Hollow Knight is one of the most beloved indie games of all time. So, it’s no surprise that developers Team Cherry have decided to release a sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Set after the events of Hollow Knight, Silksong will allow you to play as Hornet, one of the main characters and a fierce boss in the first game. For unknown reasons, the princess and protector of Hallownest will end up in a new kingdom in Silksong. There, Hornet will gain unique abilities, battle powerful foes, and unlock the secrets of her past.
There’s a lot to be excited about Silksong. First, Team Cherry has already proved that it can craft combat and exploration systems that are near perfection. Then, Silksong promises to shed new light on some of the most obscure aspects of Hollow Knight’s intriguing lore. The footage Team Cherry shared for the sequel also shows how the studio has improved their 2D art craft, cementing their position as one of the leaders in the indie industry. Finally, Silksong is going to the huge, with around 100 checkpoints compared to Hollow Knight’s 41.
In short, Silksong is a must-play for every fan of Metroidvanias, complex storytelling, and gorgeous indie games. Unfortunately, five years after its announcement, Hollow Knight: Silksong still lacks a release date.
Hollow Knight: Silksong delay history, explained
Hollow Knight was developed almost entirely in secrecy, with the first trailer dropping just a few weeks before the game’s release in 2017. However, after the success of its first game, Team Cherry changed their approach to marketing, as in 2019, they already announced the Silksong sequel with a beautiful trailer. It would be fair to think the studio would keep fans updated on the game’s development, but Team Cherry has been frustratingly silent about Silksong since 2019.
The closer Hollow Knight: Silksong got from a release date was June 12, 2022, when Microsoft announced the sequel as part of their Xbox Game Pass. In the announcement, Xbox revealed that Silksong would be available sometime in the following 12 months. Sadly, on May 10, 2023, Team Cherry’s marketing representative Matthew Griffin revealed the release had been postponed as the project became too big to be finished in the first half of 2023. That’s the last piece of official news we got about Silksong. Still, some clues are pointing to a 2024 release.
The wait has been long and arduous for Hollow Knight fans, but some signs point to Team Cherry nearing the end of their development process. Silksong got an official page on the Xbox store on April 1st, 2024. Furthermore, the game’s repositories on Steam have been updated multiple times this year.
By the looks of it, we are getting closer to a release date, but Team Cherry is playing safe to avoid building false hopes again. Nevertheless, while we can understand the reasoning behind this decision, keeping the community informed of development milestones would be better. Fingers crossed, we’ll have to update this article sooner rather than later.