Hollow Knight: Silksong Makes $50 Million

According to a recent report by Alinea Analytics, Team Cherry’s long-awaited sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong has reached more than 5 million players just three days after its release on September 4, 2025. The milestone includes over 3 million copies sold on Steam, generating an estimated $50 million in revenue. These figures place Hollow Knight: Silksong among the largest indie launches ever recorded.

The strong debut reflects both anticipation built over years of development and the reputation of its predecessor, Hollow Knight. Before release, Hollow Knight: Silksong was already the most wishlisted game of 2025 on Steam, with more than 5.2 million users expressing interest. At launch, over one million additional players joined through Game Pass on console, helping the game achieve rapid global momentum.

Part of Hollow Knight: Silksong's success can be attributed to its distinctive marketing approach. Updates during development were infrequent, sometimes separated by months or longer, with minor announcements or small design reveals treated as significant moments by the community.

This approach contrasted with the constant visibility strategies often employed by larger publishers. The official release date was confirmed only two weeks before launch, and the limited communication helped generate sustained curiosity and discussion.

Player Demographics and Genre Preferences

The game has already achieved significant international reach. On Steam, the largest player bases came from the United States and China, followed by Russia, Japan, and Brazil. Player distribution on PlayStation showed slightly different patterns, with North America representing 30 percent of the audience, while East Asia and Western Europe accounted for 14 percent each. This spread demonstrates the game’s broad appeal across different regions and platforms.

Although Hollow Knight: Silksong is a Metroidvania, its audience overlaps with players of other genres, particularly souls-like titles. On Steam, 78 percent of players also own Hollow Knight, but nearly half have played Elden Ring, and substantial portions have played Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro. This overlap suggests that Hollow Knight: Silksong appeals to players who value challenging combat and atmospheric design, elements that extend beyond its genre classification.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Makes $50 Million

Comparisons with Other 2025 Indies

When compared with other independent releases this year, Hollow Knight: Silksong stands out significantly. Within three days, it outsold its closest 2025 indie competitor by more than three and a half times. In the same period, its sales also doubled the combined totals of the second, third, and fourth ranked indie games. While other titles have grown through gradual word-of-mouth success, Hollow Knight: Silksong benefitted from a long production cycle and a highly engaged community awaiting release.

The game launched at a price of $20, a decision that ensured accessibility to a wide audience. Team Cherry also introduced a bundle version that includes the official soundtrack composed by Christopher Larkin. This allowed dedicated fans to support the studio further while reinforcing the importance of music as a central part of the Hollow Knight series identity. Digital soundtrack sales represent an efficient revenue model, adding value for players without introducing unnecessary barriers.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Makes $50 Million

Final Thoughts

The early success of Hollow Knight: Silksong positions it as one of the most significant indie game launches of recent years. If sales continue on a trajectory similar to Hollow Knight, which has maintained long-term momentum, it could become one of the best-selling indie titles of all time. The launch demonstrates how small studios can compete with larger publishers by focusing on strong design, community engagement, and strategic pricing. As its audience continues to expand worldwide, Hollow Knight: Silksong is likely to remain a central case study in how indie games can reshape market expectations. Here is the list of all the games mentioned: