Feng Ji spent $70M developing China's first AAA game from scratch. Everyone called it a bold experiment by idealists.
But Feng saw something others didn't.
6.5 years later, Black Myth: Wukong became one of the fastest-selling games in history.
Here’s his game-changing story:
Black Myth: Wukong shattered sale records, only trailing giants like Call of Duty and GTA.
- 10 million copies sold in 3 days.
- $852 million generated in 2 weeks.
- #2 highest concurrent players on Steam (behind PUBG).
China just proved itself in the gaming big leagues.
Feng Ji, CEO of Game Science, was your typical gaming addict. His journey started with World of Warcraft in 2005.
In 2005, he gave up grad school, lived in internet cafes, and borrowed money to fuel his gaming addiction.
His WoW fame eventually landed him a game design job.
In 2008, Fengji was leading "Asura" at Tencent, coincidentally another Monkey King game.
The game eventually lost it’s way as the focus shifted from fun to revenue.
Fengji believed that games should be “fun first.”
This conflict pushed him to leave and start his own studio.
In 2014, Feng Ji left with 7 colleagues to form Game Science.
They started with mobile games to pay the bills.
Their first two games ended up as complete flops.
Feng Ji held onto his dream of creating a single-player masterpiece. He was just waiting for the right moment.
By 2016, Steam's data showed 1/3 of its active users were from China.
Development skills has caught on. Chinese gamers craved high-quality experiences.
It was clear the market was ready.
Feng Ji said, "We're willing to burn ourselves, but we're not moths flying to the fire.”
League of Legends saved Feng.
He forged a close bond with Daniel Wu. They became late-night gaming buddies.
In 2017, Wu bet big on Feng Ji's vision, buying 20% of Game Science for $8.5M.
Despite losses on earlier projects, Wu kept faith.
A true ride or die partner.
Feng Ji hated the mobile game model of in-app purchases and endless monetization.
He believed it killed the true essence of gaming.
This resulted to the company splitting into 2 teams.
One team to keep making mobile games, while he moved on to fulfill his single player dream.
On February 25, 2018, Game Science takes the plunge into AAA development.
The team went all in. They quit jobs, sold properties, and went 4-5 years without income.
Wu provided additional funding and contributed a "large chunk" of the $70M budget.
Black Myth: Wukong was born.
Feng Ji’s vision was clear: create a global game rooted in traditional Chinese culture.
- The team read the novel “Journey to the West” 100+ times.
- They visited countless cultural sites.
- Created 1.2 billion models for the Monkey King’s armor.
Authenticity was everything.
Creating China’s first AAA game was no joke:
The team grew from 7 to 30 and couldn’t find required talent.
They faced challenges in adapting new technologies such as the Unreal Engine.
Wu and Feng called themselves “two drowning rats.”
They were on the brink of failure.
August 2020 was the turning point.
A 13-minute gameplay trailer went viral.
2M views on YouTube, 25M on Bilibili.
• 10,000 job applications
• The team grew to 140 employees
• Tencent bought a 5% stake
What was meant to be a recruitment video became a global sensation.
Fast forward to August 20, 2024.
Black Myth: Wukong launches and shocks the world.
It surpasses Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, CS2 and Palworld in concurrent players.
It received 95% positive rating from 700,000+ Steam reviews.
Even Elon Musk took notice!
The game became a cultural phenomenon, bridging Chinese mythology with global audiences.
It inspired others to create games based on mythology and history.
The game even boosted tourism to sites featured in the game by 300%.
Feng created something bigger than entertainment.
Feng Ji's success is celebrated as a national pride for China.
But his response? Humble as ever:
"When you are at the peak of confidence, you are also staring at the valley of foolishness."
No time to celebrate. He's already focusing on the expansion pack.
Did you like the game if you played?
I’m binging on it right now!
If you enjoyed this, then follow me @WillieChou
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