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What Is Silksong?
Hollow Knight: Silksong started as DLC for the original Hollow Knight, but Team Cherry — a small Australian indie studio — realized they had enough material for a full game. The result was worth the wait: a complete metroidvania with a new protagonist, a new world, and evolved gameplay.
Key Facts
- Developer: Team Cherry (Australia)
- Engine: Unity
- Release: September 4, 2025
- Platforms: Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Linux, macOS
- Genre: Metroidvania
- Metacritic: PC 90, PS5 92, Switch 94
- Sales: 5M in 3 days — 7M by Dec 2025
Hornet as Protagonist
In Silksong you play as Hornet, former princess-protector of Hallownest and a beloved character from the first game. Hornet is radically different from the Knight: more acrobatic, faster, with quicker healing and new aerial moves.
The story takes place in the kingdom of Pharloom, a new world full of mysteries, dangerous creatures, and breathtaking scenery. Team Cherry built a world that feels simultaneously familiar and entirely new.
Gameplay: Evolution of the Metroidvania
Silksong retains the original's formula but evolves it significantly. The Tools system replaces Charms, splitting tools into two categories: blue (offensive) and yellow (utility). The combinations are nearly limitless.
The “Wishes” system adds meaningful side-quests. Each NPC in Pharloom has a “wish” — a problem you can solve. Rewards range from new tools to lore revelations that enrich the world.
Hollow Knight vs Silksong
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Awards and Recognition
Silksong swept the awards in 2025. With a Metacritic score of 94 on Switch (the highest for an indie game in years), 92 on PS5, and 90 on PC, the game received universal acclaim.
- Steam Game of the Year 2025 — voted by the community
- Golden Joystick Best Indie — unanimous choice
- The Game Awards: Best Action/Adventure — beating AAA titles
- 500K concurrent players on Steam at launch
The launch was so massive it crashed Steam, the eShop, and the PlayStation Store. Demand was so overwhelming that store pages went down for hours.
Sales and Numbers
The numbers speak for themselves. Silksong sold 5 million copies in just 3 days, a figure typically seen only for AAA titles. By December 2025, sales had reached 7 million.
For a title created by 3 people, these numbers are extraordinary. Team Cherry proved that a small indie studio can compete with the biggest companies in the world.
6 Years of Development
Silksong was announced in February 2019 and released in September 2025 — over 6 years of development. During this period, Team Cherry remained nearly silent, generating immense hype but also anxiety in the community.
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The game started as Hornet DLC for Hollow Knight, but as Team Cherry worked, they realized they had material for a full standalone game. That decision proved correct — Silksong is far larger and more ambitious than any DLC could be.
DLC: Sea of Sorrow
In early December 2025, Team Cherry announced “Sea of Sorrow” — a free DLC releasing sometime in 2026. The DLC promises a new area, new enemies, and an expansion of the story.
The fact that it's free follows Team Cherry's tradition — the original Hollow Knight received 4 free content packs, adding dozens of hours of content. Sea of Sorrow shows that the same philosophy continues.
Why It Matters
Hollow Knight: Silksong is proof that patience pays off. Team Cherry took their time, refused to rush, and delivered a game that exceeded every expectation. With a Metacritic 94 on Switch, 7 million sales, and Steam GOTY, Silksong isn't just the best metroidvania — it's one of the best games of the year, period.
And with Sea of Sorrow coming free in 2026, Hornet's story isn't over yet.