2024 has been a great year for gaming already, but some of its biggest releases have still yet to come out. Among them is Black Myth: Wukong — a new action RPG from developer Game Science that currently sits at the top of Steam's most-wishlisted games list. It's been in development since 2018, but now, six years later, it's finally launching to plenty of hype and fanfare on Windows PC and PS5 (an Xbox Series X|S version is coming at a later date).
Naturally, many people are wondering when specifically they'll be able to jump into Black Myth: Wukong now that it's almost here, and luckily, that information has recently been made available along with preloads for the game, storage requirements, and more. Without further ado, here's what you need to know about its release date, launch time, and more.
What is Black Myth: Wukong?
In case you haven't heard about it before, let me give you a brief rundown of what you need to know about Black Myth: Wukong. At its core, it's a single player third-person melee ARPG that emphasizes aggressive and offensive play, with players able to weave unique spells and all-important dodges into rapid and lengthy attack combos. You'll gradually unlock gear upgrades and new abilities to use as you progress through the game, with the former improving your stats and the latter giving you a variety of ways to approach combat situations.
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It's important to note that while the game has been said to be difficult and has features like a stamina-based combat system and enemy-respawning checkpoints, Black Myth: Wukong is not truly a Soulslike. Given that it has skill trees, item rarity, one main weapon, and predominantly linear levels, it's more of a traditional action RPG with Soulslike elements. It also seems like a boss rush, with cinematic and climactic battles appearing to be its main focus.
Another thing to know is that Black Myth: Wukong is directly based on the Chinese classical novel Journey to the West, which is one of the most popular pieces of literature in Asia. With strong connections to Chinese mythology and a protagonist who's based on one of the book's main characters, Sun Wukong, the title is expected to have a strong focus on writing and narrative.
Preorders for Black Myth: Wukong are available now for $59.99 at Steam, the Epic Games Store, WeGame, and the PlayStation Store, though you can actually get it for just $52.69 at CDKeys thanks to a deal that storefront is currently running. For more on how CDKeys works and why it's legitimate, check out our CDKeys FAQ.
Black Myth: Wukong — Release date and launch time
Fans excited for Game Science's ARPG don't have to wait long to play it now, as Black Myth: Wukong's release date is scheduled for August 20, 2024 — at the time of writing, that's under a week away. However, depending on where you live in the world, you might actually get access to it late on the evening of August 19.
The reason why this is the case is because developer Game Science is based in China, and as a result, Black Myth: Wukong's 10:00 a.m. launch time was chosen in China Standard Time (UTC+8). That means its release is slated for 7:00 p.m. PT / 10:00 p.m. ET on August 19 in the US. Below, you'll find a table that shows when precisely Black Myth: Wukong will unlock in major time zones across the world:
Note that if you don't see your region's time zone in this table, you can use this handy time zone converter to figure out when you'll get access. It compares your time zone with all others automatically, making the conversion process quick and easy.
Does Black Myth: Wukong have an Early Access period?
While many new AAA games have Early Access periods that allow Deluxe Edition buyers to jump in several days early, this is not the case with Black Myth: Wukong. Instead, Deluxe Edition owners get access to some exclusive armor and weapon cosmetics. Additionally, they'll also be able to play the digital soundtrack from the game's main menu.
Black Myth: Wukong — Launch countdown
How to preload Black Myth: Wukong
Preloading — a feature that enables players to download and install a game in advance of its full release — is an option developers have offered increasingly often in recent years. While it's useful for everyone that wants to start playing as soon as a game unlocks, it's particularly valuable for folks who have slow internet connections.
Unfortunately, there hasn't been any official word on whether Black Myth: Wukong will be able to be preloaded or not — even now, when we're under a week away from its launch. That means preloading may not be an option, though it's also possible that preloads will be announced at the same time they're pushed live (likely 48-72 hours ahead of launch). I'll be sure to update this section with any new information that comes.
Black Myth: Wukong — Storage requirements
Thanks to the release of Black Myth: Wukong's PC system requirements, it's been confirmed that you'll need 130GB of hard drive space in order to download and install the game on your PC. The ARPG's size on PS5 isn't currently known, but PlayStation players will likely need a similar amount of free storage. Note that Game Science recommends using an SSD for faster load times, though doing so isn't required.
Black Myth: Wukong is considerably bigger than many other modern single player titles, so you might need to get one of the best SSDs to add more space or free up some hard drive space for the game. A great way to do the latter on PC or PS5 is to uninstall games you're not actively playing, especially if they're very large.
Black Myth: Wukong is one of the biggest upcoming games of 2024, and has the potential to be one of the best PC games and best Xbox games (whenever it does finally come to Microsoft's consoles). It's scheduled to launch on Steam, the Epic Games Store, WeGame, and PS5 on August 20, 2024, and preorders for it are live now.
