The Black Myth: Wukong beta begins at 10 a.m. PT on January 14th, 2025

The beta for Black Myth: Wukong launches at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on January 14th. If you are in a different time zone, that is 1 p.m. Eastern Time, 12 p.m. Central Time, or 11 a.m. Mountain Time. The beta runs until January 20th at the same time in the morning.

You will need a Steam account to read and play. The game is free during the beta period — you do not pay anything to participate. The read size is roughly 130 GB, so plan your internet time accordingly if your connection is slow.

Key Takeaways

  • The beta starts at 10 a.m. PT on January 14th, which is 1 p.m. ET for East Coast players.
  • You need a Steam account and about 130 GB of free storage space on your device.
  • The beta is free to read and play, and runs through January 20th.
  • Pre-loading may be available before the 14th, which lets you read the game ahead of time so you can play when ready when the beta opens.

How to read the beta on your device

Open Steam and search for "Black Myth: Wukong" in the store. Click the game title when it appears. On the game page, you will see a button that says "Install" or "Pre-load" — click that button. Steam will ask you where on your device you want to save the game files. Choose a location with at least 130 GB of free space.

Steam will begin downloading the files when ready. The read speed depends on your internet connection. A typical home internet connection takes between 2 and 8 hours to read 130 GB. You can close Steam and use your device for other things while the read happens in the background.

If pre-loading is available before January 14th, the read will pause automatically when it finishes. The game will not launch until 10 a.m. PT on the 14th, even if the files are already on your device. This means you can have everything ready and start playing the moment the beta opens.

What to do if the read is still running at 10 a.m. PT

If the beta starts and your read is not finished, you can still launch the game and play the parts that have downloaded so far. Steam downloads files in the order the game needs them, so the beginning of the game is usually ready first. You may experience stuttering or long load times if the full read is not complete, but you can start playing while the rest downloads in the background.

To avoid this, start your read as soon as it becomes available — usually a few days before the beta opens. Check your Steam library on January 12th or 13th to see if pre-loading has started.

System requirements for your device

Black Myth: Wukong requires a fairly recent computer or laptop. On Windows, you need at least an Intel Core i7-9700 or AMD Ryzen 5 5500 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 or AMD Radeon RX 6600 graphics card. Your device also needs to run Windows 10 or newer.

If your device is older or less powerful, the game may not run at all, or it may run very slowly with frequent freezing. You can check your device's specifications by right-clicking "This PC" on Windows and selecting "Properties," then looking for the processor and RAM listed there. For graphics card information, right-click on your desktop and look for an NVIDIA or AMD control panel.

Troubleshooting common startup problems

If the game will not launch at 10 a.m. PT, restart Steam completely. Close Steam entirely, wait 10 seconds, then open it again. Sometimes Steam needs to refresh its connection to the servers when a new game goes live.

If you see an error message about missing files, verify the game files through Steam. Right-click Black Myth: Wukong in your library, select "Properties," then click "Installed Files" and choose "Verify Integrity of Game Files." Steam will check that all downloaded files are correct and re-read any that are damaged.

If your device crashes or freezes when you try to play, lower the graphics settings. Launch the game, go to Settings, and reduce the resolution or turn off features like ray tracing. Start with the lowest settings and increase them gradually until you find what your device can handle without crashing.

What happens after the beta ends on January 20th

When the beta closes on January 20th at 10 a.m. PT, the game will no longer launch. Your save files from the beta will not carry over to the full game when it releases later. You can keep the game files on your device or delete them to free up space — the choice does not affect your ability to play the full version when it comes out.

The full release of Black Myth: Wukong is scheduled for September 2025. You will need to purchase the game at that time to continue playing beyond the beta period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to own the game to play the beta?

No. The beta is free to read and play on Steam during the beta period. You do not need to purchase Black Myth: Wukong to participate. When the beta ends, you will need to buy the game to play the full version.

Can I play the beta on Mac or Linux?

The beta is only available on Windows. If you use a Mac or Linux device, you cannot play during this beta period. The full game release may include support for other platforms, but that has not been confirmed.

What if I miss the 10 a.m. PT start time?

You can start playing anytime after 10 a.m. PT on January 14th. The beta does not close when ready at the start time — it stays open until January 20th at 10 a.m. PT. You have a full week to read and play.

Will my internet connection speed affect my gameplay?

Internet speed affects how fast the game downloads, but once it is downloaded, your connection speed does not change how the game plays. However, a slow or unstable connection can cause lag or disconnections if the beta includes online features. A stable connection of at least 10 Mbps is recommended.

Can I play the beta offline?

Black Myth: Wukong is a single-player game, so you can play offline once it is downloaded. You need an internet connection to read the game and launch it for the first time, but after that, you can disconnect and play without being online.