A recent Chinese video game, “Black Myth: Wukong,” has garnered significant attention for both its success and controversy surrounding allegations of sexism within China’s gaming industry. While the game has achieved massive popularity, critics have highlighted offensive messages attributed to the game’s developer, Game Science, regarding sexual content and lewd recruiting posters shared on social media. Despite screenshots circulating on platforms like Weibo, the authenticity remains unverified, with Game Science choosing not to comment on the accusations.
The backlash against the developer reflects deep-rooted issues of sexism in China’s male-dominated gaming community, an ongoing global concern within the industry. Women make up nearly half of gamers worldwide but represent only about 22% of the gaming workforce. Skylar Hu, one of the few women on a game engineering team, shared experiences of facing sexual jokes in work communication, emphasizing the pervasive nature of offensive behavior in the industry.
For Jessica Hua, a former video game operation manager, the controversy surrounding “Black Myth: Wukong” serves as a reminder of the toxic environment she encountered as a woman in gaming. Despite the success of the game, which set records for online player numbers and sales, some within the Chinese gaming industry are troubled by the allegations against Game Science, while others view it as a significant achievement for promoting Chinese culture and challenging Western dominance in gaming.
While China has supported the game as a source of national pride, collaborating with the developer for tourism promotion and receiving positive coverage in state media, concerns over sexism highlight deeper societal issues that are starting to gain more attention. Some experts believe that addressing sexism in Chinese gaming culture is crucial for the industry’s evolution, hoping for gradual changes over time. Feng Xu, representing the Chengdu Cyber Game Industry Association, emphasized the importance of focusing on the game’s quality rather than political correctness.
