Black Myth: Wukong is a spectacular-looking upcoming action adventure game from new studio Game Science, based on the Chinese classical novel Journey to the West. The player takes charge of a martial-arts wielding monkey known as Destined One, based on Sun Wukong from the novel. Described as a boss rush game, Black Myth: Wukong was previously slated to hit Xbox Series X|S, alongside the PC and PlayStation 5 versions on August 20, 2024. Until plans changed.
Developer Game Science showed off a new trailer for Black Myth: Wukong at this year's Summer Game Fest 2024 in LA, and the Xbox Series X|S logo was mysteriously absent. Later, the company confirmed on its FAQ that the Xbox version had been "delayed for optimizations."
"We are currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards," Game Science said, "so it won't release simultaneously with the other platforms. We apologize for the delay and aim to minimize the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards."
Initial previews for Black Myth: Wukong have been incredibly positive. (Image credit: Game Science)
The news led to a flurry of speculation that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S platform is difficult to work with. The Xbox Series S in particular has been blamed previously for game delayed, notably Baldur's Gate 3, which dropped split-screen co-op in order to get the game out. The Xbox Series S has less RAM and GPU power than the Xbox Series X and PS5, leading to resolution compromises in exchange for a lower, more affordable price point. The console has proven popular as a more affordable option for millions, although it is frequently blamed for situations like the above.
I asked both Microsoft and Game Science to comment on the "optimizations" issue, seeking some clarity. Was the Xbox Series S to blame? Game Science didn't respond, but this morning, a Microsoft spokesperson offered the below statement.
"We’re excited for the launch of Black Myth Wukong on Xbox Series X|S and are working with Game Science to bring the game to our platforms. We can't comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders, but we remain focused on making Xbox the best platform for gamers, and great games are at the center of that."
Exclusivity deal, or Xbox Series S issues?
I became aware of whispers and rumors while out in LA for the Xbox Showcase 2024 that, despite the optimization assertions, Game Science had actually taken some form of exclusivity deal with PlayStation for Black Myth: Wukong. Reading between the lines, Microsoft does seem to suggest that some form of third-party exclusivity deal may be in play, although it stops short of explicitly stating as such.
If that is the case, a retroactive exclusivity deal like this is problematic for a variety of reasons, particularly when you've already announced which platforms your game is coming to. A delay for "optimization" reasons is also problematic for Microsoft and Xbox, because it furthers the narrative that Xbox isn't a priority for developers, and furthers speculation that developers find the Xbox Series S difficult to work with. If Black Myth: Wukong had taken an exclusivity deal, it would be within Sony's interests to cast doubt over the Xbox platform by keeping details of the deal a secret.
Game Science is a new, independent studio. It's not unheard of for indie teams to take exclusivity deals to buoy their cash flow. Microsoft has a variety of exclusivity deals in place in similar fashion, including Pokemon-like survival hit Palworld. What would make less sense is to throw Microsoft under the bus in order to save face with the audience disappointed by the delay. Dozens upon dozens of articles and YouTube videos blaming the Xbox Series S for Black Myth: Wukong's delay appeared in the wake of the delay statement, creating yet another flurry of doubt over the Xbox Series X|S platform.
What ever the hard reality is, it's ultimately on Microsoft to solve issues that developers are having with the Xbox platform, and ensure that Xbox customers are still able to receive content at an equal pacing to its competitors. Capcom recently announced a range of classic game ports, exclusively not coming to Xbox Series X|S, for example.
In any case, we've been here before with Xbox, and we'll likely be here again as Xbox remains in third place. A truly staggering upcoming Xbox games slate revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase for 2024 means that Xbox fans are going to have more than enough to play in the coming months. It just seems that, for whatever reason, Black Myth: Wukong won't be among them.
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