Black Myth: Wukong’s Steam Awards victory raises questions about western gaming media’s selective coverage of non-western successes.

The gaming industry has always had an interesting relationship with awards and accolades. While some ceremonies claim to represent the voice of the entire gaming community, others let the players themselves decide what deserves recognition. This divide has never been more apparent than with Black Myth: Wukong, Game Science’s ambitious action RPG that took the gaming world by storm last year.

When the players speak, some critics suddenly go deaf. | Image Credit: Game Science

Just weeks after being passed over for Game of the Year at The Game Awards in favor of Sony’s glorified tech demo Astro Bot, Black Myth: Wukong has emerged victorious where it arguably matters most—in the hearts and minds of actual players. The game recently secured three major awards at the Steam Awards, including the coveted GOTY trophy, yet the silence from mainstream gaming media is deafening.

This disconnect between industry insiders and the gaming public raises some interesting questions about who really gets to decide what makes a game “great”—and whether the current system is serving anyone’s interests but its own.

The curious case of Western gaming media’s selective silence

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The numbers don’t lie—Black Myth: Wukong has been a phenomenon since its August 2024 release. With over 2.2 million concurrent players at launch, it shattered Steam records previously held by juggernauts like Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring. Yet when it comes to celebrating the game’s achievements, particularly its recent Steam Awards triumph, many major Western gaming outlets seem to have developed a curious case of selective amnesia.

This isn’t just about one game’s success or failure. It’s about a broader pattern of bias that seems to favor established Western studios and publishers, while viewing newcomers—especially those from China—with unwarranted skepticism. The fact that Game Science, a relatively unknown Chinese studio, managed to create one of the year’s most successful and beloved games seems to be a pill too bitter for some to swallow.

Let’s be real here—if a Western studio had achieved even half of what Black Myth: Wukong has accomplished, we’d never hear the end of it. The same outlets that pride themselves on being the voice of gaming culture are now conspicuously quiet about a game that has demonstrably captured the imagination of millions of players worldwide.

It’s almost as if there’s an unspoken rule: “Chinese success stories need not apply.”

When player choice speaks louder than jury votes

Ten biased critics or ten million players: You decide. | Image Credit: Game Science

The contrast between The Game Awards‘ jury-driven selection process and the pure democracy of platforms like Steam couldn’t be starker. While the former relies heavily on a panel of Western gaming journalists and critics (with fan votes accounting for just 10% of the final tally), Steam Awards are decided entirely by players—you know, the people who actually invest their time and hard-earned money on these games.

And here’s where it gets interesting: Game Science‘s masterpiece didn’t just win Game of the Year at the Steam Awards—it dominated multiple categories, including “Best Game You Suck At” and “Outstanding Story-Rich Game.” The same game that supposedly wasn’t quite good enough for The Game Awards’ jury somehow managed to captivate millions of actual players.

Funny how that works, isn’t it?

The argument that “only mainstream games will win player-voted awards” falls flat when you consider that Black Myth: Wukong earned its mainstream status through sheer quality and word-of-mouth overcoming calculated controversy and allegations in the months leading up to its release. Not through pre-existing Western gaming industry connections, but through the strength of its own vision and execution.

And hence, perhaps it’s time we stopped pretending that a small group of industry insiders somehow knows better than the collective wisdom of millions of players. After all, isn’t the true measure of a game’s worth found in the joy it brings to those who actually play it?

What do you think about the current state of gaming awards? Should player votes carry more weight than critical opinions? Share your thoughts in the comments below!