‘Hollow Knight: Silksong’ launch crashes major game stores

The Hollow Knight: Silksong, a video game, launch on September 04, 2025, crashed major digital game stores, leaving thousands unable to purchase the highly anticipated sequel and gamers worldwide faced widespread frustration.

PC platform Steam reported the most severe outages, with user reports peaking at 3,750 on Downdetector following the 15:00 BST release.

Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox stores are among the platforms that had technical disruptions, prompting angry social media reactions from fans who criticized the absence of pre-order options that might have mitigated the congestion.

Christopher Larkin, composer for both Hollow Knight games, jokingly suggested the sequel might have crashed the internet given the unprecedented demand.

Steam recorded over 100,000 players actively enjoying the game within thirty minutes of launch, despite the widespread purchasing issues, likely obtained through alternative storefronts.

Humble Bundle temporarily listed the game as unavailable during peak traffic before resolving the issue.

The sequel comes seven years after the original Hollow Knight sold over 15 million copies worldwide.

Developed by three-person Australian studio Team Cherry, the game continues the series' signature side-scrolling insect-fantasy gameplay, now focusing on sword-wielding princess Hornet.