I still remember the summer of 2024, when Black Myth: Wukong finally launched on August 20. I was a player, not an employee of that lucky Chinese company, but I followed the news like it was my own holiday. A company actually gave everyone the day off to “study” the game. Yes, study. And the prerequisites made it even funnier.

Reading around the wonky translation of the notice posted on X/Twitter, I found two clear eligibility criteria: you needed a pre-order for Game Science’s 2024 title, and you could only claim the leave if you planned to play on PC or PlayStation 5. Xbox was excluded. That exclusion likely came from the game’s delay on Microsoft’s platform until an indeterminate date. As someone who had friends on Xbox, I felt a pang of sympathy. They watched the rest of us dive into the ARPG while they waited.

Prerequisite	Detail
Pre-order	Required for Game Science’s 2024 release
Platform	PC or PlayStation 5 only
Xbox	Excluded due to delayed launch

The notice itself was signed and stamped by “Chengdu Science and Technology”. According to the letter, the intention for “study” wasn’t code for taking a day to play video games for leisure. It was for genuine work purposes. That phrasing made me laugh out loud. In a way, I understood. Black Myth is not a casual game. It demands attention, patience, and a willingness to learn boss patterns. So “study” was almost accurate.

Humour aside, the best part was the request for any department members granted leave to keep their phones open. The reason? “Mr. Lei may not be able to get through [the game] and may need assistance.” I imagined Mr. Lei stuck on a boss, calling a colleague for backup while the whole office was technically off. The company also distributed coffee and “Deluxe Editions” of Black Myth free to all participants. That is corporate culture I can get behind. The message concluded with a warm line: “The company extends its heartfelt greetings to the employees who work hard in various departments and positions. I wish you all have fun!”

When Black Myth: Wukong launched, it shattered Steam records. I watched the concurrent player count climb. It recorded the second-highest concurrent player count ever on Valve’s platform, second only to PUBG. That statistic still amazes me. A single-player action RPG, based on a 16th-century Chinese novel, was competing with a battle royale giant. The game is based on Journey to the West, one of countless adaptations inspired by that book. I knew the connection before, but the launch made it global. Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball famously owes many characters and concepts to Journey to the West. The manga’s central character, Son Goku, is the Japanese translation of Sun Wukong. So in a way, I had been playing Wukong-inspired games my whole life without realizing it. 🐒

As a player, I leaned on guides. I remember searching for how to obtain Silk to upgrade my armor. Silk was essential, and I spent hours farming it. I also needed to know which skills to prioritize picking up first. If you are starting in 2026, my advice is simple: invest in stamina and staff skills early. Silk farming becomes easier once you unlock certain areas. But the joy of Black Myth is not just optimization. It is the atmosphere, the mythology, and the challenge.

Goal	Tip
Upgrade armor	Farm Silk from enemies and hidden spots
Early skills	Prioritize stamina, light attacks, and staff stance
Boss fights	Study patterns, use immobilize, don’t panic

Now, in 2026, I look back at that August 20 with nostalgia. The company day off is a meme, but it also represents something real. Games can bring people together. They can even make a boss grant leave. The prerequisites, the coffee, the Deluxe Editions, the poor Mr. Lei—it all sounds like a sitcom. Yet it happened. And I wish more workplaces understood that sometimes a day of “study” is exactly what a team needs. Not for leisure, but for shared passion. I still play Black Myth occasionally. The bosses still punish me. But I remember the notice, and I smile. If only my own company had a Mr. Lei who needed assistance. ☕🎮