In a surprising move, Microsoft has provided an official response regarding the recent delay of Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox Series X/S. Although the statement itself doesn't provide explicit answers to any lingering questions about Black Myth: Wukong's postponed release on the platform, a report from a trusted insider suggests that there could be more to this situation than initially believed.

Game Science, the independent Chinese developer behind the highly-anticipated Soulslike Black Myth: Wukong, provided a release date for the studio's upcoming title during The Game Awards 2023. At the time, the company announced that the action RPG would release on August 20, 2024 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Although Game Science did reaffirm its committment to launching the title on this date during 2024's Summer Game Fest, the Black Myth: Wukong developer shared bad news for Xbox fans, as it announced that the Series X/S port of the upcoming Soulslike would not launch on the same day as the PS5 and PC versions due to optimization issues. Game Science's abrupt decision to delay the Xbox port has led to rampant speculation on the matter, but fortunately, Microsoft has stepped in to provide some clarity.

In a statement provided to Windows Central, a Microsoft representative provided some official comments about Black Myth Wukong's delay on Xbox consoles. Stating that the company is "excited for the launch" of the upcoming Xbox game, the spokesperson said that the console manufacturer is "working with Game Science to bring the game" to Xbox platforms. "We can't comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders," said Microsoft, "but we remain focused on making Xbox the best platform for gamers, and great games are at the center of that."

Windows Central's own Jez Corden made note of Microsoft's refusal to comment on the potential deals that Game Science might have made with other companies. The reputable insider took this as a sign that the Xbox manufacturer could be insinuating that there's some sort of third-party exclusivity deal in place for Black Myth: Wukong. Corden elaborated on this suggestion of his, stating that he became aware "of whispers and rumors while out in LA" to attend the FanFest event for 2024's well-received Xbox Games Showcase that "Game Science had actually taken some form of exclusivity deal with PlayStation for Black Myth: Wukong."

If this is true, this would run contrary to Game Science's own statements about optimization issues with the title's Xbox version and gamers' assertions about this being a problem with the Xbox Series S. After all, a few developers have claimed in the past that the Xbox Series S is holding games back, so some are presuming that Black Myth: Wukong's Xbox port is struggling to run on the underpowered console. Ultimately, though, there isn't enough evidence to suggest that any of these theories about Black Myth: Wukong's delay on Xbox platforms are 100% correct, so it's best to take all of these assertions with a grain of salt.

Posted: Jun 25, 2024 3:00 pm
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: https://gamerant.com/black-myth-wukong-xbox-delay/