Black Myth: Wukong’s Scrapped Multiplayer Mode Still Fascinates Me in 2026

In 2026, I still find myself digging through the wreckage of what could have been in Black Myth: Wukong. The discovery that Game Science at one point experimented with online multiplayer is not exactly breaking news anymore, but it remains one of the most revealing pieces of cut content around the game. According to a video compiled by Outrageous Dong Chai, references to a scrapped online multiplayer mode can still be found in the game’s code. The video is in Chinese, but the findings are clear enough: room creation, room joining, role configuration, and other lobby-style features were apparently prototyped before being left behind. As a player, that detail changes how I look at the final product—not because the game feels incomplete, but because it shows how many directions the project could have taken.

What the code tells me

I’ve seen plenty of datamined discoveries that amount to little more than wishful thinking, but this one feels different. The references point to a structured online framework rather than a vague experiment. From my perspective, the most interesting part is not that multiplayer existed in some form—it is that the remnants suggest a fairly conventional lobby system.

Code reference	What it suggests	My take
Create and join rooms	A lobby-based multiplayer structure	This sounds like a co-op or session-based mode, not a full live-service game
Role configuration	Player roles or loadout selection	It hints at coordinated play rather than simple drop-in chaos
Lobby-style options	Matchmaking or invite systems	The mode may have been planned for structured group play

That table is not proof of a finished mode, and I would not pretend otherwise. Cut content is often messy, half-built, and abandoned for good reasons. Still, the existence of these references tells me that Game Science was thinking about how players might share the Journey to the West experience with friends. For an action RPG so focused on solitary atmosphere and boss encounters, that is a fascinating “what if.”

Why multiplayer would have mattered

Black Myth: Wukong sold 18 million copies in only two weeks, which is an extraordinary figure for a debut action RPG. When a game performs at that level, the conversation naturally turns to longevity. The original report argued that future expansions could extend the title’s life and increase sales further, and I agree with that logic. A multiplayer mode, even a modest co-op layer, could have extended the game’s life even further than a few simple expansions.

I want to be careful here: I am not saying the scrapped mode should be revived, and I am not treating every line of leftover code as a promise. What I am saying is that the discovery makes the game’s post-launch path more interesting to me. Expansions can add new areas, bosses, and story beats, but multiplayer changes how players return to a game. It creates social hooks, repeatable sessions, and community stories. For a title built on the legend of Sun Wukong, the idea of fighting alongside other players has obvious appeal.

The platform picture and the 2026 lens

When the discovery surfaced, Black Myth: Wukong was available worldwide on PC and PlayStation 5, while the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S version had a release date still to be determined. I am treating that as historical context rather than a fresh status update. In 2026, the more relevant point is that the game’s legacy is still being debated, expanded, and re-examined. Scrapped multiplayer is part of that legacy now.

I also think about how the game was received. I would describe it the way the original review did: one of the strongest debut games in recent times, not groundbreaking in every respect, but a masterful blend of elements from several popular franchises. It delivers an engaging action RPG experience that ranks just below the very best in the genre. Stuttering issues and minor gameplay flaws hold it back slightly, but they should not deter action RPG or action game fans. The Journey to the West has rarely been this enjoyable.

My verdict

As a player, I am glad the final game focused on a strong single-player campaign rather than forcing a half-formed online mode into the package. A bad multiplayer mode can damage a good game’s reputation. But the discovery still leaves me with a lingering question: what would a polished, cooperative Black Myth: Wukong have looked like? 🤔

For now, I see the scrapped multiplayer mode as a reminder of how ambitious the project was behind the scenes. It is a piece of cut content that adds mystery, not disappointment. In 2026, with expansions and future plans still part of the conversation, I will keep watching to see whether Game Science ever revisits the idea—or whether this lobby code remains a quiet footnote in one of the most impressive debut action RPGs of the decade.