Silksong Storms Launch: 500K Players, Store Meltdowns, and a Wild Hollow Knight Speedrun Record

Silksong’s launch was the kind of chaos that makes you smile

As someone who wore out a controller learning nail pogo in Greenpath back in 2017, this caught my attention for all the right reasons: Hollow Knight Silksong finally launched-and it did so with the kind of pent-up energy only years of anticipation can build. The rush briefly buckled the PlayStation Store, Steam, and the Nintendo eShop at the stroke of launch, and then more than 500,000 players jumped in simultaneously. That’s not just a good day for a 2D metroidvania; that’s a statement about how big Team Cherry’s world has become.

• Silksong’s launch surge temporarily overloaded major storefronts-then settled fast.
• Over 500,000 players launched the game at once, massive for a metroidvania.
• The original Hollow Knight’s scene roared back: a new 112% APB record at 2:49:59.
• Expect a fresh speedrunning gold rush as Silksong’s routes and tech get discovered.

Breaking down the launch surge

Let’s separate hype from reality. Launch hiccups happen-even to platform holders—when a tidal wave of players hits at the exact same minute. What matters is resilience: storefronts stumbled, then recovered quickly, and half a million players spun up at the same time. For a tiny studio like Team Cherry, that level of demand is rare air. It also proves something we’ve all suspected for years: Silksong was never “just DLC” territory; it’s mainstream appointment gaming.

The bigger question for players is stability and performance across platforms. The Switch version is always under the microscope for fast-action games like Hollow Knight—tight inputs and consistent frame pacing make or break boss fights. On PC, expect modders to wake up fast, from input fixes to UI tweaks, while PS5 owners will want to see if haptics and 120Hz modes (where applicable) make the already silky traversal feel even tighter. Day-one rushes are noisy; the real test is how the game feels after a week of hotfixes.

The speedrunning bombshell: 112% APB in 2:49:59

Silksong’s arrival did something else: it reignited the original Hollow Knight’s competitive heartbeat. Speedrunner Kyle “LoLNebula” Dodson dropped an absurd world record in the 112% APB category—2 hours, 49 minutes, 59 seconds. If you don’t live on Speedrun.com, here’s why that’s ridiculous. The 112% APB (All Pantheon Bosses) route requires collecting every key item, fully upgrading the Knight and Nail, and tearing through the five Godhome Pantheons, each culminating in a capstone boss. Godhome is designed to break your focus; maintaining WR pace through it is where runs go to die.

To put it in player terms: most folks need 25-30 hours to clear Hollow Knight and 60+ to actually finish everything. Doing literally everything and then smashing the hardest boss gauntlets back-to-back under three hours is bonkers. The community’s already calling it “the greatest feat in the game’s history,” and the time margin matters: LoLNebula’s lead is by minutes, not seconds. He even said he’s aiming for a 2:48 next—so the metagame’s not done evolving.

Why does this matter for Silksong players? Because the same precision movement tech—pogo consistency, damage boosting, cancel timings—translates. The first week of a new metroidvania is pure frontier energy: routing races, unintended skips, and hot takes on what’s optimal. Expect early “Any%” routes to look nothing like the meta six months from now, and expect a wave of accessibility-friendly guides as the community unearths consistent strats for tough platforming segments.

What gamers need to watch for next

Launch momentum is great, but two things will decide Silksong’s long-term shape. First, post-launch support cadence. Team Cherry is famously small, so patch quality matters more than patch frequency. If they prioritize input responsiveness, hitbox clarity, and map readability (pain points for some new players in the original), the conversation stays about mastery instead of friction. Second, difficulty curve and options. Hollow Knight earned its reputation by being fair but firm; having robust accessibility toggles so more players can experience late-game content without dulling the blade is the sweet spot in 2025.

For returning fans, now’s the perfect time to revisit Godhome if you bounced off it. The Pantheons aren’t just victory laps—they teach boss patterns under pressure, and Silksong will almost certainly reward that discipline. New players? Don’t feel rushed. The beauty of this series is in learning the dance: reading attacks, finding rhythm, and making that one clutch pogo that flips a fight. Let the speedrunners inspire you, not intimidate you.

Why this moment matters beyond the headline

Indie games don’t usually melt storefronts. Silksong doing that says a lot about how far metroidvanias have come and how rare it is to see a sequel carry this much trust. The original built a near-mythic reputation on movement feel, world design, and a soundtrack that made failure feel poetic. Silksong’s launch numbers and the immediate spike in high-level play tell me the community hasn’t just stuck around—they’ve sharpened their tools waiting for this.

I’m excited, and I’m also keeping my checklist handy: smooth patches, transparent notes, and platform parity. If Team Cherry hits those, we’re not just looking at a successful launch—we’re looking at another modern classic locking in for the long haul.

TL;DR

Silksong blasted out of the gate, briefly overwhelmed major stores, and saw 500K players pile in at once. Meanwhile, LoLNebula’s sub-2:50 112% APB record reminded everyone why Hollow Knight’s skill ceiling is legendary. Keep an eye on patches, performance across platforms, and the speedrun meta—this ride is just starting.