# Hollow Knight: Silksong
**Hollow Knight: Silksong** is a 2D action-adventure game in the [Metroidvania](https://www.edgepedia.org/metroidvania) (exploration-focused game genre with interlocking map gating) genre, developed and published by the Australian indie studio Team Cherry and released on September 4, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, [PlayStation 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-4), Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, and [Nintendo Switch](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch).[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) It is the sequel to *Hollow Knight* (2017), and its player character is Hornet, a needle-wielding figure from the first game, exploring a new kingdom called Pharloom.[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | September 4, 2025; PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch 2, Switch[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) |
| Developer | Team Cherry, a small indie team in Adelaide, South Australia[2](https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1762530442/sppsorg/up7drnpdgzm80irbg9dg/Vol26issue1forprintforreal.pdf) |
| Protagonist | Hornet, captured and taken to the insect kingdom of Pharloom, ascending toward its seat of power[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) |
| Critical reception | PC Metascore 90, "Universal Acclaim" (43 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative of 49 reviews); OpenCritic average 91/100 across 125 tracked reviews[3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong/critic-reviews/) • [4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong-1030300) |
| Player reception | Player score 84/100; Steam reviews 89% positive across 420,574 all-time reviews[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong-1030300) |
| Length | About 28 hours for the main story, 47 hours with extras, 65 hours for completionists (HowLongToBeat, 4,245 players)[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong-1030300) |
## Development and release
Team Cherry is a small independent studio based in Adelaide, South Australia, described in a school-paper profile as a team of three people.[2](https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1762530442/sppsorg/up7drnpdgzm80irbg9dg/Vol26issue1forprintforreal.pdf) The wait between the original *Hollow Knight* and its sequel was long enough that memes circulated about whether the game would ever come out.[2](https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1762530442/sppsorg/up7drnpdgzm80irbg9dg/Vol26issue1forprintforreal.pdf) A Multiplayer.it review put the development span at seven years and argued that no publisher would fund a colossal two-dimensional Metroidvania over that period, and that the game exists because the creators chose to invest seven years of their lives in it.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong/critic-reviews/) The game was shown as the star title of Gamescom 2025 ahead of its September 4 release date, as reported by *Le Monde*.[5](https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2025/08/21/hollow-knight-silksong-sept-ans-et-quelques-heures-d-attente-pour-essayer-le-jeu-star-de-la-gamescom-2025_6633088_4408996.html) Its launch was described by TechRadar as "storefront-destroying," with the game releasing simultaneously to critics and players amid extreme hype.[6](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksong-review) The price at launch was about $20.[7](https://www.tomsguide.com/gaming/i-bought-silksong-just-because-of-the-hype-heres-my-impressions-after-the-opening-hours)
## Premise and structure
The game inverts the structure of the original. Where *Hollow Knight* had the Knight descending into the ruins of Hallownest, Silksong opens with Hornet captured by veiled figures and transported to the insect kingdom of Pharloom; she escapes into its mossy depths and must ascend to the kingdom's seat of power to unravel a curse that robs the land's pilgrims of their minds, a curse that may be connected to the silk she spins.[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) Areas have increased verticality to match this upward journey.[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) Familiar systems carry over from the first game, including slow map unlocks, merchants, fast travel, and benches that serve as rest checkpoints.[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) Players who have not finished the original can still start the sequel, though some knowledge of the first game's story adds context.[6](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksong-review)
## Gameplay
Hornet is more mobile than the Knight of the first game, combining default super jumps with mid-air dashes and sprints.[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) Her signature change is a diagonal dive attack that replaces the Knight's straight-down pogo strike; the forward momentum makes endless combo chains harder but lets Hornet bounce off enemies to reposition, sometimes evading large boss swings.[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/)
