Why everyone compares them
Black Myth: Wukong proved in 2024 that a Chinese action game can sell worldwide. Phantom Blade Zero is the next big Chinese game in the same genre. Both also share an investor: Tencent (Eurogamer, March 2025).
In January 2026, GamesRadar+ wrote that the closest parallel to Phantom Blade Zero is Black Myth: Wukong, then added that S-GAME's game is "even less Souls-like". We collected the press impressions from the previews in our article is Phantom Blade Zero a Soulslike. Here we go into specifics: numbers, mechanics, price and languages.
Comparison table
| Feature | Black Myth: Wukong | Phantom Blade Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | Game Science (Hangzhou) | S-GAME (Beijing) |
| Release | August 20, 2024 (PC, PS5); Xbox: August 20, 2025 | October 29, 2026 (PC, PS5) |
| Platforms | PC (Steam, Epic, WeGame), PS5, Xbox Series X/S | PC (Steam, Epic), PS5; other consoles no sooner than 12 months after launch |
| Steam price | $59.99 / PLN 249; Deluxe Edition Upgrade $9.99 / PLN 50 | $59.99 / PLN 299; Digital Deluxe $69.99 / PLN 349 |
| Polish | Yes (interface and subtitles) | No |
| Turkish | Yes (interface and subtitles, since December 2024) | No |
| Full voice acting | English, Simplified Chinese | English, Simplified Chinese |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Combat | staff, spells and transformations; light attacks build Focus for heavy ones | fast combos, parrying and dodging; Sha-Chi resource instead of stamina |
| Parry | no classic parry (Perfect Dodge, Rock Solid spell) | yes, the core of combat |
| Weapons | 1 (a staff with 3 stances) | over 30 main + 20-25 Phantom Edges |
| Difficulty modes | no choice | 4: Wayfarer, Pathbreaker, Hellwalker, Sixty-Six Days |
| Length | 38 h main story, 67.5 h completionist (HowLongToBeat) | 25-30 h (director's estimate) |
| World | 6 chapters, linear areas | 8 interconnected maps, neither open world nor linear |
| Bosses | no official count (guides: about 80-107) | at least 50 (according to the director) |
| PC minimum | i5-8400 / Ryzen 5 1600, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1060 6GB / RX 580 8GB, 130 GB, HDD is fine | i7-8700K / Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1660 6GB / RX 5500 XT 8GB, SSD required |
| PC recommended | i7-9700 / Ryzen 5 5500, 16 GB RAM, RTX 2060 / RX 5700 XT, SSD | i5-10600K / Ryzen 5 5600X, 16 GB RAM, RTX 3060 Ti 8GB / RX 6700 XT 12GB, SSD |
Black Myth: Wukong has been out for two years, so its data is well established. Phantom Blade Zero's combat, length and boss details come from press previews and interviews before launch. Wukong's prices are regular prices, without discounts.
Combat: one staff vs an arsenal
Black Myth: Wukong gives you a single weapon: the staff. What you switch is the stance: Smash Stance, Pillar Stance and Thrust Stance. GameSpot described the rhythm like this: light attacks mostly build Focus points, which you spend on heavy attacks. On top of that you get spells (for example Immobilize, which briefly freezes an enemy) and transformations into other creatures.
Wukong has no classic parry. RPGFan put it plainly: "parrying doesn't exist", while a well-timed roll is a Perfect Dodge that builds a lot of Focus. The parry role goes to the Rock Solid spell, which you only unlock in Chapter 2 (RPG Site).
Phantom Blade Zero goes the other way. Parrying is the foundation:
- attacks with a blue flash can be blocked or parried,
- attacks with a red flash can only be avoided with a dodge (Perfect Dodge),
- a successful parry or Perfect Dodge moves Soul behind the enemy (press previews call it Ghostep),
- instead of stamina there is Sha-Chi: blocking drains it, a perfect parry does not.
You also carry 2 main weapons and 2 Phantom Edges (secondary weapons, such as an axe or a bow) at once. In total the game has over 30 main weapons and 20-25 Phantom Edges (official sources give different numbers). Details: combat system and parrying, weapons list.
In short: Wukong is about dodging, managing Focus and spells. Phantom Blade Zero is about reflexes, parries and combos, closer to Sekiro and Ninja Gaiden than to Wukong.
Difficulty: no choice vs four modes
You cannot pick a difficulty in Black Myth: Wukong. GameSpot: "there aren't any difficulty options". After the credits you get New Game Plus, and since December 10, 2024 also Challenge mode, which lets you replay boss fights. Steam does not list Wukong under "Adjustable Difficulty", while Phantom Blade Zero has that tag.
Phantom Blade Zero has four modes:
| Mode | Who it's for |
|---|---|
| Wayfarer | the most forgiving, for players who want the spectacle |
| Pathbreaker | the default |
| Hellwalker | enemies adapt their attacks to your style during the fight |
| Sixty-Six Days | Hellwalker difficulty with only 66 deaths for the whole game; unlocks after your first playthrough |
Whether you can change the mode mid-game is unknown until launch. More: difficulty modes and length.
Length: how many hours
According to HowLongToBeat, Black Myth: Wukong takes 38 h (main story), 48.5 h (main story plus side content) and 67.5 h (completionist).
For Phantom Blade Zero we only have the director's word: Soulframe Liang said 25-30 h for an experienced player (Wccftech, October 8, 2026).
