In a statement given to me by a Microsoft representative, the company has confirmed that the delay of Black Myth: Wukong is not due to technical issues with Xbox platforms, and instead, similar to its original statement, points to outside platform/developer deals.
The statement reads:
“As we have said before, we’re excited for the launch of Black Myth Wukong on Xbox Series X|S and are working with Game Science to bring the game to our platforms. We’d prefer not to comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders but we can confirm that the delay is not due to Xbox platform limitations that have been raised to us.”
This statement reinforces my earlier reporting that the issue with Black Myth: Wukong’s delayed release on Xbox is not technical in nature, and not because of some issue with the Series S as many have speculated, as Microsoft is now saying outright. Microsoft did not comment on any specifics of a deal between Game Science and Sony, but again, like their original statements, have pointed directly to that possibility when making a statement about a delay.
My report, corroborated by IGN, was disputed by industry insiders who claimed to have heard that it was simply PlayStation providing cash and resources for Wukong to make it to their platform. Here, it is very much evident that any such exclusivity deal does not in fact include traditional marketing and may not even have included traditional payment, making the situation uniquely strange. I have reached out to Game Science and Sony for comment and will update if I hear back.
In a situation this complicated, multiple things can be true. If Sony helped Game Science with paid tech work in exchange for a period of exclusivity, that would certainly not be a “traditional” exclusivity deal with the so-called “money hat” keeping it off rival platforms and allowing for a big PS-side marketing push. There are no specifics terms of the deal known, though Microsoft has twice now pointed directly in that direction with public statements. On the other side, if Game Science and Sony have not revealed the nature of an exclusivity arrangement at this point, they will likely not going forward. Game Science has already issued a conflicting statement with Microsoft citing ongoing “optimization” with the Xbox hardware, and that’s not explained here. Again, I’ve asked them for clarification.
There remains no timeline as to when Black Myth: Wukong, which has reportedly already moved 10 million copies, will arrive on Xbox. There’s nothing to indicate this is permanent exclusivity, not temporary, but the exact timeframes here remain unknown.
Microsoft is doing battle with developers lamenting the limitations of the Series S, but they are saying on the record that “platform limitations” are not the problem here. Now, we’ll wait and see when Black Myth: Wukong actually arrives on Xbox.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
