the game.

Chinese social media platform Weibo on Thursday banned 138 users it deemed to be violating its guidelines when discussing Black Myth.

According to an article in state-run news site Global Times, many of the banned Weibo users “did not discuss the game itself, but instead used it as a platform to spread ‘anti-gender’, ‘personal attacks’ and other irrational comments.”

The controversy garnered significant attention in international media and online, but did not dent or diminish Black Miss’s overwhelmingly positive reviews.

The game grossed $53 million in pre-sales alone and sold an additional 4.5 million copies within 24 hours of release, breaking the record for the most played single-player title released on Steam in that same time period.

There has been a flood of comments on platforms like Weibo, Reddit and YouTube celebrating the game’s success, with many pointing out that the impact of the controversy surrounding the game’s release has been exaggerated.

Yu agreed, calling Black Miss a “success for the industry and the market as a whole.”

“When it comes to Chinese digital media and communication platforms, of course there is talk of censorship,” she said. “Black Miss is an example of how to successfully tell Chinese stories and expand the influence of Chinese culture globally, without any censorship being found there.”

Yu also said that the apparent attempt to steer or censor reviewers’ comments did not come from Chinese authorities themselves, suggesting instead that it was more likely that companies trying to avoid trouble had issued lists of “dos and don’ts.”

“The reason the company issues the notice is so that if someone from the central government comes to talk to the company they can say, ‘Look, I’ve already told them, I can’t stop people from saying what they want to say’.”

“They basically, in slang, cleaned up their own messes,” she concluded. “I see this as a politically correct gesture towards Chinese censors, rather than a real directive from the top down.”