Phantom Blade Zero is out today, October 29, on PlayStation 5, Steam and the Epic Games Store. Metacritic shows 88 from 44 critic reviews, with PS5 at 87 from 40 reviews and PC at 88 from 45.
We covered the scores a few days ago in our launch preview. This piece looks at the other half of a launch: how many people were already waiting for it, and how much of that number is actually known.
The Reviews, Updated
- Metascore: 88 ("generally favorable"). Metacritic's breakdown shows 98% positive (43 reviews) and one mixed review.
- Listed PC scores: Saudi Gamer 100, Gamersky 98, Voxel 92, IGN 90, Hobby Consolas 89, Gamekult 80 and Eurogamer 60.
- User score: not yet available, since Metacritic needs four ratings and had two.
The Eurogamer score is still the outlier among the outlets Metacritic displays. We have not read the review and are not explaining why it differs from the rest.
What Analysts Estimated Before Launch
Pre-orders opened in the second week of August, alongside an 11-minute gameplay video. According to Inven, the game reached the top of Steam's sales chart within a day.
Figures that followed come from Alinea Analytics, a firm that estimates PC and console sales, as reported by Notebookcheck on August 23 and IntoIndieGames on August 26:
- About 300,000 copies on Steam in the first days of pre-orders.
- About $14.5 million in Steam revenue from those pre-orders.
- 73% of the pace Black Myth: Wukong had at the same point before its release.
- 6.4 times ahead of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, with about 70 days still to go.
- About 1.6 million wishlists, the most on Steam's 2026 wishlist chart at the time.
The price is $59.99 for the standard edition and $69.99 for the Digital Deluxe, per Notebookcheck. For context, Black Myth: Wukong sold 30 million copies in under two years, which is the benchmark every analyst is measuring it against.
How Much to Trust the Numbers
- They are estimates. Alinea's figures are not from the developer, and they cover Steam only. They do not include PS5 or the Epic store.
- They are dated. All were published in August, more than two months before launch.
- We found no launch-day data. Peak concurrent players and final first-week sales were not available when we checked.
- The comparison is not neutral. A consultant quoted by Notebookcheck said domestic hype for this game had not reached Wukong's level, calling it more a "gamers" game, and noted that its simultaneous mainland China release allows a heavier local marketing push.
Notebookcheck also says strong launch reviews could push sales closer to Wukong's record, which is speculation, though the 88 is a good start.
Editorial Take: A reported 300,000 pre-orders in a few days is a strong number for a game from a Chinese studio aiming at a global audience, and the 88 from critics suggests the wait was not wasted. What nobody can tell you yet is whether the audience that pre-ordered is the audience the game will keep. Pre-orders measure anticipation, and the 100-to-60 spread in reviews suggests the game is divisive. The numbers that settle it are the ones that arrive in the next two weeks: concurrent players, user reviews and how many people finish it. Until then, treat the sales estimates as a sign of interest, not a verdict.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When does Phantom Blade Zero come out? October 29, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Steam and the Epic Games Store.
How much does Phantom Blade Zero cost? $59.99 for the standard edition and $69.99 for the Digital Deluxe, per Notebookcheck.
What is the Phantom Blade Zero Metacritic score? 88 from 44 critic reviews as of October 29. PS5 is 87 and PC is 88. Scores can change.
How many copies has Phantom Blade Zero sold? No official figure. Alinea Analytics estimated about 300,000 Steam copies in the first days of pre-orders in August.
Is Phantom Blade Zero on Xbox? No Xbox version has been announced.
Is Phantom Blade Zero as big as Black Myth: Wukong? Not yet. Analysts put its pre-launch pace at about 73% of Wukong's, but that is an estimate.
Scores and estimates come from the sources linked above and can change. Tracking what arrives next across movies, TV, games, music and books at incoming.to.