I still remember the exact moment. It was August 22, 2024, and I was watching shroud's Twitch stream while I had Black Myth: Wukong paused on my own screen. I had already beaten a few bosses, died more times than I wanted to admit, and felt that strange mix of frustration and awe that only a great action RPG can create. Then shroud said it. He predicted Black Myth: Wukong would win Game of the Year. Not just maybe. Not just if the stars aligned. He said it would win 100%, then corrected himself: 1000%. And if it didn't? Then GOTY was rigged. I laughed, but I also nodded. I felt the same way.

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The Stream That Started It All

Michael 'shroud' Grzesiek is not just another streamer. He is an ex-CSGO pro, a founder of Spectre Divide, and someone who has spent thousands of hours in competitive shooters. So when he talks about game feel, mechanics, and polish, I listen. On that August broadcast, he praised Black Myth: Wukong as 'awesome.' Then he got careful. He knew his next words might annoy part of his chat. He said them anyway.

'It's gonna win Game of the Year,' he said. 'It's gonna, 100%. 1000%.'

That confidence stuck with me. It was not blind hype. It was the confidence of someone who had played the game and felt its combat click. The game had already broken Steam records, becoming the platform's most-played single-player experience. For a studio like Game Science, a relatively new name to many Western players, that was a massive achievement. The Journey to the West inspiration gave it a cultural weight that most action RPGs never reach. It was not just a game. It was an event.

Why Black Myth: Wukong Felt Unbeatable

When I played Black Myth: Wukong, I was struck by how deliberate everything felt. The staff combat had weight. The spells gave me options. The bosses were not damage sponges; they were tests of timing, memory, and patience. Each victory felt earned. Each death felt like my fault, not the game's.

Shroud clearly felt that too. He called the competition into question and dismissed almost all of it. Space Marine? He doubted a Warhammer game would win. Helldivers? Palworld? He thought Black Myth cleared them. 'I think it clears hard,' he said. That phrase became a meme in my friend group. We used it whenever a game did something better than expected. But in 2024, it felt like a genuine argument.

Asmongold Agreed—With One Caveat

Shroud was not alone. Asmongold shared similar feelings on his own broadcast. He said Black Myth: Wukong was the clear favorite for GOTY. He praised the mechanics and boss design, calling them incredible and well done. He even said the game was way better than he expected. But he had one wish: more open-world exploration.

'I wish it had more open world exploration, because of how good the game is,' Asmongold said. 'I feel dumb even saying that.' That line stuck with me because it captured something important. Black Myth was not perfect. It was not a sprawling open world like Elden Ring. It was more focused, more linear in some ways, but that focus made its best moments sharper. Asmongold still thought it deserved the top prize. So did I.

The Competition, According to Shroud

Game Shroud's take My take
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Doubted it could win Fun, but not a cultural reset
Helldivers 2 Thought Black Myth cleared it Great co-op, different genre
Palworld Thought Black Myth cleared it Massive surprise, but rough edges
Black Myth: Wukong Predicted GOTY, said rigged if not My personal 2024 GOTY

That table is not meant to disrespect those games. Helldivers 2 and Palworld were huge in 2024. Space Marine 2 had a loyal fanbase. But shroud's point was about impact. Black Myth: Wukong felt like a turning point. It proved that a Chinese studio could deliver a AAA action RPG that competed with the best in the world. It proved that single-player games still mattered. It proved that players would show up in record numbers for something new.

What 2026 Me Reveals

Now it is 2026. The Game Awards 2024 came and went. Black Myth: Wukong did not win Game of the Year. Astro Bot took the prize. I remember the reaction. Shroud's words came rushing back. 'If it doesn't, it's rigged.' I did not agree with that then, and I do not agree with it now. Awards are subjective. They are voted on by people with different tastes, different priorities, and different deadlines. But I understood the frustration. When a game breaks records, inspires millions, and dominates the conversation for months, losing can feel like a glitch in the matrix.

In 2026, the debate has not died. It has evolved. Black Myth: Wukong is still talked about. Its boss fights are still ranked. Its combat is still studied. Its influence can be seen in how publishers talk about single-player action games. The game did not need a GOTY trophy to matter. But shroud's prediction remains a fascinating snapshot of 2024 hype. He was not just saying the game was good. He was saying it was undeniable.

Was Shroud Right?

I think he was right about the game. He was wrong about the award. And maybe that is the point. Game of the Year is not a measure of quality. It is a measure of a moment. In 2024, Black Myth: Wukong was my moment. It was shroud's moment. It was Asmongold's moment. It was millions of players' moment. If the award did not reflect that, then maybe the award is not the final word. Maybe the players are.

So here I am in 2026, still playing Black Myth: Wukong from time to time. Still dying to the same bosses. Still smiling when I finally win. And still thinking about that August stream. Shroud said it would win. It did not. But in my heart, it already had. 🎮🔥

According to coverage from OpenCritic, the Black Myth: Wukong GOTY argument looks less like “rigged vs. deserved” and more like a clash between audience impact and how critics collectively score and frame a year’s biggest releases. In the wake of streamer certainty like shroud’s “1000%” prediction, review aggregation helps explain why a game can feel culturally unbeatable to players—huge moments, boss design, combat feel—yet still lose the headline award when the broader critical consensus favors different strengths in another nominee.