After so many years of waiting, Hollow Knight Silksong is finally here, but one could be forgiven for not knowing that. Indeed, although the game technically launched just this morning, many players are still struggling to access Hollow Knight Silksong's store page, add the game to their digital carts, and download it.
Although there are tentative plans for a physical release sometime in 2026, Hollow Knight Silksong is currently only available digitally.
Hollow Knight fans are all too aware of the arduous, interminable wait for Hollow Knight Silksong. It was announced and revealed simultaneously in 2019, just a few short years after the release of its predecessor. The fact that the reveal included a great deal of gameplay footage led many to believe that Silksong was just around the corner, but the reality was far less rosy. Indeed, gaming audiences were starved for concrete Silksong information for over six years, with Team Cherry only offering small, periodic updates on the game's progress. Then, it was effectively shadow-dropped at Gamescom 2025, when it was announced that it would be releasing on September 4, 2025. Sadly, it looks like the wait has been extended, if only by a bit.
Hollow Knight Silksong's Release Woes Are Indicative of Its Historic Status
It's Virtually Unheard of for an Indie Game Like Silksong to Crash Digital Storefronts
At the time of writing, Hollow Knight Silksong has been released for just over two hours, but prospective players are still having difficulty getting the game added to their digital libraries. Some have succeeded, of course, but the Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and Steam stores are all experiencing technical difficulties. It's highly unlikely that this is just a coincidence: the influx of rabid, expectant Silksong players is almost certainly what is behind these technical difficulties.
This has happened in the past, but in almost all instances, such technical difficulties were tied to big, AAA releases. Some notable examples of games whose demand overwhelmed digital storefronts to the point of crashing include:
- Grand Theft Auto 5 (crashed Epic Games Store after being offered as a free game in 2020)
- Death Stranding (crashed Epic Games Store after being offered as a free game in 2022)
- Cyberpunk 2077 (crashed both Steam and GOG upon its initial 2020 release)
Similarly, servers for popular online games like Helldivers 2 and Diablo 3 buckled under the load of their first wave of players, making them inaccessible upon release. One thing that all of these games have in common is their AAA status: the most modest of the aforementioned titles is Helldivers 2, though even that game is wholly backed by Sony, and even then, it never crashed digital storefronts.
Hollow Knight Silksong's Legacy May Already Be Set in Stone
Regardless of what opinions are formed about it in the coming months, it's clear that Hollow Knight Silksong has already made a huge impact. The fact that a team of just three developers, who have only released one major game previously, has the power to bring Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the Microsoft Store to their knees is nothing short of groundbreaking, and speaks to the undeniable popularity of the Hollow Knight IP.
It should go without saying that this isn't the launch that Team Cherry was probably hoping for, but all the same, it's a moving sign of Hollow Knight Silksong's cultural significance. If the most prominent online stores and launchers are struggling to keep up with Silksong's demand, then one can only marvel at the enduring passion of the Hollow Knight fanbase, who have been patiently waiting for so long to play Team Cherry's sophomore release. Even before the reviews and accolades have rolled in, Hollow Knight Silksong is already having one of the most, if not the most, momentous indie game releases in history.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- September 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
WHERE TO PLAY
Become the Princess Knight
As the lethal hunter Hornet, adventure through a kingdom ruled by silk and song! Captured and taken to this unfamiliar world, prepare to battle mighty foes and solve ancient mysteries as you ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure. Journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover secrets tied to your nature and your past.
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Hollow Knight
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- September 4, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Wiki
