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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