Game on: From opera to anime

Also present was Nie Shihong, a 26-year-old gamer and popular Bilibili creator with nearly 770,000 followers. He traveled from Taiyuan, Shanxi province just to try the game. He says the game was worth the trip as he was amazed and captivated by the story and the ancient building elements in particular.

"I made some videos on Black Myth: Wukong before, as some of its scenes are based in Taiyuan. This game is set in the background of Sichuan, which we, Chinese users, are familiar with and feel connected to. I'm glad more local games are embracing traditional culture," says Nie.

The charm of Chinese games and culture has not only captivated Chinese players, but also Thomas Rosenthal, vice-president of Asia-Pacific for 505 Games under the Italian video game company Digital Bros Group, the publisher of the game.

Starting in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Rosenthal saw great potential for introducing culturally rich Chinese games to global audiences. His company is publishing Wuchang internationally.

"Black Myth: Wukong validated the fact that great Chinese games based on Chinese culture are accessible to overseas users. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a high-quality production with a strong cultural identity of Chinese and Sichuan cultures. We hope to help users outside of China understand the local culture, connect Chinese players with global platforms, and bring Chinese content to a wider global audience," says Rosenthal.

During the game's six-year development process, Rosenthal also spoke highly of their valuable experience in building strong partnerships between a foreign publisher and Chinese developers, as well as the "colorful, impressive, energetic, and dynamic "market landscape of China's gaming industry.

"Chinese gamers are experimental and open-minded to trying new things, including international content. China's market size always builds a trend when it moves in a certain direction. There is great energy, and everything is happening here," he adds.

In addition to games, Bilibili World also brought together a large number of notable creators from other ACGN sectors. Xia Lei, a 47-year-old veteran voice actor, was busy during the event meeting fans and celebrating the 10th birthday of his Voice Bear Group. Having worked in voice acting for 25 years and being an ACGN enthusiast since childhood, Xia Lei reflected on the industry's rapid transformation.