Candy Crush Saga had 65 levels when it first launched on Facebook.
King released the game on Facebook in April 2012, adapting ideas from its earlier browser version of Candy Crush and combining them with the level-based “saga” structure used in Bubble Witch Saga. The initial 65-level package was small by modern standards, but it was enough to establish the game's core loop: complete a puzzle, advance along a map, and return for the next challenge.
The early launch was also a test of whether players would continue engaging with a cross-platform game. King reportedly expected the title's popularity to last only about six months and committed relatively limited resources to long-term support at first. Instead, the game rapidly attracted millions of players.
As the audience grew, King expanded Candy Crush with new episodes, mechanics, blockers, and levels. The original 65-level count therefore describes the Facebook launch version, not the game's total content today. Players sometimes confuse it with later milestones, such as the release of the 2,000th level in 2016.