Hollow Knight Steam key art
Hollow Knight cover art

Steam revenue analysis

Hollow Knight Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

Team Cherry

$92.2MEst. Gross Revenue

12,062,434 estimated sales, 97% positive reviews, and $70,725,596.61 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Action97% Positive$14.99MC 87

Revenue Overview

$92.2M

Gross Revenue

$70.7M

Developer Revenue

12,062,434

Est. Copies Sold

$10.2M

Revenue / Year (avg. 9 yr)

$63.6MLow estimate
$92.2MBest estimate
$190.7MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$92,156,996
− Steam Platform Fee(23.3%)
−$21,431,399
Developer Revenue
$70,725,597

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 76.7%($70,725,597)Steam: 23.3%($21,431,399)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$3,000,000
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)$10,000,000
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)$8,431,399

More context in the Steam game revenue hub or in the Steam revenue calculator.

How we estimate this

97%positive
415,946Total Reviews
403,468positive (97%)
12,478negative (3%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    415,946 reviews and a 97% positive rating are used as the starting point because Steam review counts correlate strongly with paid ownership.

  2. 2

    Apply a calibrated Boxleiter multiplier

    For Hollow Knight, we use a midpoint multiplier of ×29 and show a wider range from ×20 to ×60 to reflect uncertainty.

  3. 3

    Use a realistic realized sale price instead of only list price

    Rather than relying only on the current price of $15, we estimate a realized average sale price of $8 to account for discounting over time.

  4. 4

    Translate gross revenue into developer revenue

    We then apply Steam's effective fee rate of 23.3%. That turns an estimated $92,156,996 in gross revenue into roughly $70,725,597 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$7.64

List price $14.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×29

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

23.3%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for Hollow Knight use the Boxleiter method with a broad range from x20 to x60. For the best estimate we use a calibrated midpoint of x29 and a calibrated average sale price of $8 instead of a flat 30x/0.75 model. Factors like age, price tier, discount history, genre, and review profile all affect the true reviews-to-sales ratio.

Platform Comparison

Hypothetical: What would the developer earn at the same gross revenue?

Steam

Gross revenue baseline: $92,156,996

To developer

$70,725,597

To developer: 76.7%

$70,725,597

Platform fee: 23.3%

$21,431,399

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $92,156,996

To developer

$81,218,156

To developer: 88.1%

$81,218,156

Platform fee: 11.9%

$10,938,839

Epic: 0% on the first $1M in annual per-app revenue, then 12%. Effective here: 11.9%.

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $92,156,996

To developer

$64,509,897

To developer: 70.0%

$64,509,897

Platform fee: 30.0%

$27,647,099

* Actual sales on Epic and GOG are not estimated. Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales volumes.

Genre Market Position

Top 4% by revenue in Action
4%

Top 4% of Action games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

2,141

Top Games Tracked

$6M

Median (tracked top games)

$20.8M

Mean (tracked top games)

Hollow Knight ranks in the top 4% of 2141 tracked action top-sellers, with estimated revenue 15× this group's median.

Baseline: HelpfulCalculator's curated set of top-grossing Steam games, not the entire Steam catalog. Niche genres may have small samples.

Playtime & Engagement

39.8h avg14.5h median

39.8h

Average Playtime

14.5h

Median Playtime

2.5h

Recent Activity (2 Weeks)

A median playtime of 14.5h and average of 39.8h suggest a dedicated core community playing this action game well beyond the typical player.

Current Activity6% still active

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperTeam Cherry
PublisherTeam Cherry
Release DateFebruary 23, 2017
Years on Market9 years
Current Price$14.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$7.64
GenreAction
Peak Players4,912
SteamSpy Owners5,000,000 .. 10,000,000
SteamView on Store

Features

Single-playerSteam AchievementsFull controller supportSteam Trading CardsSteam CloudRemote Play on PhoneRemote Play on TabletRemote Play on TVFamily Sharing

Related Games

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much has Hollow Knight earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate Hollow Knight's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $92,156,996.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $63,556,549
  • Calibrated midpoint (x29): $92,156,996
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $190,669,646

The actual revenue may vary due to regional pricing, seasonal discounts, and refund rates.

How many copies has Hollow Knight sold on Steam?

With 415,946 Steam reviews and a 97% positive rating, we estimate Hollow Knight has sold between 8,318,920 and 24,956,760 copies, with a best estimate of 12,062,434.

This is based on the Boxleiter method, which uses the observation that roughly 1 in every 20 to 60 buyers leaves a Steam review. For the midpoint we do not assume a universal 30x value; we use a calibrated multiplier of x29 that adjusts for the title's age, price tier, genre, and review profile.

How much does Team Cherry earn from Hollow Knight?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 23.3%, Team Cherry keeps an estimated $70,725,597 from Hollow Knight's gross revenue of $92,156,996.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $92,156,996
  • Steam's Fee (23.3%): -$21,431,399
  • Developer Revenue: $70,725,597

Note: This doesn't account for publisher shares, taxes, or development costs.

What percentage does Steam take from Hollow Knight?

Steam uses a tiered revenue sharing model that reduces the platform's cut as a game earns more:

  • First $10 million: 30% to Steam, 70% to developer
  • $10M to $50M: 25% to Steam, 75% to developer
  • Above $50M: 20% to Steam, 80% to developer

For Hollow Knight, with an estimated gross revenue of $92,156,996, this results in an effective rate of 23.3%. Steam keeps approximately $21,431,399 and Team Cherry receives $70,725,597.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for Hollow Knight?

These estimates use the Boxleiter method, a widely-used industry approach that estimates game sales from the number of Steam reviews.

Factors that affect accuracy:

  • Review-to-purchase ratio varies by genre
  • Discount history - games with frequent deep sales may have higher ratios
  • Regional pricing - different prices in different markets are not captured
  • Refunds - Steam's return policy means some counted sales were refunded
  • Bundled sales - keys sold through third-party bundles may not generate reviews

We provide a confidence range ($63,556,549 to $190,669,646) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x29) and a calibrated ASP of $8.

What would Hollow Knight earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If Hollow Knight generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, Team Cherry would keep approximately $81,218,156 - that's $10,492,560 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $10,938,839. Epic charges 0% on the first $1 million in annual per-app revenue and then 12% on the remaining amount. On GOG (30% cut), the developer would earn approximately $64,509,897.

Note: This is a hypothetical comparison. Actual sales volumes differ significantly between platforms, and Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales.

How long do players spend in Hollow Knight?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 39.8 hours in Hollow Knight, with a median playtime of 14.5 hours. The large gap between average and median suggests a dedicated core community playing well beyond the typical player.

What is Hollow Knight's Metacritic score?

Hollow Knight has a Metacritic score of 87/100, which is considered "generally favorable" by critics. The Steam community rates the game 97% positive based on 415,946 user reviews.