Black Myth: Wukong, developer Game Science’s breakaway hit game based on the classic Chinese tale of the Monkey King, is expected to have new DLC (downloadable content) released during next year’s Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, according to gaming blogger Daniel Camilo, posting on X. 

Game market research platform VG Insights revealed that Black Myth: Wukong has sold nearly 20 million copies across all platforms and has already generated over $948 million in revenue.

Why it matters: The anticipated DLC release could further boost engagement and sales in the Chinese market, especially as it is expected to take place at a time when millions of Chinese players are on a seven-day public holiday.

Details: DLC in gaming refers to additional content such as new story lines, characters, or features, and is typically purchased and downloaded online. 

• The DLC release date was given by reliable first-hand sources, according to blogger Daniel Camilo, but he did not provide any specific content details. On Tuesday, several Chinese media outlets, including Gamersky, Sina Technology, and IThome, re-posted the news.
• Although the developer Game Science did not announce details of the DLC, discussions in domestic gaming communities suggest that it will add new chapters, stories and characters from the original story such as the Rhinoceros Demon, Lion Camel Ridge, Nine-Headed Worm, and the Kingdom of Women. New weapons, game skins, and music collections are expected to be included as well.
• Six Emotions (our translation of 六样情), a collection of animated shorts based on Black Myth: Wukong, was released on Tuesday. Six Emotions came out on Bilibili during China’s traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, a sign that the developer Game Science likes to tie its releases to Chinese public holidays. The six animated stories are themed around greed, revenge, deception, romantic obligation, family ethics, and reincarnation.

Context: Wu Dan, CEO of Hero Games, Game Science’s largest external shareholder, said that Black Myth: Wukong might reach 30 million copies in sales and that the company will release DLC in the future, in an interview with Bloomberg. 

• In 2017, Hero Games acquired a 20% stake in Game Science for RMB 60 million ($8.46 million), according to the interview.