Series / Relationship
Is Black Myth: Zhong Kui
Wukong 2?
The two games share a series title and a studio. Whether they share a universe, a story, or a mechanical lineage is not confirmed.
Is Zhong Kui Wukong 2?
No — same series, not "Wukong 2"
Black Myth: Zhong Kui is the second title in the Black Myth series from Game Science, announced at gamescom Opening Night Live in August 2025.Game ScienceVGCGematsu It is not titled "Wukong 2", and Game Science has not described it as a direct sequel to Black Myth: Wukong. The two games draw on different figures from Chinese mythology and feature different protagonists.
What Game Science Officially Says
How the studio describes the relationship.
Game Science announced Black Myth: Zhong Kui as "Game Science's New Title" at gamescom Opening Night Live on 19 August 2025.Official videoVGC Coverage from Video Games Chronicle and Gematsu describes it as the "Wukong follow-up" and "the next Black Myth title", but Game Science itself has not used the word "sequel" in any first-party material reviewed for this archive.VGCGematsu
The official page for Black Myth: Zhong Kui lists Game Science as the developer and uses the Black Myth series branding, but it does not state whether the game shares a universe, story, or mechanical framework with Black Myth: Wukong.Game Science No announcement has confirmed a narrative connection between the two games.
How Zhong Kui Differs From Wukong
What separates the two games.
Protagonist
Black Myth: Wukong features the Destined One, a character distinct from Sun Wukong but moving through Wukong's story. The game is titled for the legendary Monkey King but does not cast the player as Sun Wukong directly.
Black Myth: Zhong Kui has not named its protagonist. The official gameplay description refers to him only as "the protagonist".Official video Game Science has not stated whether the player controls Zhong Kui himself, a character related to Zhong Kui, or a different figure within the same mythological framework.
The naming pattern from Wukong — a title that references a legendary figure without confirming the player character's identity — may apply here as well, but that is analysis, not confirmation.
Mythological Source
Black Myth: Wukong draws on Journey to the West, the 16th-century novel that features Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, as one of its central characters. The novel is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
Black Myth: Zhong Kui draws on the legend of Zhong Kui, the demon queller. Zhong Kui is a figure from Chinese folklore traditionally associated with exorcism, protection, and the expulsion of evil spirits. He appears in art, opera, and folk tradition but is not a character from Journey to the West.
The two mythological sources are distinct. Zhong Kui and Sun Wukong are not characters from the same story, though both are figures within the broader tradition of Chinese mythology.
Gameplay Direction
Black Myth: Wukong featured staff-based combat, transformation abilities, and a third-person action structure inspired by Journey to the West's shapeshifting and martial prowess.
Black Myth: Zhong Kui shows sword-based combat in the 15-minute gameplay reveal. The protagonist wields a one-handed sword with visible blade trails, lateral evasion, and aerial strikes.Official videoPC Gamer The footage emphasizes swordplay rather than staff combat or transformation mechanics.
The change in weapon and mythological source suggests a different gameplay identity, though the extent of mechanical overlap or shared systems is not confirmed.
Story
Game Science has not announced whether Black Myth: Zhong Kui shares a narrative universe with Black Myth: Wukong. No first-party statement confirms a story connection, and no character, location, or event from Wukong has been identified in the Zhong Kui footage.
The studio's silence on this point is notable. If the two games were set in the same world, or if Zhong Kui's story followed directly from Wukong's conclusion, that would be a marketable claim. The absence of such a claim does not prove the games are unrelated, but it means the relationship is not confirmed.
Is It in the Same Universe?
Not confirmed.
The question of whether Black Myth: Zhong Kui and Black Myth: Wukong share a narrative universe has not been answered by Game Science. No official statement confirms or denies a connection.
Arguments for a shared universe rest on the series branding and the studio's continuity. Arguments against it rest on the distinct mythological sources, the different protagonists, and the absence of any announced story link. Both are speculation until Game Science clarifies.
What is confirmed: both games are developed by Game Science, both carry the Black Myth series title, and both draw on Chinese mythology. What is not confirmed: whether they share a world, a timeline, or a narrative thread.
That is the relationship question. The separate question — how the two games actually differ across protagonist, mythology, gameplay, platforms and release status — is laid out row by row on the Wukong vs Zhong Kui comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the relationship.
Is Black Myth: Zhong Kui a sequel?
Not in the titled sense. It is the second game in the Black Myth series, but Game Science has not called it a sequel or described a narrative connection to Wukong.Game ScienceVGC
Are the two games connected by story?
Not confirmed. Game Science has not announced whether the games share a universe, timeline, or narrative thread.
Do I need to play Wukong first?
Unknown. If the games share a story, playing Wukong first might provide context. If they are standalone, it would not be required. Game Science has not clarified.
Is the protagonist the same character?
No. Wukong features the Destined One; Zhong Kui's protagonist has not been named. They are not the same character.
Why is it not called "Wukong 2"?
Game Science chose to title the second game after a different mythological figure. The reason has not been publicly explained, but the naming suggests the games focus on different legends rather than a continuous storyline.
Will there be more Black Myth games?
Unknown. Game Science has not announced plans beyond Zhong Kui.
The distinction
Same series, different legends.
The clearest way to describe the relationship is this: Black Myth is the series, Wukong and Zhong Kui are the titles within it. Just as Final Fantasy games share a name without sharing a story, or Dark Souls games share a structure without direct narrative continuity, the Black Myth series may operate as a thematic umbrella rather than a single plot.
That is an interpretation, not a fact. It fits the evidence — distinct mythological sources, different protagonists, no announced story link — but it is still analysis. Game Science could announce tomorrow that the two games are tightly connected, and this entire section would need revision.
What would settle this
One statement from the studio.
A single sentence in a press release, store page, or interview — "Zhong Kui continues the story from Wukong" or "Each Black Myth game is standalone" — would replace all of this analysis with an official answer.
Until then, the relationship is a matter of branding, not narrative.
Why the answer matters
Series vs sequel is not a trivial distinction.
Calling Zhong Kui "Wukong 2" sets an expectation that may not be accurate. If the games are standalone entries in a thematic series, players expecting a direct continuation of Wukong's story will be misled. If they are narratively connected, players skipping Wukong may miss context.
The honest answer, as of 2 September 2026, is that Game Science has not clarified. This page will update when they do.
Precision in language prevents disappointment at launch.
Sources
Where this page comes from.
- 《黑神话：钟馗》 — official game page Official
“PC+主流主机平台，正式信息请以发售前通知为准。”
English translation “PC and mainstream console platforms; official information is subject to the pre-release announcement.”
Chinese-language page, rendered client-side. Its 常见问题 (FAQ) tab is the first-party record for the platform line — “PC and mainstream console platforms, official information subject to the pre-release announcement”. No specific console, storefront or date appears anywhere on it.
Announcement teaser. The gamescom stage version was distributed through event partners.
“As the game is still in early development, all footage was captured in-game from a work-in-progress build running at a 21:9 aspect ratio. The final release may differ.”
The 15-minute reveal this archive breaks down. Embedded, not re-hosted. The quote is from the video’s own description — it is the first-party origin of the “early development” and “work-in-progress build” lines that Gematsu and VGC both carry. The description also calls the player character only “the protagonist”.
Reveal took place at gamescom Opening Night Live, Cologne, 19 August 2025 CEST.
Hands-off impressions of the same reveal. Used only for descriptions of on-screen content.
“is in development for PC and consoles, and does not yet have a release window”
Describes the footage as “a mixture of event scenes and combat against apparent undead foes”.
Links open the original page. We quote and link rather than re-host, and record the date each source was last opened.