September 2025 turned out to be one of the busiest months of the year for new game releases across PC and console. According to GameDiscoverCo estimates, the month delivered strong performances from both major franchises and breakout indie titles. Hollow Knight: Silksong dominated the Steam charts with massive sales, while Borderlands 4 and EA Sports FC 26 led on the revenue and console fronts.
Biggest Games for September 2025
Hollow Knight: Silksong Surpasses Expectations on Steam
After years of anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launched to remarkable success. The Metroidvania sequel sold around 4.2 million copies on Steam in September alone, far exceeding its projected numbers of roughly one million based on wishlist data. Priced at $20 USD, the game generated about $68.6 million in gross revenue, proving that strong word of mouth and community enthusiasm can rival even the biggest AAA marketing pushes.
The affordable price point may have contributed to its broad appeal, allowing it to reach a wider audience. The game’s success on PC was mirrored across other platforms as well, particularly on Nintendo Switch and Xbox Game Pass, where it became one of the month’s most-played releases.
Biggest Games for September 2025
Borderlands 4 and Dying Light: The Beast Deliver Major Launches
Gearbox’s Borderlands 4 followed closely behind, moving 2.1 million copies on Steam by the end of September. With a standard price starting at $70 USD, the game became the top-grossing new title on the platform with around $135 million in revenue. Its pre-order campaign, which accumulated about one million sales before launch, helped it secure a strong debut.
Meanwhile, Techland’s Dying Light: The Beast posted an estimated 910,000 paid units on Steam. The figure is complicated slightly by the fact that some Dying Light 2 owners received the new title for free, but the results still point to a healthy launch for the series’ latest survival-focused installment.
Biggest Games for September 2025
Indie Games Find Strong Audiences
September wasn’t just about big franchises. Independent developers also found notable success on Steam. The 3D action roguelite Megabonk sold around 671,000 copies, while Shape of Dreams, a stylized ARPG from an Asia-based indie team, reached about 664,000. Horror title No, I’m Not A Human attracted 493,000 sales, and co-op shooter Jump Space reached 394,000 units.
The procedural horror game Cloverpit started slower with 293,000 units but is reportedly gaining momentum heading into October. These results reflect a growing appetite among PC players for inventive, lower-priced games that offer strong replayability and distinct gameplay hooks.
Biggest Games for September 2025
Ongoing Steam Bestsellers and Early Access Successes
Beyond new releases, established titles continued to perform well. Helldivers 2 added 750,000 new units in September thanks to a discount and a major update, bringing its total to over 12.7 million copies sold. Path of Exile 2 and Peak also maintained strong evergreen momentum, with totals now at 5 million and 11.7 million copies, respectively.
Several Early Access titles also transitioned to full release versions during the month. Hades II added about 350,000 units, pushing it to 2.5 million total, while Slime Rancher 2 and Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor each grew by around 75,000 sales.
Sports Titles Rule the Console Charts
On PlayStation and Xbox, September was dominated by sports franchises. EA Sports FC 26 sold approximately 8.1 million copies on PlayStation and 2.3 million on Xbox, maintaining its reputation as a global best-seller. NBA 2K26 followed with 4.5 million PlayStation and 2.7 million Xbox sales, showing the continued strength of sports games in console markets, particularly in North America.
Borderlands 4 performed modestly on consoles with 750,000 PlayStation and 600,000 Xbox units, while Hollow Knight: Silksong impressed by selling 750,000 PlayStation copies and drawing over 2.1 million players on Xbox Game Pass.
Biggest Games for September 2025
Subscription Services and Free-to-Play Highlights
Subscription platforms saw significant engagement in September. On Xbox Game Pass, Slime Rancher 2 led with 2.9 million players, followed by Hollow Knight: Silksong and Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. Meanwhile, PlayStation Plus Essential added Stardew Valley and Psychonauts 2 to its lineup, increasing their player bases by hundreds of thousands.
In the free-to-play space, Skate. emerged as a major cross-platform hit with over 18 million downloads and 4.8 million daily active users. Despite its massive reach, in-game cosmetic sales remained relatively modest at around $3 million lifetime on Steam.
Nintendo Switch Continues to Support a Varied Library
The Nintendo Switch and its successor, Switch 2, also saw strong activity. Hollow Knight: Silksong topped the eShop charts with more than 850,000 players, followed by Hades II with 420,000. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles drew over 100,000 players, while titles like Lego Voyagers, Star Wars Outlaws, and Sonic Racing: Crossworlds maintained steady sales.
Final Thoughts
September 2025 demonstrated the balance between blockbuster franchises and independent creativity in the gaming industry. Hollow Knight: Silksong’s massive success showcased the continued power of dedicated fan communities, while Borderlands 4 and EA Sports FC 26 reinforced the commercial strength of major franchises. Indie developers also showed that innovation and accessibility remain central to the PC gaming landscape, helping make September one of the most varied and successful months of the year.
Source: GameDiscoverCo
Here’s a complete list of all the games mentioned:
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Borderlands 4
- Dying Light: The Beast
- Megabonk
- Shape of Dreams
- No, I’m Not A Human
- Jump Space
- Cloverpit
- EA Sports FC 26
- Silent Hill F
- Sonic Racing: Crossworlds
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Hades II
- Slime Rancher 2
- Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
- Helldivers 2
- Path of Exile 2
- Peak
- Counter-Strike 2
- DOTA 2
- PUBG
- NBA 2K26
- Sworn
- Stardew Valley
- Psychonauts 2
- Skate.
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
- Lego Voyagers
- Star Wars Outlaws
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What was the best-selling game on Steam in September 2025? Hollow Knight: Silksong led in units sold with around 4.2 million copies, while Borderlands 4 earned the most total revenue due to its higher price point.
Which console game sold the most in September 2025? EA Sports FC 26 was the top-selling console game, with over 10 million combined sales on PlayStation and Xbox.
Did indie games perform well in September 2025? Yes. Indie titles like Megabonk, Shape of Dreams, and No, I’m Not A Human achieved strong sales, proving that independent releases remain highly competitive.
How did subscription services impact game performance? Game Pass and PlayStation Plus continued to drive engagement. Hollow Knight: Silksong reached millions of additional players through Xbox Game Pass, while Stardew Valley and Psychonauts 2 saw boosts from PlayStation Plus.
What were the major free-to-play successes of the month? Skate. was the standout F2P release, surpassing 18 million downloads across PC and consoles.
Which platforms had the most successful month overall? Steam led in total game variety and indie performance, while PlayStation and Xbox dominated in sports and blockbuster categories. Nintendo Switch maintained steady engagement with a mix of established franchises and indie hits.
