Hollow Knight reached an all-time Steam concurrent-player peak of 95,655 on September 7, 2025, according to SteamDB’s chart. The rise followed Team Cherry’s announcement that Hollow Knight: Silksong would launch September 4, but the timing alone does not establish what caused players to return.
When did Hollow Knight’s Steam player count rise?
Team Cherry revealed Silksong’s September 4, 2025 release date before Hollow Knight set a new Steam record. On August 22, the day after the reveal, 23,819 players were concurrently playing the original game on Steam. GameSpot reported that figure as a then-record, citing SteamDB; the previous high was around 20,000 in May 2022.
The 23,819 figure was an early milestone, not the eventual all-time peak. SteamDB’s current Hollow Knight chart records 95,655 concurrent players on September 7, 2025. SteamDB notes that its chart times are UTC and that it is not affiliated with Valve or Steam.
How do the two games’ Steam peaks compare?
Silksong launched September 4, 2025, and reached its own Steam peak two days later. These figures are separate chart records, not measures of sales or quality.
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- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Leap into minds with the Dream Nail. Uncover a whole other side to the characters you meet and the enemies you face.
| Game | Peak concurrent Steam players | Date of peak |
|---|---|---|
| Hollow Knight | 95,655 | September 7, 2025 |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong | 587,150 | September 6, 2025 |
The figures come from SteamDB’s Hollow Knight chart and Silksong chart. Each is a count of players active on Steam at the same time at the recorded peak.
What the record does—and does not—show
The chart establishes a sharp increase in simultaneous Steam activity after the release-date reveal and around Silksong’s launch. It does not isolate the announcement as the cause: the timing is clear, but these figures do not explain why each player returned.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
![HOLLOW KNIGHT [E10]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51gHoLA9kNL._SL160_.jpg)
- Includes four giant bonus content packs: Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all modern trimmings
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash, and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries
- Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds, and ruined cities
- Forge your own path. The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face, and find your own way forward
Rank #3
![Hollow Knight: Silksong Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mOgOC8xEL._SL160_.jpg)
- Discover the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! Explore mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
- Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a huge suite of deadly moves as you dance between foes in swift, beautiful combat.
- Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and mechanisms to vanquish your enemies and explore new heights.
- Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts and solve ancient mysteries to grant the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope.
- Face over 200 ferocious foes! Beasts and hunters, monsters and knights. Defeat them all with bravery and skill!
Rank #2
![Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nXCF+sf5L._SL160_.jpg)
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
- Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favorites and make your journey unique!
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Concurrent players are not copies sold, lifetime players, or the total audience across platforms.
- A simultaneous-player peak is only a snapshot. It does not capture everyone who played at different times.
- Because Hollow Knight is a single-player game, players do not need to be online together to play it. As GameSpot’s Eddie Makuch noted, concurrent counts are therefore an incomplete measure of its popularity.
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