Layered Adaptation Strategies for the Overseas Marketing of Chinese Games: A Case Study of Black Myth: Wukong

Abstract

This study examines how Black Myth: Wukong adapted its overseas marketing while preserving a distinctive Chinese cultural identity. Using a qualitative single-case study, it draws on industry reports, publicly available developer materials, platform and market information, overseas player feedback, and theoretical literature. The analysis develops a three-layer adaptation framework. The core cultural layer preserves Chinese mythology, character identity, classical aesthetics, and traditional symbols. The narrative experience layer adjusts translation, terminology explanation, voice acting, subtitles, and information presentation to improve accessibility without replacing the cultural system. The operational layer allows regional variation in promotional channels, influencer cooperation, campaign timing, community communication, and offline activities. The findings suggest that cultural difference creates not only comprehension costs but also scarcity value through novelty, visual differentiation, exploration, discussion, and brand recognition. Narrative accessibility and localized market execution condition whether this distinctiveness can support overseas reception. The case therefore qualifies rather than rejects cultural discount theory by showing that cultural specificity may generate both costs and benefits. The framework is most applicable to high-quality products with integrated cultural content, professional localization, and regional marketing capacity in culturally distant target markets. As a bounded single case, it supports descriptive interpretation rather than causal or universal conclusions.