The success of Black Myth: Wukong has sent ripples through the global gaming community. Beyond its commercial success, breaking records and generating massive revenue, the game has also garnered attention for being developed by Game Science, a studio known primarily for its animation work. Creating an AAA blockbuster game required significant financial investment, and Game Science found a silent backer who secretly provided funding for five years to bring this super-production to life, a source of great pride for Chinese gamers.
And now, the mysterious backer of Black Myth: Wukong has been revealed.
The backer behind Black Myth: Wukong’s success is not Tencent
The First Investor of Black Myth: Wukong
According to ThePaper, Liu Wei, the founder of MiHoYo, disclosed information about the biggest investor in the Chinese gaming industry over the past five years. Liu Wei was referring to Wu Dan, whose English name is Daniel, co-founder and president of Hero Games, and one of the youngest chairpersons of a listed company in China. Notably, Wu Dan was also the first investor in Black Myth: Wukong.
While many are aware of Tencent’s investment in Game Science and the Black Myth: Wukong team in 2021, Hero Games was the sole investor and largest outside shareholder of Game Science before that.
Wu Dan, the financial backer of Black Myth: Wukong for five years
In May 2017, Wu Dan invested 60 million Chinese yuan (approximately 200 billion VND) to acquire 20% of Game Science’s shares, valuing the company at 300 million Chinese yuan (1,000 billion VND). This investment was pivotal in ensuring Black Myth: Wukong stayed on course for completion.
As the project progressed, Wu Dan immediately invested an additional 100 million Chinese yuan (approximately 350 billion VND). Furthermore, the backer provided the project team with a quiet and remote location to focus on game development. Wu Dan even lent Feng Ji, the founder of Game Science, his father’s car for transportation. These gestures demonstrate Wu Dan’s deep commitment to the Hắc Huyền Thoại: Ngộ Không project.
A Past of Gaming Addiction for the Backer Behind Black Myth: Wukong
Wu Dan was born in 1987 in Wenzhou, China. He describes himself as an “internet addict” from a young age. In 2001, the popular shooting game “CS” took China by storm, and Wu Dan, then a high school student, became engrossed in it. However, Wu Dan’s parents were concerned about the potential negative impact on his future and sent him to study abroad.
Wu Dan was admitted to the University of Toronto to study finance, fulfilling his parents’ wishes. However, he was unhappy with this path. He continued his studies there and graduated, but he realized that his true passion was in gaming.
After graduation, instead of pursuing a career in banking or finance in the US, Wu Dan secretly returned to Shanghai, China, without his parents’ knowledge. “I loved games so much that I just wanted to come back to China and play games,” Wu Dan recalled.
Wu Dan’s youthful and scholarly appearance belies his status as a billionaire company owner in China
He eventually found a job at a game company, but his monthly salary was only 3,000 Chinese yuan (over 10 million VND). Unable to support himself with his passion, he took a job in his field of study at an accounting firm. However, after four months, Wu Dan quit due to a lack of interest in the work.
In 2012, Wu Dan met Fang Aizhi (Anna), the co-founder and CEO of Zhen Fund, a venture capital firm in China, at a party and subsequently worked there. Wu Dan’s impression remained the same: a casual dresser, a gaming addict, but his work results surprised everyone. Wu Dan excelled in his work, and within a year and a half, he was promoted to Vice President of ZhenFund.
During this period, Wu Dan also invested in several mobile games from small studios, achieving a 70% success rate. In 2015, he transitioned into entrepreneurship, investing in potential game projects and co-founding Hero Games with his long-time friend Ying Shuling.
Hero Games flourished, attracting investments from major players. Notably, Huayi Brothers, led by Zhonglei, invested 1.9 billion Chinese yuan (over 6,600 billion VND) in Hero Games. The company was then listed on the Chinese stock exchange with a valuation of 10 billion Chinese yuan (approximately 35,000 billion VND).
With Hero Games’ continuous growth, Wu Dan became its president in 2016, and in 2017, he was included in Forbes China’s “30 Under 30” list, becoming one of the youngest CEOs with a listed company in the country.
The Monkey King’s Midas Touch: How China Turned Sun Wukong into a Money-Spinning Masterpiece
The popular Chinese video game, Black Myth: Wukong, is igniting an economic phenomenon across multiple sectors, giving rise to a so-called “Wukong Economy.” The game’s intricate retelling of Chinese mythology is not only captivating a global audience but also inspiring a wave of cultural tourism initiatives across the country.
