After years of silence, Team Cherry has confirmed that Hollow Knight: Silksong will release on September 4. The sequel to the critically acclaimed Hollow Knight has been in development for nearly eight years, sparking doubts among players about whether it would ever see the light of day. The developers have now broken their silence, assuring fans that the long wait was not due to “development hell” but simply the time needed for a small team to finish a passion project.
“It was never stuck” – Team Cherry responds
Speaking to Bloomberg, co-founder Ari Gibson explained that the game was always moving forward: “It was never stuck or anything. It was always progressing. It’s just the case that we’re a small team, and games take a lot of time. There wasn’t any big controversial moment behind it.”
Instead of burnout or setbacks, Gibson said the team enjoyed the process, describing development as a creative playground. At one point, he had to stop adding ideas to avoid dragging the project out for another decade.
From leftover sandwiches to 15 million sales
Team Cherry’s story is one of humble beginnings. During the early days of Hollow Knight, the developers sometimes survived on leftover sandwiches from a neighbouring office. Gibson recalled moments when his father would slip him $20 just so he could buy coffee.
While the financial success of Hollow Knight has changed co-founder William Pellen’s peace of mind, Gibson admits his lifestyle remains modest:
“I live in a very basic two-bedroom apartment. Sometimes I think, ‘You know what would be better, is a one-bedroom apartment.’ Because then there’s even less to maintain.”
The original game has now sold over 15 million copies, with 12 million of those sales coming after Silksong was announced. The hype around the sequel helped keep the first game alive and indirectly gave the developers more time to polish their follow-up.
DLCs already in the pipeline
While Silksong is finally complete, Team Cherry is already looking ahead. Gibson revealed that the studio has plans for downloadable content:
“The most interesting thing now is what can we add to it next. We got a plan. Some of the plans are kind of ambitious as well, but hopefully we can achieve some of it.”
Fans can expect additional content to expand the already rich world of Silksong after release.
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Why the long silence?
The studio’s lack of updates often worried players, but co-founders Gibson and William Pellen said it was a conscious choice.
“We felt like continued updates were just going to sour people on the whole thing,” Gibson said. “Instead of popping up and bugging people for the sake of it, it felt like our actual responsibility was just to work on the game.”
Pellen added that the team initially thought they’d only go quiet for a year or two before release—but development stretched much longer as new ideas kept flowing.
The 2022 Xbox mix-up
In 2022, an Xbox showcase featured Silksong with the promise of a release within 12 months. Even Team Cherry believed at the time that the game was nearly ready. But as the project expanded, the scope grew larger than expected.
Gibson admitted they often underestimated how long features would take, but the fun of building the game kept the team motivated.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Release Date
Despite the delays, the wait is almost over. Fans who have been following Silksong since its reveal can finally look forward to September 4, when the long-anticipated sequel officially launches.
FAQs
Q1. When is Hollow Knight: Silksong releasing?
The game will launch on September 4, 2025.
Q2. What platforms will Silksong be available on?
Silksong will release on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
Q3. Will Silksong be on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes, Microsoft has confirmed that Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available on Game Pass at launch.
Q4. Is Silksong a sequel or a spin-off?
Silksong is a direct sequel to Hollow Knight, but it features a new main character, Hornet, and a completely different setting.
Q5. Will Silksong have DLCs?
Yes, Team Cherry has already teased ambitious post-launch DLC plans, though no timeline has been given yet.
