Hollow Knight: Silksong Launch Causes Instant Server Crashes Across All Gaming Platforms
The official launch of Hollow Knight: Silksong on September 4th immediately triggered widespread server crashes across multiple gaming platforms due to overwhelming player demand. Major digital gaming storefronts including Steam, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Epic Games Store all experienced severe server overload issues at the moment of release.
Unprecedented Demand
Steam bore the brunt of the impact, with players encountering "Steam error E502 L3" when attempting to access store pages, an error that typically indicates Steam's servers are under heavy load or experiencing technical issues. PC Gamer reported that Steam's checkout system continued to malfunction for over an hour after launch before gradually returning to normal operation.
A significant factor contributing to the massive server problems was Team Cherry's decision not to offer pre-orders. Unlike most games, all players wanting day-one access had to purchase the game exactly at release time, causing a simultaneous rush across all platforms.
Record-Breaking Numbers
Reports indicate that Silksong's concurrent Steam player count rapidly soared to over 380,000 players shortly after launch, demonstrating the enormous purchase volume. The monitoring website Steamstat.us received 250,000 page views within the first hour post-release, reflecting the massive number of players checking server status.
Silksong crashed Steam! I've been waiting 5 years for this game and now I can't even buy it! — Popular comment on Reddit
Social Media Reaction
Social media was flooded with player reactions to the server crashes, with users posting messages like "Silksong crashed Steam" and anxiously pleading "Steam fix yourself please, I'm trying to buy Silksong." Despite the technical issues, this phenomenon also demonstrated the tremendous enthusiasm players had for this long-awaited sequel.
Eventually, server issues across all major platforms were resolved within a few hours, allowing players to successfully purchase and download this highly anticipated Metroidvania game.