Hollow Knight: Silksong is gearing up to have a great launch day. The original HollowKnight, which is a 2017 indie hit developed by Team Cherry, just reached a new all-time peak of over 71,000 players on Steam. It is all thanks to the upcoming release of its highly anticipated sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong.
This is a huge jump from its previous record of 56,192 players, which it hit just a few days before on August 29, 2025. Before this recent surge, the game’s highest player count was only around 20,000 back in May 2022. It’s pretty crazy how a game that’s been out for seven years can suddenly see such a massive spike in players, but it just goes to show how much hype is surrounding Silksong.
Hollow Knight Is Still Breaking Records
The new records are directly tied to the recent release date announcement at Gamescom. In fact, right after the announcement, the game’s concurrent players jumped to 21,000. This isn’t just a small blip either; the player count has been steadily climbing, with Hollow Knight breaking its all-time peak almost every day since the announcement. While these numbers are only for Steam users, it’s safe to say that people on other platforms, like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox, are probably also flocking back to the game.
The excitement isn’t just limited to the original game’s player count. Data from Alinea Analytics shows that almost five million people have already wishlisted Hollow Knight: Silksong on Steam. That’s a staggering number and makes it one of the most wishlisted upcoming releases of the year. It’s a testament to the quality of the first game and the long-standing anticipation for the sequel, which you should know everything you can about before playing.
Another interesting tidbit they shared is that Silksong was actually planned to be an expansion for Hollow Knight at first. But, as they continued to work on it, the project grew and grew until it became its own full-fledged game. They were constantly working on new ideas, new areas, and new bosses, and all that creative energy eventually led to a game that rivals its predecessor in scale and depth. They even added a new quest system and over 150 new enemies.
Silksong May Break Even More Records
The fact that they had the financial freedom to take their time is also a big part of the story. The original Hollow Knight was a huge success, selling over 15 million copies on its own. This meant Team Cherry didn’t have a publisher breathing down their necks, pressuring them to rush things out.
Instead, they were able to focus on their creative process and make a game that they are truly proud of. While the long silence and the occasional vague update were a little frustrating for fans, it seems like the end result will be well worth the wait. It’s pretty awesome when a developer has the freedom to just do their own thing and create something amazing without a lot of outside pressure in Hollow Knight: Silksong.
