Black Myth: Wukong Update Adds New Boss Rush Mode, Journeyer’s Chart, and Plenty More
Game Science, the developer of the record-breaking action game Black Myth: Wukong, has released a new update packed with exciting features.
Update 1.0.12.16581 introduces a brand-new Boss Rush Mode, called Challenge, which becomes available at any Keeper’s Shrine after players have completed the game at least once. This mode offers two distinct challenges: Return of Rivals and Gauntlet of Legends.
In Return of Rivals, players can duel previously defeated bosses, selecting from three levels of difficulty. Meanwhile, Gauntlet of Legends pits players against multiple foes in succession, with the ability to customize difficulty using curses. However, if any bosses remain undefeated in the main game, the corresponding gauntlet will be locked.
“This mode can be tough, as some old foes may surprise you with new moves,” Game Science warned in a blog post. “Proceed with caution!” Unique rewards are tied to the Challenge mode, details of which are included in the patch notes.
The update also adds the Journeyer’s Chart, unlocked upon reaching Black Wind Mountain and meeting the Keeper for the first time. Players can purchase a chart for each new territory at the Keeper’s Shrine. Additionally, a special New Year-themed armor set has been introduced to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, alongside new music library features.
Last month, Game Science hinted at surprises for Black Myth: Wukong. While accepting the Game of the Year award via video message at the Golden Joysticks, Game Science co-founder Feng Ji encouraged players who haven’t yet purchased the game to do so, adding, “Of course, you might have already completed our game. That’s perfectly fine too. Keep following us, and there might just be some surprises waiting for you later this year.” These new additions appear to be those promised surprises, tailored for players who have already finished the game.
Black Myth: Wukong launched on August 19 and sold an astonishing 18 million copies within just two weeks across PC and PS5, generating over $700 million in revenue. With a reported $70 million development budget over six years, the game’s financial success ranks alongside Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as one of the fastest-selling games of all time. Its success even offset losses from Sony’s Concord project in the last financial quarter.
DLC content is in the works. In September, Hero Games, an investor in Game Science, confirmed plans for an Elden Ring-style expansion to Black Myth: Wukong, which is expected to release ahead of a potential sequel. More details may be revealed at The Game Awards 2024 later this week.
IGN’s review of Black Myth: Wukong awarded it an 8/10, stating, “Despite some frustrating technical issues, Black Myth: Wukong is a great action game with fantastic combat, exciting bosses, tantalizing secrets, and a beautiful world.”
For more on Black Myth: Wukong, IGN offers plenty of guides, including essential tips, things the game doesn’t tell you, and a comprehensive boss list.
The Journeyer’s Chart Is A Huge Black Myth: Wukong Help
Many players have even resorted to making their own map add-ons for the game long before this update, showing a clear demand for this helpful addition, which is at the top of the list for many fans. From mini-maps to interactive external ones to help track mythical items in Black Myth: Wukong and their locations, fan-made maps often overlook the immersive experience Wukong was striving for, as the game wasn’t designed around its inclusion.
Thankfully, the developers took their time to create hand-drawn maps for each location in the game rather than a half-baked version. The maps guide players just enough without spoiling the exact location of items or key locations in the world.
Luckily for players, more developers seem to be opting for immersive maps that fit in with the style of the game world, as the recently released Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and STALKER 2 both do a fantastic job of recreating the game world without ruining immersion as well. Each of the three games chooses an art style that fits in with the setting of the world and its time period, be it beautiful hand-drawn paintings, scribbles on old paper, or a GPS-based mapping app.