**Crests and tools.** The charm equipment system of the first game is replaced by crests, skills, and tools. A crest defines Hornet's moveset, including nail swing speed and pogo type, and carries slots for tools in three color categories: red, blue, and yellow.[8](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps5/515656-hollow-knight-silksong/reviews/178302) Named crests include Reaper, Wanderer, Beast, Witch, Architect, and Shaman, each altering attack speed, reach, tool capacity, and sometimes a signature mechanic; the Wanderer Crest restores the Knight's simple downward swing for players struggling with Hornet's pogo angles.[9](https://ninjutsugaming.com/en/reviews/hollow-knight-silksong/) • [10](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/hollow-knight-silksong/) Crest slots can be expanded with a rare, shared resource.[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) Skills are spells cast with silk from Hornet's skill gauge, generated by hitting enemies.[8](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps5/515656-hollow-knight-silksong/reviews/178302)
**Difficulty.** Silksong has no difficulty modes, except for a secret, unlockable permadeath mode.[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) Reviewers describe it as harder than the original from the start: every boss deals two damage per strike while Hornet starts with five health pips, boss runbacks from checkpoints are lengthy, and rosary currency is lost on death unless retrieved from a left-behind cocoon.[1](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/) Death returns the player to their corpse to recover dropped currency, as in the first game.[7](https://www.tomsguide.com/gaming/i-bought-silksong-just-because-of-the-hype-heres-my-impressions-after-the-opening-hours)
## Reception
Critics received the game with near-universal praise. The PC version holds a Metascore of 90, labeled "Universal Acclaim," with 43 of 49 critic reviews positive and none negative.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong/critic-reviews/) Aggregated across platforms, critics average 91/100 ([OpenCritic](https://www.edgepedia.org/opencritic) rating: Mighty), while players average 84/100, a gap of seven points.[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong-1030300) Steam reviews sit at 89% positive across 420,574 all-time reviews, in Valve's "Very Positive" band, one tier below the original *Hollow Knight*'s "Overwhelmingly Positive."[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong-1030300) • [11](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/silksong-player-reviews-are-several-points-and-a-whole-steam-tier-below-hollow-knight-and-i-dont-know-if-its-the-brutal-difficulty-or-if-the-first-game-is-just-that-good/) GamesRadar's analysis of highly-rated negative Steam reviews found a recurring pattern of complaints about punishing difficulty, tedium, and long runbacks, with one reviewer writing that the difficulty curve "begins at the difficulty that Hollow Knight ended at."[11](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/silksong-player-reviews-are-several-points-and-a-whole-steam-tier-below-hollow-knight-and-i-dont-know-if-its-the-brutal-difficulty-or-if-the-first-game-is-just-that-good/) TechRadar characterized the game as a victim of its own success, with the hype surrounding its launch shaping a uniquely voracious critical narrative.[6](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksong-review)
## Post-launch
Team Cherry responded to difficulty feedback in the game's first patch, which nerfed several early bosses and softened the difficulty and progression curve for the first act.[11](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/silksong-player-reviews-are-several-points-and-a-whole-steam-tier-below-hollow-knight-and-i-dont-know-if-its-the-brutal-difficulty-or-if-the-first-game-is-just-that-good/) The studio has since released further patches, including Patch 4 with a new Chinese fan translation and Patch 5 for PC platforms.[12](https://www.teamcherry.com.au/blog) By October 2026, after five significant patches, the aggregated player score had risen from 78 at launch to 84, with 90% of post-patch player reviews positive.[4](https://videogamescritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong-1030300)
## References
1. [Hollow Knight Silksong review, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-silksong-review/)
2. [Reviews 'n' stuff, Vol. 26 Issue 1 (student publication profile of Team Cherry and Silksong)](https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1762530442/sppsorg/up7drnpdgzm80irbg9dg/Vol26issue1forprintforreal.pdf)
3. [Hollow Knight: Silksong critic reviews, Metacritic (PC)](https://www.metacritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong/critic-reviews/)
4. [Hollow Knight: Silksong review scores, VideoGamesCritic](https://videogamescritic.com/game/hollow-knight-silksong-1030300)
5. [« Hollow Knight: Silksong », le jeu star de la Gamescom sortira le 4 septembre, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2025/08/21/hollow-knight-silksong-sept-ans-et-quelques-heures-d-attente-pour-essayer-le-jeu-star-de-la-gamescom-2025_6633088_4408996.html)
6. [Hollow Knight Silksong review, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksong-review)
7. [I bought Silksong just because of the hype, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/gaming/i-bought-silksong-just-because-of-the-hype-heres-my-impressions-after-the-opening-hours)
8. [Hollow Knight: Silksong Review for PlayStation 5, GameFAQs](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps5/515656-hollow-knight-silksong/reviews/178302)
9. [Review: Hollow Knight: Silksong, Ninjutsu Gaming](https://ninjutsugaming.com/en/reviews/hollow-knight-silksong/)
10. [Hollow Knight: Silksong review, VGC](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/hollow-knight-silksong/)
11. [Silksong player reviews are several points and a whole Steam tier below Hollow Knight, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/silksong-player-reviews-are-several-points-and-a-whole-steam-tier-below-hollow-knight-and-i-dont-know-if-its-the-brutal-difficulty-or-if-the-first-game-is-just-that-good/)
12. [Team Cherry blog](https://www.teamcherry.com.au/blog)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license