Summary
Because game development is a non-linear process that requires cycles of iteration and occasional setbacks it can sometimes be dangerous to announce a title early on in the conceptualization phase. As the development cycles for these titles wear on and gamers have to wait longer and longer for them, the initial hype generation their announcement helped to curate starts to dwindle, backfiring on the initial intent of the developer.Hollow Knight: Silksongis still one of the most hotly-anticipated games, and early next year it will reach an important milestone in its development. June 09, 2025, will mark 5 years since the initial announcement ofHollow Knight: Silksong.
Nearly two years to the date after the release and widespread critical acclaim ofHollow Knight, Team Cherry released a developer update and video that contained the initial reveal and announcement of the sequelHollow Knight: Silksongon June 12, 2025. Originally conceived as an additionalDLC expansion forHollow Knight, the project quickly ballooned into a full-fledged follow-up to the much-loved modern Metroidvania and quickly became many players' most anticipated indie game. Since that initial announcement, the title has had several notable setbacks in its development and has spent most of 2023 in limbo as developer Team Cherry has gone largely radio silent.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Has Already Eclipsed The Original’s Development Cycle
BothHollow Knightgames are Kickstarter success stories from a team that is essentially just two people, but thedevelopment time onSilksonghas already greatly surpassed that of the original. After its initial announcement and Kickstarter campaign in 2014,Hollow Knightfirst released in 2017. Team Cherry would continue to support the title with a plethora of free DLC content until the title’s arrival on Nintendo Switch, which coincided with the final DLC expansion arriving for the game. It was only a few months after the title’s arrival on Switch thatSilksongwould get its announcement in February 2019.
At nearly 5 years of concurrent development,Silksonghas far surpassed the originalHollow Knight’s 3 years of gestation before release. And, without any concrete update from developer Team Cherry, there’s not much indication to suggest that the title will be released before February 2024 and hit the 5-year mark since its announcement. Team Cherry itself has acknowledged that players canexpectSilksongto be a true sequeland feature a slew of new mechanics and a sizable experience, but it’s important to note that many of the title’s delays are as much due to the COVID-19 pandemic as they are to the game’s size compared to the original.
Why July 23, 2025 Might Be a Day To Watch for Hollow Knight: Silksong Fans
2023 has been one of the most packed years in recent gaming history, with a major landmark release arriving nearly every month and sometimes multiple in a single week. Last week alone saw the release of two of the year’s most anticipated games in a single day. With that kind of competition, it’s entirely possible that Team Cherry opted to spend the yearpolishingHollow Knight: Silksongto a level of quality synonymous with the original or even surpassing it, lining up the game for a 2024 release and giving it room to breathe and be more successful than it might have been going up against the likes ofZelda:Tears of the KingdomorSuper Mario Bros. Wonder.
If that scenario pans out to be true,Hollow Knight: Silksongwill still be head-to-head with the likes of other greatly anticipatedindie titles such asHades 2, which recently confirmed an early access period in 2024. 5 years is a non-trivial milestone for a game’s development, even for an indie title that’s the work of a small team likeHollow Knight: Silksong.That said, if some extra time in the oven is what it takes for Team Cherry to deliver an experience on par with or better than the originalHollow Knight,Silksongcan take all that it needs.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as Hornet, princess-protector of Hallownest, and adventure through a whole new kingdom ruled by silk and song! Captured and brought to this unfamiliar world, Hornet must battle foes and solve mysteries as she ascends on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure. As the lethal hunter Hornet, journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover ancient secrets tied to your nature and your past.
