Black Myth Wukong won't be on Xbox at launch

Black Myth Wukong won't be available on Xbox at launch.

The Soulslike game from Chinese developer Game Science is now available to pre-order ahead of its release on 20th August this year, as announced at tonight's Summer Game Fest with a fresh trailer (see below).

However, an FAQ for pre-orders states this release date is only for PS5 and PC as the Xbox version needs more time for optimisation.

"PC and PS5 users can enjoy the full game starting August 20, 2024," reads the full statement. "We are currently optimising the Xbox Series X/S version to meet our quality standards, so it won't release simultaneously with the other platforms. We apologise for the delay and aim to minimize the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards."

It's unclear exactly why the Xbox version needs further optimising, though this isn't the first time this has happened - the Xbox version of Baldur's Gate 3 was heavily delayed due to difficulties with split-screen co-op on the underpowered Series S.

Further, the FAQ notes that DLC and "non-pay-to-win in-game purchases" may be released in future.

Lastly, while the game is available physically, this won't actually include a disc. "It is the first time for Game Science to release a console game globally, and we are currently facing limitations in offline resources required for the import, export, transportation, distribution, and sales of physical discs," reads the statement from Game Science. "These factors have made it difficult for us to sell physical discs simultaneously with the official release of the game.

"Our publishing team is actively working on resolving these issues and exploring options to offer physical discs."

The release date for Black Myth Wukong was revealed at The Game Awards last year.

I got to play the game at Gamescom and came away very impressed by its combat, which gives FromSoftware a run for its mon(k)ey.