Some gamers who received a copy of Black Myth: Wukong were given guidelines for what to talk about as they streamed it. Discussing its stunning cinematic graphics, mythical 16th-century plotline and engaging gameplay was permitted. But calling for equal rights for women? Off-limits.
Hero Games, one of the early backers of Game Science, the studio behind Wukong, didn’t explain what it meant by including "feminist propaganda” on the list of forbidden talking points, and didn’t respond to my request for comment. Also among the don’t-mention topics were COVID-19, China’s game industry or anything instigating "negative discourse.”
The made-in-China blockbuster game is smashing playing records and receiving widespread critical acclaim both inside and outside the country. But the "feminist propaganda” ban was a curious thing to mention. What could have been a golden opportunity to use a runaway gaming hit to spark conversations about women's rights in China instead became a lightning rod for criticism.
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