Eight years after the release of the original Hollow Knight, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally out. Possibly the most anticipated indie game of all time, Silksong is available on most modern platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, Switch 1 and 2, and Steam. However, the launch has gone so well that it has resulted in some unexpected side effects.
I've been primarily gaming on Xbox for eight years, and Hollow Knight: Silksong did the impossible. Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the Xbox Store all went down during Silksong's launch, and none of this bodes well for the most anticipated game of next year, Grand Theft Auto 6.
Silksong Is Crashing The Xbox And PlayStation Stores
An Unbelievable Feat
When Hollow Knight: Silksong came out today, for a solid hour and a half, the Xbox Store was down. For me, the home page was accessible, but that was it. I tried searching for Indiana Jones, as an expansion for The Great Circle, Order of Giants, also released today, but the search was not working. Even going to the store page through the game tab wouldn't load completely. I've never seen this on Xbox for the past eight years.
Even after The Order of Giants DLC went live, I had to perform a hard reset on my Xbox Series X to make it available for download. Unfortunately, I often have to hard reset my Xbox anyway. However, I've never had to do it to install a new game or expansion. Silksong's launch is truly unprecedented, with Steam and both the Xbox Store and PlayStation Store going down. If this occurs for a huge indie game, what about GTA 6?
Grand Theft Auto 6 Will Be So Much Worse
I'm Dreading GTA 6 Now
Hollow Knight: Silksong has to be the most anticipated indie game of all time, but even the hype for that game is just a fraction of people's excitement for Grand Theft Auto 6. The last GTA game, GTA 5, was released in 2013. That was so long ago that people were likely to take taxis instead of Ubers.
People have been waiting for GTA 6 for so long that, when considering Silksong's launch, I have no doubt the same issues will arise. When GTA 6 launches on May 26, 2026, which now seems closer to the final date than ever, I would actually recommend a physical copy, because the Xbox and PlayStation Stores might be down for hours.
Trying to buy or play the game at launch might be a Herculean task, so the safest bet would be to purchase a physical copy, assuming Rockstar releases a quality physical edition with the full game on disc. I'm excited for GTA 6, like everyone else. However, after Hollow Knight: Silksong's launch, I'm a bit worried about being able to play the game on release.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
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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
- Engine
- Unity
