This is one of the stranger sagas of console exclusivity I’ve seen in quite a while, and now I’ve received new information that I consider the final word on the situation as to why Xbox does not currently have Black Myth: Wukong available while the game has launched on PC and PS5.
A source with specific knowledge of the situation has told me that contrary to previous reporting, and even departing from Game Science’s own statement, that the reason Black Myth: Wukong is not currently on Xbox is due to an exclusivity deal, not because of some sort of technical issue causing a delay in the release of the game. IGN has also confirmed this same information.
I was not told the duration of this exclusivity deal, but it does not appear to be permanent. It is also unclear as to why this has not been publicly disclosed, as these sorts of deals are usually public knowledge.
Again, this also runs contrary to what Wukong developer Game Science said about the situation:
“We are currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards,” Game Science said, “so it won’t release simultaneously with the other platforms. We apologize for the delay and aim to minimize the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards.”
That very much indicates a technical problem, but I am secure in my sourcing that the reason is instead exclusivity. I am attempting to clarify why Game Science made this statement if such a deal is in place. And why it’s being apparently kept under wraps.
Instead, an exclusivity deal is much closer to what Microsoft has said publicly about the situation from the start:
“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 can’t comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders, but we remain focused on making Xbox the best platform for gamers, and great games are at the center of that.”
That statement, citing deals made with other platform holders, very much points to an exclusivity deal with Sony, and does not mention optimization or any other sort of technical issue. A recent insider claimed a memory leak was responsible, but what I am hearing runs directly counter to that and what Game Science is saying.
The end result is the same. Black Myth: Wukong is not on Xbox, nor does it have a release date on Xbox, which, given its significant as a release this year, is most unfortunate for Microsoft.
I have reached out to Sony, Microsoft and Game Science and will update if I hear back.
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