Black Myth: Wukong release date — Launch time, countdown, preloads, and when it's coming out

2024 has been a great year for gaming already, but some of its biggest releases have still yet to come out. Among them is Black Myth: Wukong — a new action RPG from developer Game Science that currently sits at the top of Steam's most-wishlisted games list. It's been in development since 2018, but now, six years later, it's finally launching to plenty of hype and fanfare on Windows PC and PS5 (an Xbox Series X|S version is coming at a later date).

Naturally, many people are wondering when specifically they'll be able to jump into Black Myth: Wukong now that it's coming out, and luckily, that information has recently been made available along with preloads for the game, storage requirements, and more. Without further ado, here's what you need to know about its release date, launch time, and other details.

What is Black Myth: Wukong?

Black Myth: Wukong - Final Trailer | Launching August 20, 2024 - YouTube

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In case you haven't heard about it before, let me give you a brief rundown of what you need to know about Black Myth: Wukong. At its core, it's a single player third-person melee ARPG that emphasizes aggressive and offensive play, with players able to weave unique spells and all-important dodges into rapid and lengthy attack combos. You'll gradually unlock gear upgrades and new abilities to use as you progress through the game, with the former improving your stats and the latter giving you a variety of ways to approach combat situations.

It's important to note that while the game is difficult and has features like a stamina-based combat system and enemy-respawning checkpoints, Black Myth: Wukong is not truly a Soulslike. Given that it has skill trees, item rarity, one main weapon, and predominantly linear levels, it's more of a traditional action RPG with Soulslike elements. It's also more of a boss rush-style game, with cinematic and climactic battles main focus. For more on it and my full thoughts on my playthrough, read my Black Myth: Wukong review.

Another thing to know is that Black Myth: Wukong is directly based on the Chinese classical novel Journey to the West, which is one of the most popular pieces of literature in Asia. With strong connections to Chinese mythology and a protagonist who's based on one of the book's main characters, Sun Wukong, the title has a strong focus on writing and narrative.

Preorders for Black Myth: Wukong are available now for $59.99 at Steam, the Epic Games Store, WeGame, and the PlayStation Store, though you can actually get it for just $52.69 at CDKeys thanks to a deal that storefront is currently running. For more on how CDKeys works and why it's legitimate, check out our CDKeys FAQ.

Black Myth: Wukong | $54.39 at CDKeys (PC, Steam)

Black Myth: Wukong is finally here, and it's a good ARPG to play if you're into flashy combat, challenging fast-paced boss battles, and beautiful worlds inspired by mythology. Right now, you can get it for a sweet discount thanks to a CDKeys deal.

Also see: Epic Games Store | WeGame | PlayStation Store

Black Myth: Wukong — Release date and launch time

Fans excited for Game Science's ARPG don't have to wait long to play it now, as Black Myth: Wukong's release date is scheduled for August 20, 2024. However, depending on where you live in the world, you might actually get access to it late on the evening of August 19.

The reason why this is the case is because developer Game Science is based in China, and as a result, Black Myth: Wukong's 10:00 a.m. launch time was chosen in China Standard Time (UTC+8). That means its release is slated for 7:00 p.m. PT / 10:00 p.m. ET on August 19 in the US. Below, you'll find a table that shows when precisely Black Myth: Wukong will unlock in major time zones across the world:

Note that if you don't see your region's time zone in this table, you can use this handy time zone converter to figure out when you'll get access. It compares your time zone with all others automatically, making the conversion process quick and easy.

Black Myth: Wukong — Launch countdown

How to preload Black Myth: Wukong

Preloading — a feature that enables players to download and install a game in advance of its full release — is an option developers have offered increasingly often in recent years. While it's useful for everyone that wants to start playing as soon as a game unlocks, it's particularly valuable for folks who have slow internet connections.

Preloading was made available on August 17 for both PC and PlayStation 5 users, which was a full two days ahead of the game's release date. This gave players the opportunity to get it installed and ready to play.

Black Myth: Wukong — Storage requirements

Thanks to the release of Black Myth: Wukong's PC system requirements, it's been confirmed that you'll need 130GB of hard drive space in order to download and install the game on your PC. The ARPG's size on PS5 isn't currently known, but PlayStation players will likely need a similar amount of free storage. Note that Game Science recommends using an SSD for faster load times, though doing so isn't required.

Black Myth: Wukong is considerably bigger than many other modern single player titles, so you might need to get one of the best SSDs to add more space or free up some hard drive space for the game. A great way to do the latter on PC or PS5 is to uninstall games you're not actively playing, especially if they're very large.

Black Myth: Wukong is one of 2024's biggest games, and arguably one of the best PC games to play if you're an ARPG fan looking for something new (for my full thoughts on it, check out my review). It's available on Windows PC and PS5 (an Xbox Series X|S version is coming, too) for $59.99, though right now it's actually on sale for just $54.39 at CDKeys.