Hollow Knight: Silksong finally landed on September 4, 2025, after years of anticipation—and its long-awaited arrival came with a ripple effect across the indie games scene. Announced just two weeks earlier on August 21, the sequel’s sudden launch window sent smaller studios scrambling to avoid getting drowned out by what many have called the “GTA VI of indie games.”
At least eight indie titles delayed their releases in response, including Baby Steps, Cloverpit, and Demonschool. Several developers likened the situation to “a little krill not trying to get eaten by a blue whale,” underscoring just how dominant Silksong’s presence is in the indie market.
One studio that didn’t blink was Rogue Factor. Its action-adventure game Hell is Us, published by Nacon, arrived the very same day as Silksong. Speaking on the Friends Per Second podcast, creative director Jonathan Jacques-Belletete discussed the decision and the timing, noting that Team Cherry didn’t break any rules—but the short notice felt tough for other teams to navigate.
“They’re allowed to do what they did. There are no laws or rules against that,” he said. “But when you know you’re that big, I think a shadow drop is a bit like wow. As the GTA VI of indie, to shadow drop something like this is a little callous.”
Jacques-Belletete added that Rogue Factor considered delaying Hell is Us but ultimately stuck to its date due to the logistical and financial complications of pushing a launch on short notice. “The real pain is that you have to refund your pre-orders when you do that. Now you need to rebuild them,” he explained. “We were like, ‘No, I think we can get through the storm.’”
As a relatively larger indie studio, Rogue Factor was better positioned than most to weather the competition, and Jacques-Belletete said he’s happy with the call in hindsight. Still, he acknowledged the overlap likely affected visibility and sales at launch. “I don’t have any specific numbers, at least not at this time. But for sure it did.”
Even so, early reception for Hell is Us suggests it’s holding its own. The game has an 89.41% Positive User score from 2,152 reviews, an all-time peak of 4,431 players, and a steady daily average of around 2,000 concurrent players on Steam.
Silksong’s rapid announcement-to-launch sprint highlights a growing challenge in the indie release calendar: how smaller teams navigate around mega-hyped titles without losing momentum or refunding pre-orders. While there’s no rulebook for timing, the episode shows just how carefully indie developers must play calendar Tetris in a crowded marketplace—and how even confident, well-resourced studios can feel the shockwave when a giant moves.
