HANGZHOU - Game Science, the Chinese studio behind the critically acclaimed video game Black Myth: Wukong, unveiled its next project on Wednesday, a surprising new chapter that signals its ambition to build a broader franchise rooted in Chinese mythology.

The new game, titled Black Myth: Zhong Kui, was announced with a teaser trailer, a nearly two-minute computer-generated (CG) short video. The announcement comes exactly one year after the release of Black Myth: Wukong, which achieved breakout global success.

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The choice of Zhong Kui, a mythical ghost-queller from Chinese folklore, instead of a direct sequel focusing on the Monkey King, represents a deliberate creative shift.

In a personal Weibo post on Wednesday, studio founder Feng Ji, also known as Yocar, revealed the emotional backdrop to this decision, describing how he experienced "confusion, emptiness and anxiety" following the success of Black Myth: Wukong.

While acknowledging that creating downloadable content (DLC) would have been "a safe and clear choice," Feng explained that he and co-founder Yang Qi were instead drawn to a fresh creative direction -- deciding to make a new Black Myth game with "new heroes, new gameplay, new visuals, new technology and new stories"。

"This new project has officially entered development," Game Science announced in a statement, assuring fans it aims to deliver "refreshing changes and novelty" while reflecting on the shortcomings of its first project. The studio also had a clear message for fans of the original Wukong game: "The Journey to the West will not end here."

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While promising a new story and protagonist, Game Science confirmed that Black Myth: Zhong Kui will remain a "standard single-player, action role-playing game" featuring an identical business model.

No release window was given, with the studio admitting that even Yocar has no timeline yet for the new game -- which is for "PC and mainstream console platforms." The studio did announce rebranding of all its social media accounts from Black Myth: Wukong to simply Black Myth to serve as a unified hub for all future games in the series.

Further details on gameplay and story were scarce, with the studio joking that the outline isn't even finished -- but promising an experience that will feel both familiar and surprising to fans.