Visitors explore the Black Myth: Wukong Art Exhibition in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: VCG

Chinese-produced video game WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers was released on Thursday, and it climbed to the top of the video game platform Steam global best-sellers. 

Following the wave of attention generated by Black Myth: Wukong, the release of WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers shows that homegrown games continue to attract widespread interest.

According to data from analytics firm Gamalytic, sales of WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers have reached 297,500 units on Steam, generating about $14.8 million in revenue as of press time. 

Drawing heavily on Chinese culture, the games feature advanced laser scanning technology to faithfully recreate traditional Chinese weapons, clothing, and cultural relics with high visual quality.

"With continual advances in technology, Chinese homegrown games are becoming competitive internationally in quality of graphics, audio, and interactive design. Games including Black Myth: Wukong, built on cutting-edge engines with high-end visuals, are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with global blockbusters," Zhao Yi, a Beijing-based gaming industry observer, told the Global Times.

Leveraging on increasingly sophisticated technology, Chinese games will have more opportunities to build up a foothold in the global market, Zhao said. "However, the major challenge lies in balancing cultural authenticity with the diverse expectations of international players," he said.

The meteoric rise of Black Myth: Wukong in 2023 helped ignite global interest in Chinese AAA titles. But a seasoned game industry insider pointed out that while WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers was competent at launch, issues with the publishing strategy had caused controversy among the players. 

"The early availability of the PS5 physical edition and Xbox Argentina digital version, some confusion over deluxe edition rewards, issues with launch-day optimization, and pricing fluctuations all contributed to a less-than-ideal player experience," the insider noted. "Many players who purchased the deluxe edition had trouble accessing bonuses, while standard edition users were able to claim the same content for free, which caused some frustration."

The industry insider said that even though a game's development quality is solid, the absence of an effective crisis management plan during launch can cause negative public opinion.

"These types of launch incidents aren't uncommon in the industry, but what makes the difference is whether the publisher can steer public opinion and respond quickly."

In 2024, the total overseas revenue of Chinese-developed video games reached $18.557 billion, accounting for 11 percent of the global gaming market, according to a report by the Securities Times. While this is a sizable share, it still lags behind the actual production capacity of China's game industry, according to the report.

From a global perspective, the gaming market is in an upward swing, with long-term positive growth expected not only in revenue but also in the number of players and the end users. 

It is projected that the Chinese AAA game market will reach 13.3 billion yuan in 2025, and 16.9 billion yuan in 2026. Given the typically long development cycle of AAA games, the number of domestic AAA titles is expected to increase between 2027 and 2028, with this growth becoming normalized thereafter. The market is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 35 percent, according to a note by Tianfeng Securities.

The AAA category normally means high production cost, high volume and high quality.

The success of trendy cultural products has demonstrated that Chinese companies have mastered a more astute understanding of global consumption trends and customer demand, after years of integration into the global supply chain of cultural products, Bian Yongzu, executive deputy editor-in-chief of Modernization of Management magazine, told the Global Times.

Relevant Chinese authorities are increasingly supportive of promoting high-end game exports. Last month, 17 government agencies in East China's Zhejiang Province jointly issued a directive aimed at supporting video game exports, specifically emphasizing the cultivation of AAA titles with strong cultural attributes, according to Dahe Daily.

These products and services are a product of coordination and cooperation of the global industrial chain, Bian said. "The success of Chinese video games and toys is indicative of China's growing soft power in the world, and the scaling up of the value ladder by Chinese culture enterprises."