Black Myth: Wukong Returns to CCTV With Donnie Yen Narration

China's national broadcaster spotlighted Black Myth: Wukong in a National Day martial arts special, narrated by Donnie Yen and blending AI recreations of the Destined One with real kung fu masters.

Black Myth: Wukong just can't stay off national TV, and honestly, who's counting at this point?

On the evening of October 1, Game Science's hit action RPG popped up again on CCTV as part of a National Day special program. The segment, titled "This Is Kung Fu," aired at 8 PM as part of the 2026 National Day showcase, and it wasn't just a quick cameo — the whole thing was built around Wukong's world.

Here's the fun part: the narration was handled by none other than Donnie Yen, the martial arts legend who also serves as creative producer on Phantom Blade Zero. He wasn't alone on stage either. The performance featured Yang Dezhan, a world Tai Chi champion and national martial arts titleholder, Cao Maoyuan, who claimed the first gold medal at the 31st Summer World University Games, and Dong Chonghua, a Wing Chun inheritor recognized as intangible cultural heritage. Game Science provided copyright support for the whole thing.

The show used AI technology to recreate the Destined One from Black Myth: Wukong, then had him trade blows with the real-life martial artists one by one. Viewers got to see fist techniques alongside different weapon forms — blades, spears, staffs, the works. Mixed in were actual in-game footage from the Great Buddha's Hall in Black Myth: Wukong, plus shots of intangible cultural heritage craftsmen across the country at work.

Donnie Yen's narration carried the whole piece, and it's worth reading what he actually said. "Chinese kung fu was never just an Eastern legend from mythology," he intoned. "The moon over Mount Huaguo, the clouds over the Hanging Temple — one of Black Myth: Wukong's real-world inspirations — the dust of the westward journey. After a thousand years, they've all become scenery around us. Just swinging blades and twirling spears doesn't count as real kung fu. Kung fu is a discipline ground out by time, wisdom hidden in every single move."

He continued: "You think kung fu only exists on the martial arts stage? In Chinese people's daily lives, kung fu is everywhere. Look — the fast blade work on the noodle board, the flowing wrist work, the precision work at the tip of a knife. Even robots have to show off their mechanical kung fu."

Then came the payoff line: "The true essence of kung fu is actually time. There's no magic to become a god in one move, no divine power cultivated in a single day. Steady progress, tempered a thousand times — only by settling your mind can you cultivate true kung fu. The word 'kung fu' hides inside every act of persistence. This is Chinese kung fu."

It's a pretty striking crossover when you think about it — a video game character standing shoulder to shoulder with real martial arts champions on national television, all narrated by a bona fide action star. Black Myth: Wukong has been racking up these cultural moments since launch, and this one leans hard into the heritage angle rather than the usual gaming hype.

The game is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Did you catch the segment, or are you just here for more Wukong content? Let us know what you think about games showing up in mainstream cultural programming.