Compare these carefully. HowLongToBeat is an average of player submissions after release, while 25-30 h is a developer estimate before launch. If you are new to action games, your playthrough may take longer.
World: chapters vs connected maps
Wukong tells a story based on the Chinese novel "Journey to the West". The game is split into six chapters, each largely a self-contained tale (GameSpot). The areas are linear, and the GameSpot reviewer called the whole thing "essentially a lengthy boss rush".
Phantom Blade Zero has its own wuxia world that the developers call kungfupunk. You play as Soul, who has 66 days left to live. The world is made of eight interconnected maps. Liang at State of Play on August 17, 2026: the game "is not an open world game, nor is it a linear adventure from beginning to end". Phantom Edges also open paths in areas you have already visited (Game Rant), so you do return to old maps. More: world and exploration.
Languages, price and requirements
Language. Black Myth: Wukong has a Polish interface and subtitles, plus Turkish (added in December 2024). Phantom Blade Zero has neither Polish nor Turkish: subtitles come in 15 languages, including German, French and Spanish. Both games have full voice acting only in English and Chinese. If you need Polish or Turkish text, this is the key difference for you. Details: Phantom Blade Zero languages.
Price. In dollars both games cost the same: $59.99. On the Polish Steam store Wukong costs PLN 249 and regularly goes on sale (for example -30% from August 5, 2026), while Phantom Blade Zero costs PLN 299 (Digital Deluxe PLN 349). We cover the editions in our article on the Deluxe Edition and physical copy.
PC. Phantom Blade Zero has a higher minimum spec (GTX 1660 and i7-8700K) and requires an SSD. Wukong runs from an HDD, though it recommends an SSD. Full specs and settings: PC requirements.
Will Phantom Blade Zero repeat Wukong's success?
First, Wukong's numbers:
- 10 million copies in 3 days across all platforms: the only sales figure Game Science has announced officially (August 23, 2024).
- A Steam peak of 2,415,714 concurrent players (August 22, 2024, SteamDB): the second-highest in Steam history, after PUBG.
- Scores: Metacritic 81 (PC), OpenCritic 82.
- The Game Awards 2024: won Best Action and Players' Voice, nominated for Game of the Year.
Higher sales figures (20 and 30 million) also circulate in the media, but Game Science has not confirmed them. The studio told Eurogamer it had no new figures beyond the announced milestone of over 10 million copies.
For Phantom Blade Zero, S-GAME has officially said only that the game passed 3 million wishlists across all platforms (September 17, 2026) and that first-week pre-orders "far exceeded expectations". Everything else is analyst estimates, not studio data:
| Who and when | Estimated Steam pre-orders |
|---|---|
| Alinea Analytics, August 21, 2026 | about 300,000 copies after a few days; 73% of Wukong's pace at the same point before launch |
| Gamalytic, September 18, 2026 | about 400,000 copies |
| Alinea Analytics, September 30, 2026 | about 386,000 copies |
Alinea also noted that 46% of people with Phantom Blade Zero on their wishlist had played Wukong. Consultant Daniel Camilo said interest in China is "nowhere near" Wukong's, and that Phantom Blade Zero is more of a game for dedicated players.
Liang himself has always talked about Wukong as an opportunity, not a rival. In July 2024, before Wukong launched: "I think Black Myth: Wukong will be a big hit. There are more to come." In 2025 he added that after Wukong's success the team got more money, but also more pressure. We cover the studio's history in S-GAME and the Phantom Blade series.
Whether the result will repeat is unknown until launch. After October 29, 2026 we will add the Steam player peak and the Metacritic and OpenCritic scores.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Black Myth: Wukong if:
- you want Polish or Turkish subtitles,
- you prefer dodges, spells and transformations over parrying,
- you have a weaker PC or only an HDD,
- you play on Xbox,
- you want to pay less (it is often discounted).
Pick Phantom Blade Zero if:
- you like parrying and combos as in Sekiro, Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry,
- you want to choose your difficulty: an easy start on Wayfarer or a challenge on Hellwalker,
- you are fine with English,
- you prefer connected maps you return to over a series of chapters,
- you want a shorter game (25-30 h according to the developer).
If you are unsure, wait for the Phantom Blade Zero reviews. Wukong is not going anywhere, and it is often on sale.
FAQ
Is Phantom Blade Zero made by the Black Myth: Wukong developers?
No. Phantom Blade Zero is made by S-GAME in Beijing, while Wukong was made by Game Science in Hangzhou. They share a country, Unreal Engine 5 and an investor, Tencent.
Is Phantom Blade Zero similar to Black Myth: Wukong?
Only broadly: both are Chinese action games with lots of bosses. The combat is different: Phantom Blade Zero is built on parrying and combos with many weapons, Wukong on dodging, spells and a single staff.
Which game is harder?
That can't be judged fairly yet. Wukong has one difficulty level, while Phantom Blade Zero has four, from the forgiving Wayfarer to Sixty-Six Days with a limit of 66 deaths.
Does Phantom Blade Zero have Polish or Turkish like Wukong?
No. Wukong has Polish and Turkish subtitles and interface, Phantom Blade Zero has neither (voice in English and Chinese, subtitles in German and French, among others).
Is Phantom Blade Zero a boss rush like Wukong?
According to the developers, no: between fights there is exploration of connected maps, side quests and secrets. There should be at least 50 bosses.
