Hollow Knight: Silksong was announced in February 2019, exciting fans of the original indie metroidvania. An expansion starring a new playable character was one stretch goal reached by Hollow Knight's Kickstarter campaign, but this DLC became "too large and too unique" according to Team Cherry. Thus, the standalone sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong was born, and fans got a few early glimpses of the game at events like E3 2019's Nintendo Treehouse Live.
That news petered out as Team Cherry, a small South Australian team, dug in its heels to work while the world dealt with the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Original Kickstarter backers were promised free copies of Silksong given its origins as a crowdfunding bonus, but Hollow Knight's fifth anniversary passed and there was no sign of its successor. Then news that Silksong would be a day-one Xbox Game Pass launch dropped during the 2022 Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase. As exciting as it was to see the game appear, it's a shame that little has followed.
Why Silksong's Day-One Xbox Game Pass Release is a Big Deal
The fact Hollow Knight: Silksong appeared as part of an Xbox event at all was a surprise to many. The game is often associated with Nintendo, despite Hollow Knight first releasing on PC in February 2017 before its Switch port came out in June 2018. Hollow Knight did not come to Xbox One or Game Pass until September 2018, which seemingly led people to assume the sequel would follow suit with a later launch on Microsoft platforms. Tying early Silksong footage to Nintendo's E3 coverage led to years of every Indie World Showcase receiving comments about Team Cherry.
That's a main reason why Silksong re-emerging at this year's Xbox and Bethesda event for Summer Games Fest made such an impact. On top of the confirmation it would be a day-one release for Game Pass, fans also got new footage showcasing Hornet's abilities in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Another part of the presentation that got fans excited was the implied timeline for every included title. Xbox Live programming director Larry Hryb, better known as "Major Nelson," summed things up in an Xbox Wire post on June 12 saying, "Everything in today’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase is targeted to launch in the next 12 months."
Hollow Knight: Silksong Should Stay in the Spotlight
Keeping with the vague verbiage of these games "targeting" a release within a year makes sense. While some titles like As Dusk Falls were far in development and had release dates set, major releases such as Bethesda's Starfield were previously delayed from November 2022 to early 2023. Hollow Knight: Silksong has wiggle room if need be, but being included in the showcase suggested Team Cherry was intending to ramp up its marketing presence.
Yet, June 12 was the last time fans heard from Silksong in any official capacity. With summer 2022 almost over, this seems like a missed opportunity - no doubt audiences on vacation or out of school for the season would have been eager to learn more. The reception to standalone events showcasing games like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet or Splatoon 3 over the last few weeks are a testament to that, even with the scales tipped by these games having Nintendo's full weight behind them.
While nobody is looking for Team Cherry to rush, it would behoove the company to keep its momentum up if the studio intends to release Silksong within the next 10 months or so. Gamescom Opening Night Live seems like the next prime target for news, with the August 23 event being hosted by Keighley. If not, The Game Awards in December could be perfect provided Silksong has a 2023 release date to announce. If the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase taught fans anything, it's that Team Cherry could rear its head at any time, so it will be worth keeping an eye out.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is in development for PC, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.