Phantom Blade Zero Shows Early Signs of a Black Myth: Wukong-Style Breakout With 16% Wishlist-to-Pre-Order Conversion

Phantom Blade Zero is shaping up to be one of the biggest Chinese-developed games of 2026, with its Steam performance suggesting that S-Game could have another major action-game success on its hands. According to data from Alinea Analytics, the wuxia action RPG had accumulated 2.4 million Steam wishlists and approximately 386,000 pre-orders, generating an estimated $18.5 million in Steam revenue before launch.

That puts its wishlist-to-pre-order conversion at roughly 16%, an especially notable figure for a game that had not yet reached release. Alinea’s data also lists 110,000 Steam followers, indicating that interest extends beyond players simply adding the game to their wishlists. The figures position Phantom Blade Zero as one of the most closely watched Steam releases of Q4 2026.

Phantom Blade Zero Is Following Black Myth: Wukong’s Path

The comparison with Black Myth: Wukong is difficult to ignore. Both games come from Chinese developers and place considerable emphasis on cinematic action, elaborate martial-arts combat, and Chinese-inspired worlds. Black Myth: Wukong demonstrated how a Chinese-developed single-player action game could become a global blockbuster, and Phantom Blade Zero appears positioned to become another major international showcase for the country’s game-development industry.

The upcoming game follows Soul, an assassin given only 66 days to live. Players will fight through a dark wuxia world while uncovering conspiracies surrounding his condition. S-Game is also combining traditional wuxia influences with a highly stylized approach to combat and presentation.

The game’s latest momentum was helped by its major State of Play presentation, which showcased an extended 11-minute gameplay sequence and provided a deeper look at its combat systems and world. S-Game previously said that its pre-orders had “far exceeded expectations” after opening reservations.

Strong Steam Numbers Ahead of Its October Launch

Phantom Blade Zero is scheduled to launch on October 28, 2026, according to its Steam listing, with the game coming to PC and PlayStation 5.

The early numbers do not guarantee that Phantom Blade Zero will match Black Myth: Wukong’s enormous commercial success, but they provide a strong indication that S-Game has built substantial anticipation. Alinea also notes that China is expected to be particularly important to the game’s performance, making Phantom Blade Zero another potential breakout for the rapidly growing Chinese AAA games market.

With 386,000 estimated Steam pre-orders, $18.5 million in estimated revenue, 2.4 million wishlists, and 110,000 followers, Phantom Blade Zero already has considerable momentum before launch. Its eventual performance will show whether S-Game can turn that pre-release interest into China’s next major global action-game success.