“China’s K-pop moment”: Wukong’s global success sparks government embrace of video games as soft power

Move over, pandas. Chinese state media and policymakers have crowned a new cultural “magic weapon,” a soft power export that’s being received enthusiastically around the world. This magic weapon? It’s a video game.

After years of intense anticipation, independent Chinese studio Game Science launched Black Myth: Wukong in August to instant global acclaim, selling 10 million copies in just three days — one of the fastest debuts in gaming history. 

State media outlets like CCTV and Xinhua, which have long been critical of gaming’s influence on the youth, lauded Wukong as a cultural triumph, pointing to the game’s huge potential to introduce global audiences to Chinese heritage. Xinhua declared, “Wukong has leaped beyond the East China Sea, carrying with it the essence of our cultural spirit.”

Some policymakers called Wukong’s global appeal “China’s K-pop moment,” signaling that China may be able to wield soft power. People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist Party’s official mouthpiece, stated that “game developers should use games to promote the nation’s culture.” It said that Game Science’s success was rooted in its ability to fulfill this mission, comparing the hit game’s impact to a “cultural visa” to win over international audiences.

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