Chinese developer Game Science surprised fans with the first official gameplay preview video for its action RPG Black Myth: Zhong Kui, the second title in the Black Myth series. Black Myth: Zhong Kui will launch on PC and current-gen consoles at an undisclosed date.
Just as 2024’s Black Myth: Wukong was inspired by the tales of the titular Monkey King from Journey to the West, the upcoming Black Myth: Zhong Kui will offer players a look at another figure from ancient Chinese folklore. In short, Zhong Kui is said to be an imposing, ghost-catching Taoist deity who can command 80,000 demons. Although Game Science stated that Black Myth: Zhong Kui would not explicitly tie into its predecessor, the developer added that the story of Sun Wukong within the Black Myth series is not over yet.
Game Science Shares a First Look at Black Myth: Zhong Kui’s Combat and Exploration
Months after releasing a six-minute video for the Lunar New Year that tied into Black Myth: Zhong Kui, Game Science pulled back the curtain on the first gameplay sequences of the highly-anticipated action RPG. The 15-minute trailer started with a look at the game’s unnamed protagonist, who is a swordsman wearing a white tunic. The trailer showed the protagonist traveling alongside an old man and building a raft to sail into the sea. The trailer then cut to some action sequences where the old man dissolved into several sheets of paper that the protagonist followed. The gameplay segment showed the protagonist using his sword to cut down enemies and drinking from a flask to heal damage incurred during a fight.
Some of the gameplay mechanics revealed included dodging and summoning, as the Black Myth: Zhong Kui protagonist can conjure an entity to fight alongside him. Additionally, the protagonist seemingly merged with the summoned entity to fight back against a giant boss. The trailer ended with some cutscene previews and a glimpse of Zhong Kui himself overlooking a town in the distance. Though Black Myth: Zhong Kui‘s visuals are still a work-in-progress, the gameplay footage was revealed a year after the game was first teased during 2025’s Gamescom Opening Night Live broadcast. It is currently unclear if Black Myth: Zhong Kui will have a presence at the 2026 edition of Gamescom later in August.
Game Science stated that, while the trailer was shot in a 21:9 aspect ratio from an early build of the game, the final release of Black Myth: Zhong Kui may differ from what was shown. Game Science previously stated that generative AI would not be used during Black Myth: Zhong Kui during its initial design and asset development phases. The studio’s co-founder, Yang Qi, stated that the team was inspired after seeing Christopher Nolan’s latest movie, The Odyssey.
The gameplay trailer did not reveal when Black Myth: Zhong Kui would hit store shelves. However, the trailer’s release fell in line with Game Science’s annual tradition of releasing information about its games on August 20. It remains to be seen when Game Science will share more information.
