Is Black Myth: Wukong coming to Xbox?

It's headed to Xbox, but you'll have to wait

Black Myth: Wukong Release Date Trailer | Confront Destiny on August 20, 2024 - English Dub - YouTube

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One of 2024's biggest upcoming blockbuster games is Black Myth: Wukong, and action RPG that draws heavily from Chinese mythology and the great classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. First revealed four years ago on August 20, it's now launching on the same date in 2024 — and excitement for it is rapidly swelling. In fact, at the time of writing, it's the most-wishlisted game on Valve's PC gaming platform Steam, beating out other highly anticipated titles such as Hollow Knight: Silksong, Frostpunk 2, and STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

My in-depth Black Myth: Wukong review goes over the game in great detail, but here, let's talk about something players on Microsoft's consoles are wondering: will Black Myth: Wukong come to Xbox? It seems like it would be a foregone conclusion that it will release on it alongside Windows PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store) and Sony's PlayStation 5, but the answer is actually far more complicated.

The good news is that Black Myth: Wukong is indeed headed to Xbox Series X|S systems. The bad news, however, is that it's not actually arriving on Microsoft's platforms until a later, currently unspecified date (notably, the game's physical versions also won't have discs and will instead come with game codes). An official FAQ from developer Game Science shared earlier this year revealed that the game's Xbox release has been delayed because the studio is "currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards," though rumors and a statement from Microsoft suggest a third-party exclusivity deal was reached with Sony.

Regardless of why, it's disappointing that Black Myth: Wukong will miss Xbox at launch, especially in an era where it's not terribly uncommon for third-party titles to do so. That being said, it is at least good to know that it's headed to the platform eventually.

When will Black Myth: Wukong come to Xbox?

If Black Myth won't be on Xbox at launch, when can fans expect it to come to the ecosystem? Game Science says it will announce the Xbox release date "as soon as [the game] meets our quality standards," but until then, there's no way to know for sure when it'll make its way to Microsoft's consoles.

If optimization is truly why Black Myth: Wukong is only launching on Windows PC and PS5, I'd expect to see the game come to Xbox in the fall or early winter, perhaps a few months after launch. The situation with Baldur's Gate 3 was similar; 2023's Game of the Year winner also released in August, but ended up having its Xbox launch delayed to December for the same reason.

If there's an exclusivity deal behind the scenes, however, the wait could be considerably longer. It wouldn't surprise me if Xbox players had to wait until 2025 to play Black Myth: Wukong if that was the case — many deals like these last at least six months, and sometimes longer — but keep in mind that there hasn't been official confirmation one is actually in place.

Black Myth: Wukong is one of the biggest upcoming games of 2024, and has the potential to be one of the best PC games and best Xbox games (whenever it does finally come to Microsoft's consoles). It's scheduled to launch on Steam, the Epic Games Store, WeGame, and PS5 on August 20, 2024, and preorders for it are live now.

Black Myth: Wukong | $54.59 at CDKeys (PC, Steam)

Preorders for one of 2024's most anticipated action RPG titles are live, with the game topping Steam's "most-wishlisted" chart and promising players a grand adventure based on the legendary Chinese literary work Journey to the West.

Also see: Digital Deluxe Edition (CDKeys, PC) | PlayStation (PS5)