The release of a Chinese video game touted as the country’s first to meet triple-A standards has sparked a flood of criticism of the Chinese government online.

The AAA label is awarded to video games when they have large financial resources, a high level of development expertise and are distributed by well-known publishers.

The worldwide release of the Chinese game on August 20 Black Myth: Wukong has been eagerly awaited since the demo was viewed more than 56 million times on Chinese video-sharing website Bilibili in 2020.

The game demo has been viewed more than 10 million times on YouTube, which is banned in China.

Developed by China-based company Game Science, the game lets players take on the role of the Monkey King, a character from the Chinese classic novel Journey to the Westand defeat monsters that wreak havoc in the world.

Although the game has no direct connection to politics, Chinese commentators criticized the Chinese government and President Xi Jinping on a US gaming discussion forum prior to its release.

The discussion forum of Steam, an online gaming platform based in Washington state, was flooded last week with a barrage of comments in Chinese directly and indirectly criticizing Chinese authorities and Xi.

One mocked Xi’s unprecedented third term as head of state, saying: “I will continue to be the Jade Emperor in Black Myth: Wukong. Raise your hand if you are against it.”

Most of the critical posts were directed against the Chinese government in a way that had nothing to do with the game.

“Overthrow the Chinese Communist Party and establish a democratic constitutional system in which everyone has a vote,” was what seemed to be the first critical comment.

“Thank you to the party, thank you to our great accelerator-in-chief Xi Jinping,” reads another commentary, mocking Xi’s policies for accelerating China’s economic decline.

Another post chronicled the weeks-long pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and the violent crackdown that followed, in which Chinese troops used lethal force against student-led protesters, killing hundreds if not thousands.

Such critical comments against the Chinese government and its leaders are not tolerated on the Chinese Internet, where an army of censors regularly purges websites and discussion forums of comments that do not follow the Chinese Communist Party line.

Observers were surprised to discover on the afternoon of August 16 that many of the critical posts on Steam’s US discussion forum had also been removed.

Li Ying, a Chinese social media influencer and government critic known online by the nickname “Teacher Li,” posted on X on August 14 expressing opposition to the removal, including screenshots of the original posts.

“Steam is inherently a free platform with a wide range of games, and players are free to express their opinions and views on the game,” he wrote on X.

There is no discussion forum on Steam’s China-based website, and the US-based discussion forum is only available to users outside of China. Users inside China must use a virtual private network (VPN), which allows users to bypass controls and access internet content outside of the blocked country.

VOA has reached out to Steam for comment on why the posts were removed, but has not received a response. Steam’s discussion rules do not explicitly prohibit political posts, but do state that users may not post “disrespectful” content and should not post content that is off-topic.

Although the game is not directly affiliated with the Chinese government, it has received official help and praise. The municipal government of Hangzhou, where Game Science is based, awarded the game a grant in 2022. Zhejiang Province’s state media called the game “one of the most important discoveries in the history of AAA games in China – a discoverer that deserves applause and encouragement.”

It is not the first time Black Myth: Wukong has sparked some controversy.

The developers of the game were accused of making offensive and sexist remarks.

Feng Ji, the founder and CEO of Game Science, used words with erotic connotations in a Weibo post last year lamenting the difficulties of development, comparing his desire for advanced development to oral sex.

Yang Qi, the game’s artistic director, stated on Weibo in 2013 that the game’s production would not take into account the favor of female players.

“I don’t need the backward urge of female players. I don’t care about those lecherous insects who come to pick up girls; some things are made for men only,” he wrote.

In response, an influencer posted on the gender-specific WeChat account Orange Umbrella urging Game Science to respect female gamers.

“As a teammate, I know how much hard work and dedication it takes to make a game, and Black Myth: Wukong“‘s dedication and seriousness in production are commendable,” she wrote. “But don’t let backwards gender consciousness push gamers, who are also full of expectations from the game, ever more in the opposite direction.”

When Western media, including IGN, one of the most influential U.S. online video game news sites, reported on the controversial comments last year, nationalist Chinese commentators labeled the coverage an attempt to impose Western values ​​and denigrate the Chinese gaming industry.

“Judging the Chinese game with the politically correct attitude of the West is really biased for the media,” says a review article. Whether the developers’ comments are sexist “depends on perspective,” the article says.

On Weibo, one commenter called IGN a “clown” and wrote: “To suppress the rise of Chinese games, the gender card is, not surprisingly, being played again.”

Despite the controversy, gaming industry experts expect Black Myth: Wukong be a great success.

Daniel Camilo, a gaming industry consultant based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, told VOA that sexism in the gaming industry is nothing new and has little impact on commercial success.

“Hardcore gamers and fans who actively discuss and are aware of these issues usually represent a very small (loud) minority on the internet, making up a small remainder of those who actually buy games,” he said.

The game has already received high praise from critics in China and abroad.

IGN gave the game an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 on August 16, calling it a “great action game with great combat and exciting and powerful enemies, albeit with a few bugs.”

The Chinese edition of IGN gave the game a maximum score of 10 and wrote: “This is a truly competitive domestic game in the global market and I believe it will be a strong contender for this year’s Game of the Year.”

Camilo noted that the high quality of the domestic game gives Chinese players reason to be proud and that it may even help improve China’s international image.

“Black Myth will change people’s perceptions of Chinese games and, to some extent, of China and its cultural creation and soft power,” he said.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.