Black Myth: Wukong with a budget of $42.3 million earned more than $1.2 billion, — tax authorities

The game Black Myth: Wukong cost the developer Game Science more than 20 million copies and sold for $60 per copy. The game’s budget turned out to be slightly lower than previously reported.

The financial details were shed by report State Administration of Taxation of Zhejiang, China. The total estimated budget for Black Myth was «over 300 million yuan». This is approximately $42.3 million — less than the $70 million budget previously reported in the press.

However, the tax administrator indicates the total cost of development, and Bloomberg once reported on the contribution of Game Science’s largest external shareholder. There are no more specifics, so the true value of the game probably lies somewhere between these two figures. But either way, the achievement is exceptional compared to some modern games that invest hundreds of millions in vain. The cost of labor is also an important factor. Numerous estimates show that the average salary of game developers in China is lower than in the US or Europe.

Black Myth: Wukong has been called one of the fastest-selling games of all time after selling 10 million copies in just one week. Developers and publishers celebrated the sale of 20 million during of this year’s Tokyo Game Show. The game is not only a financial success — players spend a lot of time playing it. As of last month, fans played for an average of 27 hours.

Source: GamesRadar