Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » News » Black Myth: Zhong Kui Is Game Science’s Next And Darker ARPG Based On Chinese Mythology

Black Myth: Zhong Kui Is Game Science’s Next And Darker ARPG Based On Chinese Mythology

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez08/19/20254 Mins ReadUpdated:08/19/2025
Black Myth Zhong Kui promotional image from Game Science
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Following the success of Black Myth: Wukong, Chinese developer GameScience has officially announced its next ARPG, Black Myth: Zhong Kui. Revealed during Gamescom 2025’s Opening Night Live, this new single-player action RPG is the second title in the “Black Myth” series and is rooted in ancient Chinese fantasy. The game centers on the tales of the immortal Zhong Kui and his quest to banish evil.

In our critic’s review of Wukong, they said, “In terms of visuals, Black Myth: Wukong is a juggernaut. The game sports several picturesque environments and fantastic art direction with an aesthetic faithful to its fantastical folklore inspirations.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The art direction can also be appreciated in-game through Meditations, allowing players to see their current position. The character designs are equally impressive. All notable characters and bosses sport intricately designed outfits, and each major monster fight is magnificently awe-inspiring.”

The announcement came with the release of the game’s first CG trailer, which marks the official start of its development. While the game’s specific release date and further details are yet to be confirmed, the developers stated their goal is to deliver a distinct experience with fresh ideas and necessary changes to address flaws from their past work.

Watch the Trailer

Game Science’s New Title | Black Myth: Zhong Kui – Teaser Trailer (English Dub)

No ghosts walked the earth till born of human heart; Onstage and off, immortals fall to fiends-their perfected art. Indoors and out, the judge is bound by the same household ties; The sun is veiled, the moon unmoved-who decrees who lives and who dies?

What is Black Myth: Zhong Kui about?

While Game Science didn’t share much about Black Myth: Zhong Kui’s specific narrative, they did share the legend of Zhong Kui. And if it’s any indication, this action adventure may be a horror-adjacent take on mythology that we don’t have much of in gaming. 

The Legend of Zong Kui

Black Myth Zhong Kui promotional image from Game Science

As the name suggests, the latest Black Myth game will focus on Zhong Kui, a legendary figure in Chinese mythology, traditionally known as a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings. The story of Zhong Kui was first recorded in “Tang Yishi” (in English: Unofficial History of the Tang Dynasty) and gained wider circulation through Northern Song scholar Shen Kuo’s “Dream Pool Essays.”

The legend goes that he was born on Mount Zhongnan, and travelled to Chang’an during Emperor Gaozu’s Wude reign to sit the imperial military examination but failed. In despair, he struck his head on the palace steps and died. Grateful for the green burial robe, which Gaozu bestowed, he vowed to rid the Tang realm of every Xūhào ghosts and harmful spectres.

After his death, the King of Ghosts in the Chinese underworld saw his potential and tasked him with hunting and capturing evil spirits. During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong fell ill, and a month of treatment brought no relief. One night, while asleep in sickness, he dreamed of a small ghost slipping into the palace to steal Consort Yang’s embroidered sachet and his jade flute. The ghost called itself Xuhao, a bringer of waste and disperser of blessings.

Black Myth Zhong Kui promotional image from Game Science

Just as the emperor was about to summon someone to expel it, Zhong Kui rushed into the hall, seized the creature in one swift motion, gouged out its eyes, and swallowed it whole. The emperor awoke drenched in a cold sweat—only to find his illness cured.

Taking this as an auspicious omen, Xuanzong ordered the court painter Wu Daozi to create “Zhong Kui Capturing the Ghost.” From then on, it became customary to paste images of Zhong Kui on household doors at year’s end, especially on New Year’s Eve, to “banish baleful wraiths, and still the miasma of evil”.


While gaming’s focus has always been on Japanese developers, Game Science’s success with Black Myth: Wukong has shown that there is a strong appetite for stories from other Asian countries as well, and Chinese and Korean developers have risen to meet it. 

Whether it’s TiMi Studio Groups’s Honor of Kings: World that focuses on building a large world of Chinese Fantasy, or LoreVault Studio’s Woochi: The Wayfarer, which promises to dig deep into Korean shamanism and mythology in the Joseon period, or the recently released Wuchang: Fallen Feathers from Leenzee, we’re seeing more cultural mythologies represented and that’s spectacular.  

Black Myth: Zhong Kui does not currently have a release date or platform release information. 

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleLost Ark’s “Rise of the Valkyrie” Update Is Set To Change Things Up
Next Article All the Xbox Announcements at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Chel Week in NHL 26

Become a Cult Superstar with NHL 26’s Newest Content Drop

09/09/2025
EA Sports FC 26 ICONs in Ultimate Team promotional image

The OVRs Are In! EA Sports FC 26 Ratings Week Kicks Off With Top 26 Players

09/09/2025
Last Samurai Standing promotional image from Netflix

Netflix’s New Battle Royale ‘Last Samurai Standing’ Is Coming November 2025

09/08/2025
BEASTARS Final Season Part 2 promotional image from Netflix

First Look at BEASTARS Final Season Part 2 Teases Intense Climax

09/08/2025
Baki-Dou promotional image from Netflix

BAKI-DOU Series Announced At Netflix For 2026

09/07/2025
Tatsuki Fujimoto 17 26 But Why Tho 12

New Anime Anthology Series, Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 Coming This November

09/06/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Gojo Jujutsu Kaisen - But Why Tho (2) Features

Everything To Know About Satoru Gojo

By Kate Sánchez09/07/2023Updated:02/16/2025

Satoru Gojo is the heart of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 — now, heading into Cour 2, here is everything you need to know about the character.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here