Garnering widespread acclaim and a massive player base, the hit Chinese video game Black Myth: Wukong has achieved impressive sales figures and sparked a surge of co-branded merchandise and promotional tie-ins across various sectors.
China's first AAA game, Black Myth: Wukong is an action role-playing game set against the backdrop of Chinese mythology, inspired by one of China's four classical novels, "Journey to the West". Players assume the role of the "Destined One", embarking on a perilous and wondrous journey.
The game achieved remarkable success and has sold over 15 million copies to date according to the latest data from Video Game Insights (VG Insights), a website dedicated to offering data-driven insights for games on the gaming distribution platform Steam.
Black Myth: Wukong is available on platforms including Steam, Play Station 5, the Epic Games Store and Tencent WeGame, with Steam's positive review ratio topping 96 percent.
It also achieved the highest number of concurrent players across all platforms, exceeding three million, as announced Friday night by the developer, Game Science.
Seeing the immense commercial potential, brands across various sectors, including transportation, retail and digital electronics, have introduced co-branded products for the game.
Chinese coffee giant Luckin released the "Black Myth: Tengyun Americano", the day before the game's global debut, quickly gaining popularity. Luckin has also implemented co-branded store renovations in some locations.
Video game “Black Myth: Wukong” booms, merch sales surge
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday voiced willingness to work together with China to advance multipolarity and build an international order based on justice and international law.
Putin made the remarks during talks with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, in St. Petersburg.
Putin asked Wang to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping, expecting China's attendance at the BRICS leaders' summit in Kazan next month.
Russia and China, acting on the principles of equality and mutual benefit, have been deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era. Interactions at all levels maintain a strong momentum, and cooperation in various fields is progressing smoothly, he said.
Russia is willing to take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries this year as an opportunity to follow through on the important consensus reached by the heads of state, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, and lift the Russia-China relationship to a new level, said Putin.
Putin thanks China for its support for Russia as the rotating chair of BRICS, stressing that the BRICS security council meeting has achieved positive results, and the successful dialogue with the Global South countries fully demonstrates the influence and strength of BRICS.
The Russian president applauded China's diplomacy based on the long-term and the common future of humanity, and voiced willingness to strengthen coordination with China to unite more Global South countries and jointly push for a multipolar world so as to build an international order based on justice and international law.
For his part, Wang conveyed Xi's warm greetings to Putin.
China and Russia have solid mutual trust and a profound friendship, he said, adding that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era has achieved sound and steady growth.
The two sides have strengthened strategic cooperation, rejected unilateral bullying, and resist bloc confrontation, which is in line with the trend of the times and the common aspirations of the vast number of the countries of the South, said Wang, adding that China is willing to maintain strategic communication with Russia, unite more like-minded countries, and promote world multipolarity.
He said that with the joint efforts of all parties, the BRICS Plus cooperation has got off to a good start.
At the upcoming Kazan Summit, the first meeting of leaders after the expansion of BRICS, China will continue to offer full support for Russia in fulfilling its responsibilities as the chair, and strive to make the summit a full success.
China is ready to work with BRICS partners to push for an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization so as to make contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind, he added.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue.
Putin appreciated the "six-point consensus" made by China and Brazil, reiterating Russia's openness to negotiations.
Wang said that China is committed to promoting a political solution to the crisis and is willing to work with all parties to foster an objective, rational, and balanced voice in the international community.
Before their meeting, Putin met with the heads of delegations attending the meeting of the BRICS high-ranking officials responsible for security matters and national security advisors.
Russia to work with China for multipolarity, fair int'l order, says Putin
