Black Myth: Wukong may have conquered hearts and snagged both Best Action Game and the fan-fuelled Player’s Voice awards at The Game Awards, but for Game Science director Feng Ji, it wasn’t quite the celebration he’d hoped for. Despite the accolades, the coveted Game of the Year award slipped through his fingers, going instead to Sony’s Astro Bot.

Feng Ji didn’t hold back about his disappointment in a candid post on Weibo (translation credits to VGC). He revealed that he had written an acceptance speech for the Game of the Year award two years ago, believing the studio’s hard work would earn them the industry’s top honour.

In his post, Feng acknowledged the game’s wins but admitted the sting of missing out on the big prize.

“In the end, it won the Best Action and Player’s Voice, especially the Player’s Voice, which is gratifying. But I must admit that there are disappointments and regrets… The games nominated this year are all excellent, but I really don’t understand the selection criteria for this year’s Game of the Year. I came here for nothing!”

Feng also addressed the passionate responses from players, some of whom expressed their frustrations in humorous and satirical ways.

“I can fully understand this unwillingness to sympathize with this unhappiness because I know that behind these emotions, it is not pain and malice, but self-esteem and self-confidence.”

Nonetheless, Black Myth: Wukong has been a monumental success. Since its release earlier this year, the action RPG has sold over 20 million copies across PC and PS5, making it a commercial juggernaut. The game also hit an astonishing 1.44 million concurrent players on Steam shortly after launch, cementing its place as the platform’s fourth-biggest game in terms of player count.

As for what’s next, Game Science reportedly has plans for a major expansion slated for release around the Chinese New Year, which kicks off on 29 January 2025. Despite the snub, Feng Ji and his team seem ready to keep the momentum going—and maybe even aim for that elusive Game of the Year title in the future.