Hey, it's me, your average gamer who spends way too much time arguing about dodge frames and way too little time touching grass. When Black Myth: Wukong launched on Aug. 20, 2024, I was ready to monkey around with a big stick. But before the game even hit my hard drive, the drama was already doing backflips. Publisher Hero Games—acting on behalf of developer Game Science—apparently sent a 'Do's & Don'ts' list to streamers who got early codes. And folks, this thing was wilder than a barrel of caffeinated monkeys.
The list, confirmed by GLHF and Forbes and shared by French creator Benoit 'ExServ' Reinier, reportedly told streamers: don't insult other influencers or players, don't use offensive language or humor, don't include politics, violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishization, or other content that instigates negative discourse, don't use trigger words like quarantine, isolation, or COVID-19, and don't discuss China's game industry policies, opinions, news, etc.
| Rule on the list | My regular-gamer reaction |
|---|---|
| No offensive language or humor | So basically, no streaming while playing a game about a monkey who beats gods with a stick? |
| No politics, violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishization | That is a whole lot of 'no' for a game where a half-person, half-crab thing crushes a human skull. |
| No trigger words like quarantine, isolation, COVID-19 | This is not 2020 anymore, but okay, sure, let's pretend we are all living in a bubble. |
| No discussing China's game industry policies | Ah yes, the classic 'don't read the room, just ignore the elephant in the room' move. |
I get embargoes. They are the 'don't spill the beans before the street date' handshake that every critic and creator knows. Polygon's own review embargo for Wukong just said when to publish and not to spoil too much plot. That is standard. But telling creators what opinions they cannot have? That is not an embargo; that is a muzzle with a Steam key attached.
And the violence bit? Come on. Toward the end of the release date trailer, a character who appears to be half person, half crab crushes a human's skull in its hands. So telling streamers not to discuss violence is like telling a barbecue pitmaster not to mention smoke. It is barking up the wrong tree, no cap.
The 'no China game industry talk' rule probably ties to how the National Press and Publication Administration regulates games, playtime, and spending in China. According to The New York Times, the agency seemingly backpedaled from a highly restrictive plan that would have further limited video game spending because the proposal tanked video gaming companies' stocks and raised doubts about the government's commitment to reviving China's slowing economy. So maybe Hero Games did not want streamers poking that hornet's nest live on air. Fair enough, but still weird.
The 'feminist propaganda' restriction likely nods to an IGN report from 2023, where the outlet investigated alleged sexism at Game Science and within the Chinese gaming community. IGN spoke to several women familiar with gaming culture, as well as the games and technology industry in China, who reported misogynistic remarks from developers at Game Science, including co-founder Feng Ji. Game Science has not publicly responded to those claims in writing, or to journalists at preview events. So that guideline feels less like 'keep it chill' and more like 'please don't read that article on stream.'
Here is the kicker: the game actually reviewed pretty well. Polygon called it 'both confounding and spectacular to behold.' On Metacritic, Black Myth: Wukong had an early score of 81, which is considered 'generally favorable.' So the game did not need the weird rules. It could stand on its own two... paws? Hooves? Whatever Wukong has.
Now it is 2026, and the game has been out for a while. The controversy still clings to it like a bad status effect. I have seen streamers joke about the 'Do's & Don'ts' list like it is a cursed artifact. And honestly? It is a reminder that hype and hubris often travel in the same party bus. The game itself gave us gorgeous bosses, punchy combat, and a whole lot of 'am I really about to die to a giant rat again?' moments. But the launch drama was a boss fight of its own.
As a regular player, I do not care about corporate hand-holding. I care about whether the combat slaps, the bosses are fair, and the story hits. Wukong gave us a lot of that. But the restrictions? They hit different. They made the conversation about the game feel like a minefield where one wrong word could summon a PR email.
Maybe next time, publishers should trust the game and let the players talk—yes, even about the messy stuff. Because in 2026, the internet never forgets, and no 'Do's & Don'ts' list can change that. The juice is worth the squeeze when the game is good. The rest? Not my circus, not my monkeys. Now if you will excuse me, I have a monkey to guide and a backlog to ignore.