Wukong Xbox Release Date Reignites Conspiracies

One of 2024’s biggest hits, the boss fight-fueled action adventure Black Myth: Wukong, is finally coming to Xbox Series X/S. It releases there on August 20, exactly one year after it made its original console debut on PlayStation 5, once again stoking rumors that a Sony exclusivity deal was what it kept it off the competing platform.

Microsoft randomly broke the news of the upcoming port on Thursday night, just a few days ahead of its big summer showcase. Black Myth: Wukong will be available to pre-order on Xbox starting June 18, with the game 20 percent off until July 11. That discount will also be available on PS5 and PC, developer Game Science saying it wanted to give players a heads up in case they were planning on buying the game before then.

But the real question remains why Black Myth: Wukong took so long to arrive on Xbox in the first-place. Many assumed the only explanation was an exclusivity deal with a Sony, whose Hero Initiative focuses on scouting high-quality games in the Chinese market and helping bring them to a global audience. However, Black Myth was never announced as one of those. Microsoft helped fuel those rumors with an opaque comment released back in summer 2024 ahead of the game’s launch

“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,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Central at the time. “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.”

While Game Science has always claimed it was optimization issues on Xbox Series S that was holding the port up, Forbes’ Paul Tassi reported that an exclusivity agreement of some kind was in place. IGN contradicted Game Science’s position and reported that “no tech issue” that would delay Black Myth on Xbox had been reported to Microsoft. Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb, however, claimed there was no marketing agreement in place between the two companies. The whole saga left everyone confused and let console warriors on both sides claim vindication.

So why is Black Myth now just happening to drop on Xbox Series X/S exactly 365 days after it came to PS5 if there wasn’t an exclusivity deal in place? “Bringing Black Myth: Wukong to Xbox Series X|S—and ensuring the experience met our internal quality standards—was no easy feat,” the Chinese studio wrote in a newly published FAQ. “Fortunately, we were able to complete this challenging task smoothly within the first year of the game’s official release.”

Others, meanwhile, have suggested August 20 just happens to be a special date for the studio. “Game Science has been using August and the 20th for announcements since 2020,” gaming consultant Daniel Camilo told Infinite Combo. X user ignusthewise pointed out that the development team has been using August 20 for all its big drops, including gameplay trailers and reveals, for years. Not everyone is convinced, and they probably never will be unless Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer himself comes out and denies the rumors. Until then, millions of new players will get a chance to finally see why Black Myth won 2024’s Player Voice award at The Game Awards.

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