Hollow Knight: Silksong
LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL to HOLLOW KNIGHT (2017) by TEAM CHERRY (Australia) — released Sep 4, 2025 after ~6-year wait. Signature: play as HORNET (secondary character from original) exploring PHARLOA (fungal kingdom above/adjacent to Hallownest); much faster PLAY STYLE than original with acrobatic PROTAGONIST + WHIP+NEEDLE combat. Metroidvania genre pinnacle: HAND-DRAWN ART, TIGHT PLATFORMING, deep hidden secrets, tough boss fights, atmospheric mystery. Highly anticipated — 2019 announcement generated 6 years of dedicated fan speculation. Massive commercial + critical hit; sold 5M copies in first weeks.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Duration
~3000 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇦🇺 Australia
Estimated origin
Announced Feb 2019 as expansion, later expanded to full sequel; released Sep 4, 2025 after 6+ year development
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Explore PHARLOA kingdom + progress HORNET's mysterious storyline; defeat bosses; explore all zones for 100% completion.
Rules
Basic rules
PROTAGONIST: HORNET (needlemother of Hallownest) — much faster + more acrobatic than original Knight
Signature Hornet protagonist.
COMBAT: NEEDLE for melee + PINCERS for special moves + SILK for healing (thread-based)
Signature needle+silk combat.
SETTING: PHARLOA — fungal kingdom above/adjacent to Hallownest (Silksong's world)
Signature Pharloa setting.
METROIDVANIA: interconnected world, gain abilities to unlock new areas (double jump, dash, wall-climb)
Signature metroidvania structure.
BOSS FIGHTS: over 40 unique challenging boss battles with intricate patterns
Signature boss-focused combat.
SILK MECHANIC: build silk by hitting enemies + spend on abilities/healing
Signature silk resource.
TOOLS: crafted equippable items providing passive/active buffs
Signature tool system.
HARD SAVE POINTS + BENCHES: rest at benches to save + refill health
Signature bench save system.
Scoring
Non-competitive; completion percentage + speedrun times for community.
Win condition · Story completion; 112%+ ultra-endings.
Equipment
PC (Steam, GOG, Epic), PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, iOS/Android planned
Signature multi-platform release
Base price ~$20 USD
Signature indie pricing
Terminology
- Pharloa
- The kingdom setting of Silksong (above/adjacent to Hallownest).
- Hornet
- The needle-wielding protagonist (was Knight's ally in Hollow Knight).
- Silk
- Hornet's resource for healing + abilities.
- Bench
- Save + rest point that also fully heals.
- Tools
- Crafted equippable items granting bonuses (Silksong's version of charms).
- Metroidvania
- Genre named after Metroid + Castlevania — interconnected world with ability-gated exploration.
- Team Cherry
- 3-person Adelaide indie studio behind both HK games.
Where it is played
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Hollow Knight: Silksong— Wikipedia
- Team Cherry — Silksong— Team Cherry