Hollow Knight: Silksong
Silksong Launch Poised to Surpass $100M in First-Year Sales
Highlights
Hollow Knight: Silksong hit over 500,000 Steam players within 24 hours, generating ~$10 million in revenue at launch.
Team Cherry’s sequel is poised to challenge the original's $95M revenue and 15M sales milestone with its aggressive $19.99 price.
Gamers from China and the US are the two biggest regions with record-breaking wishlists and day-one sales.
After a seven-year wait, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally arrived on September 4, turning heads across the gaming world in spectacular fashion. It’s rare for a small indie studio like Team Cherry to break through with such a massive splash, but Silksong came out swinging, carrying an eye-popping 4.8 million Steam wishlists leading up to its launch, easily topping the charts for any game launching in 2025. Once the game dropped, Steam, PlayStation Store, and the Nintendo eShop crashed simultaneously, with players scampering to purchase the game.
Highlights
Silksong’s Sales Could Surpass Its Predecessor
Shortly after its release, Steam crossed over 500,000 concurrent players, indicating that the game had already crossed $10 million in revenue on Valve’s storefront alone. This is a level of success that many AAA titles only dream of on launch day.
The original Hollow Knight remains a beloved pillar of indie gaming, having sold more than 15 million copies and generated over $95 million in revenue on Steam alone. Priced at just under $20, Silksong is available on a broad range of platforms, including PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox consoles. This multi-platform release only adds fuel to its hyped release.
The game’s appeal is global, with the United States and China contributing a combined 35% of its massive wishlist base. Fans have long praised the franchise for its tight, skill-based combat, exquisitely crafted world, and challenging boss fights. These are qualities that helped turn what could have been a niche Metroidvania into a worldwide smash.
Silksong could move more than 5 million units in its first month, possibly grossing $100 million or more. Given how tightly-knit and passionate the fanbase is, and how well received the game reviews are, that forecast seems well within reach. The game is also available as a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass, which allows players to experience the game as part of Microsoft’s gaming subscription service.
Silksong’s launch marks more than just a successful release. It is a testament to how high-quality design and steady, community-focused engagement can make even a humble indie studio a global powerhouse in today’s fast-moving gaming marketplace.
Author
Abhimannu Das is a web journalist at Outlook India with a focus on Indian pop culture, gaming, and esports. He has over 10 years of journalistic experience and over 3,500 articles that include industry deep dives, interviews, and SEO content. He has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems, including Valorant, Overwatch, and Apex Legends.
Abhimannu Das is a web journalist at Outlook India with a focus on Indian pop culture, gaming, and esports. He has over 10 years of journalistic experience and over 3,500 articles that include industry deep dives, interviews, and SEO content. He has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems, including Valorant, Overwatch, and Apex Legends.
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