After a year delay, Black Myth: Wukong will release on Xbox Series X|S on 20th August. This is pertinent because it’s exactly one year after the game originally launched on PS5 and PC, raising questions of “secret” console exclusivity all over again.
For those who haven’t been following, the Chinese dev originally said that it was temporarily delaying the title on Microsoft’s machine due to technical issues, which many assumed related to the less-powerful Xbox Series S model. A similar situation occurred with Baldur’s Gate 3.
However, shortly after, Sony was accused of signing a “secret” console exclusivity deal with the developer, preventing the title from releasing on its rival’s system. This rumour was later strengthened by comments from the Redmond firm itself, when it implied it “can’t talk about” contracts with other platform holders.
But the speculation never really made sense: PlayStation is almost always transparent about the nature of its console exclusives through small print, and it usually pushes games it’s been paid to market hard. The company certainly promoted the game – especially in Asia – but it didn’t shove it down our throats like, say, Ghostwire: Tokyo.
Many believe the timing of the Xbox Series X|S release date confirms Sony really did have a 12-month exclusivity contract in place, but it’s worth pointing out that 20th August is a special date for Chinese developer Game Science. In addition to releasing all versions of the game on that day, it’s also announced the title on the same date all the way back in 2020.
Why? Well, one theory is that 20th August represents the birthday of Sun Wukong, so it obviously carries thematic value for the game.