Silksong outsells most AAA games, trails only Borderlands 4 on Steam

The indie sequel has smashed expectations with record-breaking numbers and a fervent new audience, proving that the wait was well worth it.
Text: Marcus Persson
Published 2025-09-14

The wait has been long and at times downright painful, but now that Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally here, players just can't seem to get enough. The game has already shattered expectations, peaking at nearly 600,000 concurrent players on Steam, a figure that would make even the biggest AAA titles blush. In just three days it sold over five million copies, and more than a week after launch it still sits comfortably on Steam's best-seller list, currently second only to newcomer Borderlands 4.

For an indie release to maintain this kind of momentum after launch is almost unheard of. The hype has drawn in a whole new crowd—especially Soulslike enthusiasts—many of whom jumped into Silksong without ever touching the original. Unsurprisingly, that's led to a bit of a rude awakening for those unaware of the series' infamous difficulty. Thankfully, Team Cherry acted quickly and has already tweaked the early-game challenge to better welcome newcomers.

Meanwhile, the price tag is sparking debate. At just $20, many fans say the game feels "almost too cheap," while some developers worry that such runaway success at a low price could put pressure on industry-wide pricing.

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