TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) on Monday (Aug. 26) denied blocking the Chinese-made video game “Black Myth: Wukong” for political reasons.
China’s first AAA single-player game, inspired by the novel “Journey to the West,” was released globally on Aug. 20, but has yet to be made available on Taiwan's PlayStation store, leading to speculation about potential political intervention.
On Monday, MODA’s Administration for Digital Industries (ADI) said the delay was not a political issue but merely a procedural one. Once the required documents are submitted and complete, the game can be launched within a month, according to CNA.
The game, made by Chinese game developer Game Science Studio, has sold over 4.5 million copies, generating 15 billion Chinese yuan (US$2.1 billion), and even boosting Taiwan’s gaming stocks, reported ETtoday.
The ADI explained that because the game was developed in China, the Cross-Strait Act and Game Software Rating Regulations require that the game be licensed to a Taiwanese agent to be released in the country. Before launching, the Taiwanese agent must submit the agency contract, operation declaration, company information, and server flow inspection reports (including financial flow, personal data, account applications, and in-game data flow).
The agency noted that based on the Taiwan Entertainment Software Rating Information network established by the Taipei Computer Association, a Taiwanese agent, Titan Amusement Co., registered the game’s information on July 31. The Taipei Computer Association has requested the company to proceed with the application according to Chinese game agency procedures.
However, as of Aug. 23, the company had not yet submitted the necessary agency documentation.
Lin Chun-hsiu (林俊秀), deputy head of the ADI, emphasized that the issue is not political but due to incomplete procedures. Lin pointed out that other Chinese games have been launched in the past, and if there were political issues, they would have surfaced earlier.
Once the company submits the required documents, including agency contracts, game ratings, and cybersecurity regulations, the information will be reviewed. If the documents are complete, the game could be launched in less than a month, said Lin.
