Hollow Knight: Silksong has launched to a peak concurrent player base of 535,213, with folks pouring in around the globe – and demand even temporarily crashing game platforms. As shared across social media, folks keen to join the flock encountered a range of problems in the hours after Silksong‘s release, with Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch stores reportedly facing slow loading times and crashes.
After many years of development, and many delays, it appears the hype for Silksong remains stronger than ever. Players have turned up in their hundreds-of-thousands to grab the game on launch, likely keen to share experiences with friends, race to the end, or otherwise avoid spoilers.
It’s an impressive achievement for Adelaide-based developer Team Cherry, which has swiftly become one of the most successful studios out of Australia. After the acclaimed Hollow Knight, the studio gathered enough attention and financial success to take their time developing Silksong, with this project evolving from humble beginnings as a simple DLC.
Over the years, with Hollow Knight continuing to achieve critical success, and Team Cherry staying relatively quiet about development on its sequel, the legend of Silksong only grew. The long wait became part of this lore, with every rumour and false start inspiring renewed chatter about what was to come, and how the studio could adequately follow up or exceed Hollow Knight.
Impatient fans began brewing up all sorts of theories, analysing non-existent clues, and even creating their own augmented reality game (ARG) puzzles, to figure out when exactly the game would release. Every new Nintendo Direct was accompanied by chatter that Silksong would make a surprise appearance.
All of these theories were finally put to bed in late August 2025, when Team Cherry confirmed that Hollow Knight: Silksong would finally, officially release on 4 September 2025. With only a few short weeks for the hype cycle to kick off all over again, Silksong has effectively dominated the gaming conversation since.
It’s likely these conversations, and the excitement around what’s to come, has inspired a whole new generation of Hollow Knight players, as well as existing ones. If you turn left or right on social media, you’ll run into a wall of noise – whether that be debating the game’s critic-less release strategy, or sharing unfettered excitement about finally getting hands-on.
What’s most clear amidst this hubbub is that Silksong is already a success. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and with such a long tail between the game’s announcement and its release, passion for the adventure is incredibly strong. With nearly 400,000 players currently online, playing the game, we’re likely to hear much more about Silksong in the weeks to come.
Also on ScreenHub: Borderlands 4 preview: storming the castle, guns blazing
Borderlands 4 has learned many lessons from the past. Specifically, from Borderlands 3, which has become regarded as the black sheep of the franchise in recent years, for its slapstick and haphazard approach. In tone, Borderlands 4 couldn’t be more far apart. This is a game that takes itself seriously, without forgetting the relief that humour may provide.
It’s challenging, and deals with difficult subject matter, but the balance is tight – so that with each step, your journey has meaning, purpose, and satisfaction. You care about your mission, and each character, in a way that weaves your emotions through the plot. I can’t say too much about the opening hours of the game in this latest (and final) preview, comprising a major boss battle, but I think it’s fair to say I’m having a certified Good Time™ so far.
