McDonald’s China’s Black Myth: Wukong Mid-Autumn F
McDonald’s China and Black Myth: Wukong fused Mid-Autumn Festival tradition with gaming culture in a unique, buzzworthy 2025 campaign.
McDonald’s China turned the 2025 Mid-Autumn Festival into a gamer’s dream, partnering with Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong for a limited-time campaign that blended mooncakes, merchandise, and Monkey King mythology. More than a year later, as 2026 unfolds, the collaboration remains a standout example of how a fast-food giant can tap into a blockbuster video game’s cultural power. Was it simply a clever marketing stunt, or did it reveal something deeper about the global appetite for Chinese gaming icons? The answer, according to fans and industry observers, is a bit of both.
A Festival Meets a Blockbuster
Black Myth: Wukong launched in August 2024 and quickly became a phenomenon for Chinese studio Game Science. The action-adventure title, which retells the timeless epic of Sun Wukong, won Best Action-Adventure at The Game Awards and continued to capture hearts well into 2025. Its success opened doors for mainstream brand partnerships, and McDonald’s China walked right through one of them.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, a holiday that celebrates the fall harvest when the moon is at its largest and brightest, was the perfect backdrop. Families and friends gather to gaze at the harvest moon, bake mooncakes, and decorate their homes with lanterns. McDonald’s decided to give customers the best of both worlds: the warmth of tradition and the thrill of a AAA game.
The Limited-Time Menu
In mid-September 2025, promotional materials from McDonald’s China began circulating on social media. Posters showed Sun Wukong alongside a slew of special meal deals. The menu was as playful as it was ambitious.
Item
Category
Description
Golden Crispy Chicken Egg Mooncake
Mooncake
A savory-sweet twist on the classic festival pastry.
Cheese Double Beef Black Gold Mooncake
Mooncake
A rich, beefy take with a black-gold finish.
Crispy Shrimp Nuggets
Savory
Golden bites designed to pair with the theme.
Curly Fries with dipping sauce
Side
Sauce described as ‘as golden as treasure.’
Autumn Osmanthus-flavored Sparkling Milk Tea
Drink
Floral, fizzy, and seasonal.
Golden Egg Yolk Big Luck Flavor McFlurry
Dessert
A lucky blend of creamy ice cream and salted egg yolk.
Sesame Lava Pie
Dessert
Packed with egg yolk filling for a molten center.
For dessert lovers, the Golden Egg Yolk Big Luck Flavor McFlurry and the Sesame Lava Pie offered a sweet finish. The Autumn Osmanthus-flavored Sparkling Milk Tea added a floral note that felt distinctly festive. Even the curly fries came with a dipping sauce marketed as ‘as golden as treasure,’ a clear nod to Wukong’s mythical staff and golden headband.
Merchandise That Made Fans Jealous
The food was only half the story. McDonald’s China also rolled out exclusive merchandise, including a double-sided velvet lounge robe embroidered with the Monkey King holding a burger on his head. Certain locations decorated their restaurants to match the game, and pop-up shops offered tote bags, T-shirts, pins, and more.
For Western fans, the campaign felt like a cruel tease. One user on X wrote, ‘We never get cool stuff in America!’ The sentiment was echoed across social media, where images of the robe, the mooncakes, and the themed restaurants went viral. It was not just a promotion; it was a cultural moment.
Why the Collaboration Worked
Why did this particular crossover resonate so strongly? First, Black Myth: Wukong was not just a game; it was a national point of pride and a global breakthrough. Second, the Mid-Autumn Festival provided a natural storytelling hook. Third, McDonald’s leaned into scarcity and spectacle, offering items that customers could not get anywhere else. The combination created urgency, shareability, and a sense of belonging for fans.
It also reflected a broader trend. This was the latest overseas collaboration from McDonald’s to go viral, following the fast-food chain’s announcement that it would finally bring back Monopoly in the United States after nearly a decade. Brands are increasingly looking to gaming and pop culture for fresh energy, and Chinese audiences are responding to campaigns that respect their traditions while celebrating their modern entertainment exports.
What Comes Next in 2026?
As 2026 progresses, Game Science is already