'KookminTree' Here is the big data-driven game ranking for the fourth week of September 2025, brought to you by KookminTree. We track the pulse of the industry by analysing weekly search trends across major portals. Let's dive into what titles are currently capturing the collective imagination of the gaming community.

Mobile – The Starlight lands in 5th on its debut

Welcome to the final weekly big data rankings of September 2025. The mobile charts are currently being swept by a wave of new blood. While 'Vampir' remains firmly in the top spot since its debut, titles like 'Yulgang: Return' and the rapidly climbing 'The King of Fighters AFK' are making waves. A fresh face has also entered the fray: Com2uS's latest title, 'The Starlight'.

The Starlight is marketing itself under the banner of a '4th generation MMORPG.' It weaves a narrative across a multiverse where chosen heroes set out to find the titular Starlight. The game’s world is built upon four novels written by General Director Jeong Seong-hwan of the developer, Game Tales, and it's powered by Unreal Engine 5.

The Starlight has pulled off an impressive feat, securing 5th place in its first week of tracking. This entry has certainly shaken up a chart that had become somewhat stagnant. 'Lineage M' has reclaimed 3rd place, while the arrival of this newcomer has nudged everything from 6th to 10th place down by a notch.

Outside the top 10, the aforementioned The King of Fighters AFK is proving to be a real standout. It has vaulted 11 places—a jump that truly earns the label of a 'leap.' This surge is likely tied to the recent updates featuring popular characters 'Kyo' and 'Terry'. It will be fascinating to see if it can maintain this momentum and break into the top 10.

Meanwhile, the hot streak for 'Trickcal Revive' continues into the fourth week of September, building on last week's performance. The climb is even steeper now, with the game jumping 9 places, surpassing the 5-spot climb from the previous week. The 2nd-anniversary event is clearly pulling its weight. We look forward to seeing how the offline event on September 26th impacts next week's figures.

Online – A stall in momentum

The momentum in the online gaming chart has hit a wall. While the third week of September saw more dynamic shifts than the mobile sector, a mere seven days later, that energy has completely evaporated. The only change was 'The Great Merchant' reclaiming the 10th spot, though this was less about its own growth and more due to a dip in search volume for the incumbent, 'Path of Exile 2'.

What about the games outside the top 10? 'Lineage 2' and 'Slugger' showed the most notable upward trends. The former likely benefited from a substantial update and an Alchemist event, while the latter saw increased interest thanks to new content and the final stretch of the professional baseball season.

Elsewhere, we have to note the decline of 'Final Fantasy 14' (27th, -4) and 'Supervive' (33rd, -3). Both saw significant drops in their numbers, which is quite surprising considering that online game rankings typically fluctuate by only one or two spots. It will be interesting to see if these two titles can reverse their fortunes next week.

Steam – Hollow Knight siblings claim 1st and 3rd

The power of the 'Hollow Knight' IP is nothing short of remarkable. While we expected the younger sibling, 'Hollow Knight: Silksong', to hit the top spot upon its September release, seeing the elder 'Hollow Knight' land in 3rd place is truly impressive. It seems the synergy between a well-crafted IP and a new release is hitting all the right notes.

Sandwiched between the brothers, 'PUBG' has been knocked from its 1st-place pedestal, but its influence remains immense. It was only narrowly overtaken by Hollow Knight: Silksong, and it still holds a comfortable lead over the 3rd-place Hollow Knight. Furthermore, the gap with the leader is razor-thin, and once the initial hype for Silksong settles, PUBG has more than enough strength to reclaim its throne.

We are also keeping a close eye on the rapid progress of 'Borderlands 4', which climbed 5 spots to reach 5th. However, it continues to face criticism regarding the optimization issues that surfaced at launch. The game remains stuck with a 'Mixed' user rating, and resolving these technical hurdles should be the developer's top priority.

Meanwhile, three new September releases made their debut outside the top 10: 'Little Witch in the Woods' (24th), 'The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st' (26th), and 'Dying Light: The Beast' (27th). Each possesses its own unique charm, so we expect both their search volumes and rankings to improve by the next tally.

Pre-registration – Expectant titles grow in presence

The presence of highly anticipated titles in the pre-registration phase is growing daily. 'Aion 2' has seen its search volume explode, widening the gap between it and the second-place spot significantly. While it didn't manage to take 1st, 'R2 Origin', which launched on September 25th, saw a massive spike in figures. Additionally, 'Chaos Zero Nightmare' jumped 3 spots to enter the top 3.

'Goddess Order', which also has release-related activity, saw its specific numbers increase compared to a week ago. As titles slated for a September release begin to transition into the mobile game category, we expect to see some turbulence in the mobile charts and a fresh influx of faces in the pre-registration rankings.

In fact, next week will see the debut of DreamAge's new MMO 'Architect: Land of Exile' and Yostar's 'Stellar Sora' in the pre-registration category. We are also tracking 'Astellia M' from Sesisoft. It will be intriguing to see how the chart shifts once the old guard departs and these newcomers take their place.