Wukong Switch game isn’t the action RPG you’re thinking of

We’re fairly certain that we’ll never get a Black Myth: Wukong Switch release, but this upcoming release for the console from Global Game Studio is certain to trick some folks into thinking that it’s happened. It also raises a much bigger discussion around rip-offs and shovelware on the Nintendo Switch eShop.

Videogames researcher Daniel Ahmad brought attention to a game on the Nintendo Switch eShop called Wukong Sun: Black Legend, which is clearly ripping off one of this year’s most popular ARPGs. The game, which is actually a barebones, cartoonish platformer rather than a cinematic Souls-like, is just one example of a range of titles on the storefront that aim to trick people into purchasing them.

Although one commenter on Ahmad’s post points out that the story of Sun Wukong is a well-known Chinese myth in the public domain that anyone can use, that doesn’t explain the eerily similar game art and name that make this title worthy of the “Black Myth: Wukong at home” label. Plus, as this game is set to launch on Boxing Day, it’s highly likely that young kids with Nintendo eShop vouchers to spend are going to fall into its trap.

One of the many Switch 2 features that we want is a majorly improved eShop experience, with more sophisticated tags and recommendations similar to marketplaces like Steam, but cleaning up all the shovelware on the platform wouldn’t go amiss either. It’s hard enough to find well-made new games to try on the console without titles like Wukong Sun: Black Legend getting in the way.

So no, you can’t play Black Myth: Wukong on the Switch this holiday season, but there are plenty of other games like Dark Souls that you can check out instead. We also have a list of the best monkey games on Switch and mobile if it’s the primate part that you’re after.