Summary:
- Hollow Knight: Silksong was a massive hit on Steam immediately, with over half a million players playing on day one.
- Silksong went from zero to one of the most played games on Steam, beating out many AAA titles.
Steam just had a deja vu again this week as Hollow Knight: Silksong exploded onto the platform with over half a million players participating in one day. This was a huge event as fans had waited years for the sequel, and the numbers don’t lie. For a little indie company like Team Cherry? That’s the kind of huge splash only the most anticipated follow-ups can create, and the buzz is off the hook.
From Hollow Knight to Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the much-awaited sequel to the well-received Metroidvania game Hollow Knight from 2017. Silksong was initially conceived as DLC before becoming a full standalone title in its own right, stemming from the original’s scope and ambition.
Team Cherry built intrigue by remaining quiet during development as they focused on delivering a polished product with layers of details while refraining from spoiling surprises. In the end, this worked really well, especially with the fans’ excitement for over six years before the final release.
Silksong’s Explosive Player Counts on Steam
Hollow Knight: Silksong hit Steam like a freight train, topping over 500,000 concurrent players within hours of launching. In comparison, Hollow Knight’s Day 1 peak was about 800, making Silksong one of the biggest indie game launches in Steam history.
Silksong soared to the top of Steam as one of the most played games, hitting the all-time top 20 peak player counts. In particular, it surpassed some big-name games and even came close to popular AAA titles like Elden Ring.
Steam Store Overload
Hollow Knight: Silksong’s long-awaited release created a demand unlike anything Steam’s store systems have encountered in their history. In the end, it really put a strain on Steam’s store infrastructure and shut down the entire platform after launch.
Even when the store came back online, users trying to purchase or download Silksong on Steam encountered error pages and other issues. Consequently, users could not connect to the store for more than two hours.
Silksong’s Massive Multi-Platform Reach
Hollow Knight: Silksong has launched as a major cross-platform game on the day of its release, September 4, 2025. The game’s unprecedented level of availability across platforms also resulted in a level of demand previously unseen, and the digital storefronts were inundated with demand. Thus, it led to many players being unable to purchase and/or download the game immediately.
If we add in console players and those using Xbox Game Pass, the reach is even larger. Since it was available on day one under Game Pass, it increased reach even more.
Hollow Knight: Silsong’s Sales
We don’t have all the sales data just yet. However, it’s safe to say that Hollow Knight: Silksong has taken over as the clear winner in the charts.
Hollow Knight: Silksong went to number one on Steam’s Top Sellers list immediately upon launch and promptly took the number 1 spot on the Nintendo eShop. Meanwhile, the original Hollow Knight is in the runner-up slot.
It did make it to number 2 on PlayStation’s store behind NBA 2K26, so still a solid win. And while it didn’t make the best-sellers on Xbox due to Game Pass distribution, the estimated player base there is already likely to be big.
Conclusion
Hollow Knight: Silksong really blew up on Steam, and it was not just a victory for Team Cherry. Rather, it was an indie game movement happening right before our eyes. Everybody is literally talking about Silksong right now. And with more than half a million gamers on board and positive reviews pouring in, Silksong is already looking like one of the biggest game launches in a long time. It took a while, but the fans’ wait has been rewarded in the best possible way.
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