Black Myth: Zhong Kui - official announcement from Game Science, gameplay and community reaction (2026)

Information is current as of August 2026.

Studio Game Science, which gave the world Black Myth: Wukong, officially presented a new project - Black Myth: Zhong Kui. A full announcement with a gameplay trailer took place at the exhibition China Joy 2026 in Shanghai, and in the first 24 hours the video received more than 30 million views.

Announcement at ChinaJoy 2026

After the mysterious teaser last year, many were waiting for details - and they got it. On the main stage of ChinaJoy, the developers showed a seven-minute video: the main character Zhong Kui, the legendary demon catcher from Chinese folklore, fights the creatures of darkness in a snowy city of the Tang era. The game is scheduled for release in 2027, platforms - PC and PlayStation 5, a version for Xbox Series X|S will appear later.

Three dimensional system

Key mechanics of the game - three dimensions: the world of the living, the world of spirits and the Lower Kingdom. Zhong Kui can switch between them in real time during battle. An enemy who is invulnerable in the world of the living may be defenseless in the world of spirits, and some mysteries can only be solved in the Lower Realm. The developers promise that transitions between dimensions will be seamless - without loading screens.

Seals of Zhong Kui

The second pillar of the combat system is Stamps. The hero seals the souls of defeated demons in scrolls, and then uses their power: some Seals provide active abilities (for example, summoning a fire tiger), others - passive enhancements. In total, the game promises more than 60 unique Seals, and combinations of three active ones determine the fighting style.

Tough combat in the spirit of Sekiro

Unlike the acrobatic Wukong, Zhong Kui fights hard and methodical. The emphasis is on parrying, counterattacking and breaking the enemy's stance - journalists who tested the demo on ChinaJoy compare the combat to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The hero has a massive jian sword and the physical “weight” of each blow: the animations are slower, but every miss is punished.

Scanning real temples

Game Science repeated its signature technique: dozens of real locations were scanned for the game - Taoist temples in Shaanxi province, Longmen grottoes and ancient tombs. The studio’s art director said that Zhong Kui would be the team’s “most photographic” project: the demo on Unreal Engine 5 showed snow storms and night scenes that viewers mistook for live footage.

Community reaction

In the Telegram channel "Chinese Games" (18 thousand subscribers) write: “Wukong was a warm-up. The measurement system looks like something that all the soulslices of recent years have been missing." On Reddit, a post with a trailer was collected 4.5 thousand upvotes per day: “Game Science has understood the formula - not to chase trends, but to dig deeper into your folklore.”

Localization is discussed in Russian VK communities: “The main thing is that the Russian translation is not cut, as in the first Wukong patches. There will be an ocean of texts there - the entire bestiary of demons based on Chinese myths.”

Fans' skepticism

There was some criticism. Some fans fear that the studio has set the bar too ambitious: “Three dimensions, 60 seals, an open world - Wukong was barely optimized for release. I’m afraid Zhong Kui will come out raw.” Others are confused by the change of character: “I wanted a continuation of Sun Wukong’s story, not a new character.” The developers answer that Zhong Kui is an independent story, but the universe is one, and there will be references to Wukong in the game.

Sources: Game Science presentation at ChinaJoy 2026, Telegram “Chinese Games”, Reddit r/BlackMyth, VK communities.