What you need to know
- Black Myth: Wukong is an upcoming action-adventure title from Game Science.
- Based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, Black Myth: Wukong’s stunning visuals and tight battles make it highly anticipated.
- Unfortunately, the Xbox version of the game has been “delayed for improvements” on June 7, 2024, to an unspecified date.
- Microsoft has provided a rare statement regarding the delay, adding some ambiguity to the proceedings.
Black Myth: Wukong is a stunning-looking upcoming adventure game from the new Game Science studio, based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. The player takes charge of a martial arts-wielding monkey known as the Destined One, based on Sun Wukong from the novel. Described as a boss rush game, Black Myth: Wukong was previously scheduled to arrive on Xbox Series
Developer Game Science showed off a new trailer for Black Myth: Wukong at this year’s Summer Game Fest 2024 in Los Angeles, and the Xbox Series Later, the company confirmed in its FAQ that the Xbox version had been “delayed to make improvements.”
“We are currently improving the Xbox Series science game said, “So it will not be released simultaneously with other platforms. We apologize for the delay and aim to reduce the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date once our quality standards are met.”
The news has led to a wave of speculation that the Xbox Series The Xbox Series S in particular has previously been blamed for game delays, particularly Baldur’s Gate 3, which dropped split-screen co-op in order to push the game out. The Xbox Series S has less RAM and GPU capacity than the Xbox Series The console has proven popular as a less expensive option for millions, although it is often blamed for situations like the above.
I’ve asked both Microsoft and Game Science for comment on the “improvements” issue, seeking some clarity. Was the Xbox Series S to blame? Game Science did not respond, but this morning, a Microsoft spokesperson provided the statement below.
“We’re excited to launch Black Myth Wukong on Xbox Series The focus of that.”
Microsoft is clearly aware of the rumors that Black Myth: Wukong has received some sort of exclusivity deal. Most people, myself included, thought the Xbox Series S was likely the culprit from the beginning. But maybe there is more to it than that – and maybe there isn’t.
Exclusive deal or Xbox Series S issues?
Whispers and rumors caught on while I was in Los Angeles for the Xbox Showcase 2024 that despite assurances of improvement, Game Science has already taken some form of exclusivity deal with PlayStation for Black Myth: Wukong. Reading between the lines, Microsoft seems to be hinting at the possibility of some form of third-party exclusivity deal, though it stops short of explicitly stating so.
if Which He is In this case, a retroactive exclusivity deal like this is problematic for a few reasons, especially when you’ve already announced which platforms your game will be coming to. The delay for “optimization” reasons is also an issue for Microsoft and Xbox, as it reinforces the narrative that Xbox is not a priority for developers, and increases speculation that developers are finding it difficult to get to grips with the Xbox Series S. If Black Myth: Wukong does strike an exclusivity deal, it will It is in Sony’s interest to raise doubts about the Xbox platform by keeping the details of the deal secret.
Related: Xbox Games leads Matt Booty’s talks on exclusives, Xbox Game Pass, and more
Game Science is a new, independent studio. It’s not uncommon for independent bands to strike exclusive deals to boost their cash flow. Microsoft has a variety of exclusive deals in a similar way, including the Pokemon-like Palworld. What might make less sense is throwing Microsoft under the bus in order to save face with the public disappointed by the delay. Dozens of articles and YouTube videos blame the Xbox Series S for Black Myth: Wukong’s delay has emerged in the wake of the delay statement, creating another wave of doubt around the Xbox Series X|S platform. I’d like to hear more details from Game Science about exactly what caused the Xbox to crash on their end, if it was indeed an Xbox Series S, but I’m not sure we’ll get anything official.
Whatever the hard truth, it’s ultimately up to Microsoft to solve the issues developers have with the Xbox platform, and ensure that Xbox customers are still able to receive content at an equal pace to its competitors. Capcom recently announced a bunch of ports of classic games, which won’t be coming exclusively to Xbox Series X|S, for example.
After all, we’ve been here before with Xbox, and we’ll likely be here again as Xbox remains in third place. A truly impressive list of upcoming Xbox games was revealed at the 2024 Xbox Games Show, meaning Xbox fans will have enough to play in the coming months. It looks like Black Myth: Wukong, for whatever reason, won’t be among them.
Black Myth: Wukong launches on August 20, 2024 for Windows PC and PS5, with the Xbox Series
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