Unless you live under a rock, you will have seen the surprise Hollow Knight: Silksong drop at the start of this month. Its release was more than just an anticipated sequel, it was one of 2025’s biggest surprises.

Developed by Team Cherry, a small indie developer based in Australia, this Metroidvania follow-up had years of buildup due to the success of its predecessor (which has sold over 15 million copies). But the release announcement came only two weeks before it hit the storefronts.

Now was this a risk, or just really clever marketing?

Well, the release caused gamers to flood digital stores which led to crashes due to the huge demand - and this annoyed a few people. Several games (wisely) decided to delay their releases to avoid getting buried by this indie sensation.

Some would say a two week lead time is ‘callous’.  But the stats speak for themselves.

On its release day, Silksong hit over 500,000 concurrent players on Steam within just a few hours [source: Kotaku] and on Steam alone, it sold over 3 million copies in just three days [source: Gadgets360]. The first installment, while successful, has an all-time concurrent user count of just under 100K. Silksong seemed to effortlessly smash an already impressive showing.

So, what can other indie developers  learn from this?

Leveraging your existing audience and legacy is absolutely key. Hollow Knight was already a huge success, Silksong didn’t rely on building an entire audience from scratch.

Yes, we get it, most indie developers don’t have this luxury, especially if they are launching their first game, but this release also shows how important it is to build hype over time. Although the announcement to release was a short time span, the marketing for Silksong was rooted in long-term community engagement, teasers and updates so when the announcement came, players were ready.

Why is a robust marketing plan more important than ever?

Some indie developers really felt the pinch from the surprise launch, and having a robust marketing plan, means you won’t get caught in the same situation.

Even the best game doesn’t sell if people don’t know who you are (or it gets drowned in a sea of other launches). This is when timing and awareness is absolutely key. Marketing and research help you map out when to stir up  awareness so that you hit the audience at the moment of release - even if this date has to change!

“I can’t tell you how many indie developers show up on our doorstep at the 11th hour with little to no marketing or community building prior to launch. We love helping indie developers, but for marketing to be successful, it needs to be well-planned and executed,” says GG Talent Group co-founder Eric Harper.

We know we say it a lot, but community really is everything and Hollow Knight: Silksong totally proves this. Being transparent, providing regular updates, teasers and having a strong social presence gets people excited. Not only this but it builds trust and trust is what makes people loyal and in turn, become your biggest cheerleaders.

Be flexible. We know that can make some developers feel a bit nervous, but the hype of Silksong created issues that other indie developers had no control over. Store crashes and technical problems can happen, but it's how you deal with them that matters. Ensure to have open communication lines so that you remain credible through the chaos.

We know that most indie developers will not reach the level of Silksong, but you can increase your chances and minimize the risk with the right budget, strategy and team.

If this sounds like something you need, get in touch with our team via our website or by emailing us on info@ggtalentgroup.com. We specialize in gaming influencer marketing, organic campaigns, marketing strategy, and more!

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