BEIJING, Aug 20 (Reuters) - A new video game title

launched on Tuesday by a Tencent-backed startup has

quickly become the most-played game on a major online platform,

highlighting growing interest in Chinese-developed titles.

"Black Myth: Wukong," based on the Chinese mythological

figure and classic novel "Journey to the West," topped Steam's

most-played games chart with 1.4 million concurrent players

hours after its release.

Game Science, the developer behind "Black Myth: Wukong," was

founded in 2014 by former Tencent employee Feng Ji. The company

has secured backing from several investors, including Chinese

tech giant Tencent and mobile game publisher Hero Entertainment.

First teased in 2020, the game has attracted global

attention as a high-budget title from China. Pre-orders opened

on June 8, with the game topping Steam's China sales chart for

the week of Aug. 6-13.

The Tuesday launch also made waves domestically, with "Black

Myth: Wukong" trending on social media. The hashtag ranked

second on Weibo ( WB ), China's popular microblogging platform,

accumulating 1.7 billion views.

Several major brands have leveraged the game's popularity in

their marketing efforts. Lenovo Group ( LNVGF ), Luckin Coffee

, and Didi are among those incorporating elements

inspired by "Black Myth: Wukong" into their promotional

campaigns.