Silksong Turns Even Pirates into Backers with Fair Price and DRM-Free Trust

Hollow Knight: Silksong arrived with overwhelming demand that crashed major stores on launch day. Within minutes, the game was cracked and uploaded to piracy sites. What surprised many was the response from the piracy community itself, which began encouraging players to buy the game rather than simply take advantage of the cracked version.
The game’s low twenty dollar price, DRM free release, wide platform availability, and free access for backers of the original Hollow Knight all played a role in shaping this reaction. Many players on Reddit openly admitted that Team Cherry had treated fans with respect and fairness, which made purchasing the game feel like the right thing to do. Comments praised the studio’s transparency and consumer friendly approach, with users urging others to support the developers if they were able to pay.
This response shows how ethical practices and affordable pricing can influence even those who normally turn to piracy. Despite being cracked almost immediately, Silksong’s goodwill and player friendly release convinced many to change their behavior, proving that trust and accessibility can be stronger than restrictions.
origin pcgamer