Developer Game Science has shared a six-minute in-engine video for its upcoming game Black Myth: Zhong Kui to celebrate the 2026 Chinese New Year. The clip focuses on surreal monster cooking and is explicitly non-canon and unrelated to the main storyline. It serves as a tech showcase highlighting the game's visuals and creature designs.
Game Science, the studio behind the 2024 hit Black Myth: Wukong, released a special video on February 10, 2026, ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations on February 17. Titled a "Chinese New Year Special" for the Year of the Horse, the six-minute in-engine footage depicts a woman preparing a feast using monster parts in a mythical ancient China setting. Key scenes include dicing slabs of meat with blinking eyes, harvesting herbs from a tiny demon baby, and chopping a giant grasshopper, assisted by unsettling companions.
The video emphasizes hyper-realistic food rendering, with praised elements like the squishiness of fish, advanced liquid simulations, and detailed creature designs. Particle effects for dust and chopped leaves are noted as improved but still the weakest aspect. It ends with a hooded figure led into a shadowy room, served monster ramen, and having their hood lifted before cutting to black.
Black Myth: Zhong Kui, a single-player action RPG inspired by the demon hunter Zhong Kui from Chinese folklore, was first teased at Gamescom 2025 with a brief clip showing demons and a man riding a tiger. No gameplay, release window, or platform details have been announced. The video is confirmed as non-canon and unrelated to the game's storyline, functioning more as a tech demo than promotional content.
This marks Game Science's sixth annual New Year release. Previous entries include a 2021 trailer for the Year of the Ox, a 2022 mockumentary for the Year of the Tiger, 2023 stop-motion for the Year of the Rabbit, a 2024 live-action film for the Year of the Loong, and a 2025 short plugging merchandise for the Year of the Snake. The clip draws comparisons to the anime Delicious in Dungeon for its monster cuisine theme and blends cozy and unsettling vibes with cultural symbolism.
