Hollow Knight Silksong vs. GTA 6: A Tale of Two Titans

Hollow Knight: Silksong arrived on September 4, 2025, to an earth-shattering response. Developed by just three people at Team Cherry, this Metroidvania sequel crashed multiple digital storefronts—including Steam, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, and Xbox platforms—due to overwhelming demand. Within 45 minutes, it recorded over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, and soon soared to a peak of more than 500,000, making it one of the most-played games ever at launch for such a modestly priced indie ($20).

In stark contrast, Grand Theft Auto VI—Rockstar’s next mega-franchise installment—is still brewing behind the scenes. Officially delayed to May 26, 2026, the game is being framed as the world’s first "AAAAA" title—a step above even AAA, promising unprecedented levels of scale, detail, and immersive design.

Though we’re over eight months from release, anticipation is already off the charts. Some industry insiders even speculate another delay is likely, given the project’s monumental scope.

Why Comparing Them Feels 'Odd'—But Revealing

This comparison feels strange because these two games occupy almost opposite ends of the RPG spectrum. Silksong is the triumph of restraint, craftsmanship, and creative vision from an intimate team, while GTA VI embodies excessive ambition, technological spectacle, and blockbuster scale.

Yet, both share one powerful trait: they illustrate the cultural weight of anticipation. Silksong shows how indie games can ignite the community, disrupt platforms, and push creative benchmarks. GTA VI, even before its release, is already shaping release calendars, industry chatter, and expectations for what gaming experiences will look like moving forward.