Internet is furious over Chinese video game as critics condemn censorship

HONG KONG — A newly released video game from China topped charts around the world on Wednesday and was hailed as a breakthrough for global representation of Chinese culture, even as foreign gamers raised concerns about possible censorship during promotions for the game.

Loosely inspired by the 16th-century Chinese classic epic Journey to the West, action RPG Black Myth: Wukong has become a gaming sensation, receiving praise both at home and abroad for its stunning graphics and portrayal of Chinese culture and mythology. Its developer, Game Science, is backed by Chinese tech giant Tencent, China's largest video game publisher.

Players awaken in the game as a magical monkey who can take the form of other animals and human-like characters. They then embark on an arduous journey battling monsters and discovering the six relics of Wukong, the Monkey King, which enhance the character's various powers.

Within hours of its release on Tuesday, “Black Myth: Wukong” was the global top seller on Steam, an online distribution platform where the game can be downloaded and played starting at $59.99. At its peak on Wednesday, it was being played simultaneously by 2.2 million people, more than any other game on the platform.

Experts say the long-awaited game, which has raised tens of millions of dollars in pre-sales, marks a turning point for China's gaming industry. In the past, the industry has struggled with regulatory challenges and policy changes that have limited play time and the ability to make in-game purchases for some players, as authorities seek to combat gaming addiction, particularly among young people.

However, the game had already caused controversy before its release, as well-known game testers who had advance access to it reported that they were instructed not to talk about certain topics during the game's live stream.

A Google document provided to them by Hero Games, the Beijing-based company responsible for marketing the game, listed a “do” (“Enjoy the game!”) and a series of “don'ts.”

These included the use of “trigger words” such as “quarantine,” “isolation,” and “Covid-19,” as well as discussions about politics, “feminist propaganda,” and “other content that incites negative discourse.”

The Covid-19 pandemic remains a sensitive issue in China, where mass protests broke out in late 2022 against the ruling Chinese Communist Party's strict “zero-Covid” restrictions. The government is also cracking down on efforts to promote women's rights.

The reviewers were also asked not to discuss the policies of the Chinese gaming industry.

“This is not normal,” said Benoit Reinier, a well-known French gaming YouTuber and journalist who goes by the name Ex Serv.

The campaign guidelines were communicated to Reinier and others as a condition for receiving a virtual key to download the game early.

“By using the game key and creating content, you acknowledge that you have been informed of the following policies and that any statements made are your own and do not refer to our marketing team,” said an email to Reinier from a Hero Games representative dated Saturday and viewed by NBC News.

“When a studio sends out recommendations through a PR agency to avoid 'negative discourse,' that's a big red flag to me,” Reinier told NBC News in an email.

Game Science and Hero Games did not respond to requests for comment.

“Black Myth: Wukong” is considered China’s first “AAA” game, a classification used to describe high-budget and high-profile games that are often referred to as blockbusters.

Although mobile games like Genshin Impact have gained popularity around the world in recent years, the true success of Chinese game developers on consoles and PCs has yet to be seen.

“Regulatory uncertainty has always been an overhang,” said Ivan Su, a Hong Kong-based senior equity analyst at Morningstar.

But recently, he said, “Chinese game studios have obviously increased their performance.”

The game's success was celebrated by Chinese state media, which called it an “intercultural bridge.”

“Chinese players have gone through this process of cross-cultural understanding in the past, now it is the turn of foreign players to learn about and understand traditional Chinese culture,” CCTV, China's state broadcaster, said in a blog post on its WeChat account on Wednesday.

In a sign of the government's enthusiasm, CCTV highlighted the game in its evening news broadcast on Tuesday, while Xinhua, China's state news agency, released a 32-minute video interview with the developers.

“They don’t usually do this,” Su said.

He said the state media coverage “says a lot about the government's attitude towards the sector. Things are definitely moving in the right direction for the industry.”

When asked about the game on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she knew nothing about it but its success “reflects the appeal of Chinese culture.”

The game is also a huge success on Chinese social media: on Weibo, corresponding hashtags have been viewed over 2 billion times.

“You have ridden horses in the American West, been a pirate in Europe, a soldier on foreign battlefields, and an assassin in Egypt. Now you can finally return home and be your own hero,” said one comment.

“This is China’s soft power cultural export, and everyone should support it.”