The director of Black Myth: Wukong opened up about the personal crisis he faced after the game’s release and how plans for a DLC transformed into a brand-new title. More importantly, he left fans with a powerful promise: Sun Wukong will return – though nobody knows yet in what form.

Black Myth: Wukong wasn’t just a phenomenal game; it was crowned 2024’s Game of the Year. It became the most-played single-player title on Steam by concurrent users and swept community-voted awards. More than that, it reshaped the gaming landscape in China, inspiring numerous studios to pursue titles with the same DNA: punishing gameplay, Eastern mythology, and ambitious scope.

Wukong Will Return – But How?

Given that impact, fans naturally began clamoring for more Black Myth content, whether in the form of DLC or a full-fledged sequel revisiting the legend of the Monkey King. At Gamescom 2025’s opening showcase, the last announcement of the event was Black Myth: Zhong Kui, Game Science’s next step in what now looks like an established franchise. Excitement was high, but behind the scenes, another story was unfolding.

Director Feng Ji admitted he went through a “crisis” following Wukong’s release in August 2020. On Weibo, he revealed that the tension between expectations and self-doubt left him unsettled. Even so, he reassured fans that Wukong’s journey will continue, though the form it takes remains uncertain.

For now, Game Science is focusing on Black Myth: Zhong Kui, but Ji confessed to struggling after Wukong’s success: “What I really couldn’t shake off during that period was confusion, emptiness, and fear (I know it sounds melodramatic, don’t kill me). Even if I felt embarrassed about ‘not being able to feel happy,’ those emotions came in waves, especially when people bombarded me with questions: ‘Are you making DLC? Who will it feature? When will it release?’”

He pushed through professionally, but a turning point came when co-founder Yang Qi asked: “Wouldn’t you rather create something new than just a DLC?” That idea brought relief and convinced the team to pursue Black Myth: Zhong Kui instead.

“Sun Wukong Will Return in a More Complete Form”

“Those who asked for DLC were undoubtedly loyal fans of Black Myth: Wukong and Game Science, the same community that brought us here,” Ji acknowledged. “But the DLC, while not a bad choice, felt limited. We’d rather make a new chapter with a new hero, gameplay, visuals, technology, and story. We want to start fresh instead of being tied down to formulas.”

He further explained: “Some may think DLC is safer and faster, but many of the fan-made ideas I’ve seen are wilder than anything we had planned. Like you, I love the world of Journey to the West, with its demons, gods, and monsters. Sun Wukong will return when the time is right, in a fuller and stronger form.”

So while the Wukong DLC was shelved in favor of Zhong Kui, fans have two possibilities ahead: a direct sequel or a large-scale expansion. In the meantime, development of Black Myth: Zhong Kui continues, and with years of work still ahead, patience will be key.

Source: 3djuegos