On February 10 Game Science released a six‑minute real‑time video for its next Black Myth instalment, Zhong Kui, and the internet took notice. Rather than a gameplay demo or combat footage, the studio published a Lunar New Year short set almost entirely in a single, meticulously modelled Chinese kitchen; by early evening the clip had racked up millions of views on Bilibili and trended on Weibo.
The piece foregrounds quotidian actions — preparing ingredients, lighting a fire, chopping and simmering — but those domestic moments are rendered with cinematic polish. Observers praised the detailed physics, fluid simulation, steam and lighting work, and the subtleties of character animation; the video functions as a technical showcase as much as a festive vignette, intentionally withholding the protagonist’s full design and any core gameplay mechanics.
Creative director Yang Qi said the concept came from a grotesque tale in the classical collection Zi Bu Yu that imagines oil used to cook ghosts; the team transposed the folkloric “eating ghosts” motif into a more domestic and surprising “cooking ghosts” conceit. To hone authenticity the art team filmed a local chef near Hangzhou’s West Lake for reference, and staff worked up until weeks before release on materials, models, expression and colour balance — a hurried process that some commentators have described as both familiar and unfinished.
The short arrives against a backdrop of solid commercial success for Game Science’s previous title, Black Myth: Wukong. Industry tracker VGInsights reports Wukong sold roughly 20 million copies on Steam in its first month and generated about $961 million in revenue, giving the studio financial headroom to experiment. That technological and commercial reservoir explains why Game Science could prioritise an atmospheric, low‑risk promotional piece that highlights reusable assets — engine work, physics, art direction — while keeping core gameplay under wraps.
From a marketing perspective the timing is deliberate. Releasing a cultural, low‑spoiler short around the Spring Festival exploits elevated social traffic and consumer attention, while avoiding the crowded peak marketing window; analysts note it is a cost‑efficient, controllable way to extend an IP’s life without jeopardising development secrecy. The move also signals a strategic shift toward cultivating Black Myth as a multi‑title IP universe rather than a single hit game, aligning the company more with IP operators who monetise long tails through sequels, spin‑offs and ancillary products.
That strategy has advantages and risks. On the plus side, an IP‑centred approach lets Game Science amortise R&D across projects, maintain long‑term brand momentum, and manage investor expectations about revenue streams beyond unit sales. But the studio also needs to convert aesthetic goodwill into satisfying gameplay when it chooses to reveal mechanical substance; critics may grow impatient if the pace of tangible updates is too slow. For now, the kitchen short is a savvy demonstration of craft and cultural branding, and it frames Zhong Kui as part of a broader, culturally inflected franchise rather than a single new release.