| Hollow Knight: Silksong | |
| Developer: | Team Cherry |
| Publisher: | Team Cherry |
| Engine: | Unity |
| Genre: | Metroidvania |
| Modes: | Single-player |
| Artist: | Ari Gibson |
| Composer: | Christopher Larkin |
Hollow Knight: Silksong is an upcoming Metroidvania video game in development by Australian independent developer Team Cherry. The sequel to Hollow Knight, it is being developed for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Silksong was originally conceived as downloadable content for Hollow Knight, but the scope of the project grew enough that on February 14, 2019, Team Cherry announced it as a separate sequel.
Hollow Knight: Silksong gameplay is set to be similar to its predecessor Hollow Knight, featuring 2D platforming and combat. Some changes are made from the original, such as the player character moving with a more acrobatic flair or healing herself instantly. Sidequests will be part of the game, and include a journal to keep track of them.[1] This includes a quest system divided into four categories titled Gather, Wayfarer, Hunt, and Grand Hunt, which are provided by the non-player characters in the game.[2]
Team Cherry stated Silksong to be very large, featuring at least 165 new enemies and over 100 different checkpoints ("benches") throughout the game world, compared to 41 in Hollow Knight.[3] [4]
Hornet is captured and taken to the unknown kingdom of Pharloom, which is said to be "haunted by Silk and Song", and must climb to the top to reach a shining citadel.[5]
Hollow Knight: Silksong was announced on 14 February 2019 in a trailer[6] and with a developer diary video[7] sharing more information. Since the announcement, per GameSpot, "updates have been sporadic and infrequent".[8]
Eventually, due to the increased scope of the project, Team Cherry decided to expand the downloadable content to a full sequel.[3] [9]
The developers released an update in March 2019, sharing descriptions and images of characters who will appear in Silksong. They thanked the game's fans for supporting them regarding the announcement of the sequel.[10]
In December 2019, Team Cherry released a preview of the soundtrack, composed by Christopher Larkin, as well as an update on the total number of enemies developed, with a focus on a trio, described as "members of a scholarly suite."[11]
An article in PC Gamer from February 2022 showcased Team Cherry co-director William Pellen stating that the game was still in development despite the lack of updates since December 2019 and said that more details would be revealed as the game got closer to its release.[12]
A new trailer was revealed at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase in June 2022, revealing that Silksong would be released on Xbox Game Pass at launch, with the game being available through the service for PC and Xbox Series X/S.[13] While no release date was announced, the Xbox Twitter account stated in a tweet that it would be available within the next twelve months, implying they expected a release by 12 June 2023.[14] [15] In September 2022, Sony confirmed in a separate tweet that the game would also come to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.[16] Team Cherry marketing and publishing representative Matthew Griffin declared on 10 May 2023 that the game was delayed, stating "We had planned to release in the first half of 2023, but development is still continuing."[17]
In May 2022, Hollow Knight: Silksong won a "Most Anticipated Game" award from Unity. In response, Team Cherry thanked the community for their support and said "It can't be too much longer, surely!"[8] [18] [19]
In 2024, Geoff Keighley, tweeted on the X Platform, days before the Gamescom Opening Night Live "Just to get this out of the way, no Silksong on Tuesday at ONL. @TeamCherryGames is still cooking." The tweet was accompanied with a picture of Hornet wearing clown makeup, the adopted mascot of the Silksong fan community. [20]
