Black Myth: Zhong Kui, Game Science's follow-up to Black Myth: Wukong, has finally shown real gameplay. The Hangzhou-based studio released a 15-minute trailer on August 20th, exactly one year after first revealing the project at Gamescom Opening Night Live in 2025, where Game Science described Zhong Kui as a game meant to deliver distinctive experiences and gameplay features while bringing fresh ideas and necessary changes to address past flaws. The footage marks the first substantial look at combat, exploration, and story since that initial cinematic teaser, giving fans a closer look at gameplay mechanics previously hidden behind a single reveal. Reaction across gaming outlets has been overwhelmingly positive, with several previewers calling the visuals among the best they've seen from a game running on Unreal Engine 5.
Unlike Wukong's staff-based acrobatic style, Black Myth Zhong Kui's protagonist wields a sword and martial arts, favoring heavier strikes, dodges, and counters. The trailer showcases a default parry-and-counterattack system, a notable departure from Wukong, where parrying required the specific Rock Solid ability rather than existing as a baseline mechanic. A stance and charge bar in the bottom-right UI fills as the protagonist hits, parries, or dodges enemies, functioning similarly to Wukong's heavy-attack stance meter, though the moveset shown suggests players may need to build up that charge before unleashing certain sword techniques.
Yes, the trailer shows the protagonist imbuing his blade with fire mid-combat, along with paper talismans used as part of his moveset. A separate moment shows his weapon charged with lightning instead, suggesting players can switch elemental properties depending on the encounter, echoing the transformation and spirit mechanics that made Wukong stand out among other action RPGs.
Per Global Times, Black Myth: Zhong Kui is a single-player action RPG rooted in the folktale "Zhong Kui Banishing Evil," set against the backdrop of the classic Chinese folktale and rooted in ancient Chinese fantasy. In the best-known version of the legend, Zhong Kui was a scholar who passed the imperial examinations but was rejected by the emperor over his appearance, later dying in anger and being appointed a supernatural official tasked with driving away ghosts and evil spirits. His image has since become a folk talisman against evil across Chinese tradition, though no official historical records establish him as a real person. Where Wukong drew from the classic novel Journey to the West, Game Science chose Zhong Kui to explore a different tone and fresh approaches to world-building, describing the choice as a natural choice following its first Black Myth work's success.
The story of Zhong Kui in Chinese mythology traces back to the Tang Dynasty and a legend involving Emperor Xuanzong. The emperor fell gravely ill and dreamed of a small demon stealing his belongings, only for a fierce, sword-wielding figure to appear, capture the thief, and devour it before introducing himself as Zhong Kui. After waking cured, the emperor commissioned court painter Wu Daozi to create a portrait of his dream protector, and that image became the template still used across traditional Chinese culture and ancient Chinese mythology today.
Beyond combat, the trailer includes glimpses of the protagonist playing traditional Chinese music with an ensemble, a woman applying makeup to a man, a spirit-catching activity, walking mushroom-like creatures, and a small spirit bathing in a boiling pot. It closes with a figure, likely Zhong Kui himself, riding a large tiger-like beast across the landscape. One Bilibili commenter noted the game appears to be moving beyond Wukong's predominantly dark aesthetic, adding everyday touches like cooking and fishing for what they called a more human feel.
Game Science first revealed Black Myth: Zhong Kui, the second installment in the Black Myth series, at Gamescom Opening Night Live in August 2025, when the project was described as having virtually no gameplay to show, prompting the studio to release a CG short film instead so players in China and worldwide would know a new project had begun. A six-minute in-engine video followed in February 2026 as a non-canon Lunar New Year special. This August 20 release, posted to YouTube and the studio's official accounts, marks the most substantial look yet, with all footage captured from a work-in-progress build running at a 21:9 aspect ratio. The sequel may not arrive until 2028, and Game Science has stated it will not rush the project, address the flaws of its predecessor, or use AI in its development. At the game's original reveal, host Geoff Keighley also noted Black Myth: Wukong itself was not done yet, hinting at further DLC for the original game.
Yes, Game Science has confirmed Black Myth: Zhong Kui is planned for PC and what the studio describes as "mainstream console platforms," likely including PlayStation given Black Myth: Wukong's own console history, though no specific platforms, release date, or release window have been announced. Fans looking for updates should watch Game Science's official website and social gaming accounts rather than relying on unofficial leaks.
Reaction to the trailer has leaned heavily toward the visuals and character designs, with several fan comments on Game Science's own X post comparing the presentation to Netflix-level production value. Domestically, Chinese fans on Bilibili have focused on technical improvements in scenes, animation, and materials since Wukong's release, framing Zhong Kui as a clear step forward for the studio rather than a retread of the same worldview. Game Science founder Feng Ji also outlined a new set of development principles the same day, emphasizing that the studio should build games that genuinely move its own developers before worrying about business model concerns or audience reaction.
Yes, discussion is already active on Bilibili and Game Science's official X account, both cited above for early trailer reaction. Reddit's r/BlackMythWukong subreddit also tracks Zhong Kui news alongside Wukong content, and dedicated fan wikis have begun cataloging mythology and gameplay details from each new trailer.
Olivia Blake · Editor
Editor
