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- Image from Hollow Knight: Silksong courtesy of Team Cherry

Hollow Knight: Silksong – From DLC to Legend, and Still No Release Date

Originally posted on Total Apex Gaming | By Mollie Dominy | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 12:29 AM ET

Alright, let’s talk about Hollow Knight: Silksong because waiting for this game has become a whole personality at this point. We first got our hands on a playable demo in 2019. Yup, 2019. Since then, it’s been years of Nintendo Directs, Xbox Showcases, and Geoff Keighley specials with no release date in sight. And yet here we are, clinging to every pixel and vague development update, asking ourselves the same question every single year: “Is this the year Silksong finally comes out?”

How Did We Get Here… AGAIN?

Okay, so here’s the thing about Silksong. It was never supposed to be its own game. Originally, Team Cherry, the lovely (and possibly overworked) Australian folks behind the masterpiece that is Hollow Knight, planned for Hornet’s adventure to be a DLC for the original game. Just a fun little add-on, no biggie. But as the ideas grew bigger and fans got thirstier for more of Hollow Knight’s world, Team Cherry was like, “Screw it, let’s make a full sequel.”

Fast forward to February 2019, and they officially announced Hollow Knight: Silksong. The crowd went wild. Hornet fans rejoiced. Souls-like masochists had another challenge on their radar. And best of all, it seemed like it would be arriving fairly soon. I mean, IGN even had a full demo at E3 2019! How far off could it actually be?

Turns out, a whopping six years (and counting)…

The Clown Wig Chronicles

If you’ve spent any time in the gaming corner of the internet, you’ve probably seen the memes. Every single time a major game showcase gets announced, Hollow Knight fans slap on their clown makeup and start posting pictures of Hornet and the Knight in full circus gear, ready to be disappointed. It’s a true testament to how much we’ve collectively suffered.

And look, we get it. Game development is hard. Delays happen. Perfection takes time. But you can’t deny the pure comedy of moments like Xbox confidently tweeting, “Everything shown today will be playable in the next 12 months,” followed by Silksong staring us down like, “Not me though.” Honestly, the internet has turned Silksong into the ultimate gaming inside joke. Between Hornet fan art in red noses and the iconic Steam placeholder release dates (shoutout to June 12, 2020, that randomly appeared once), it feels like one big cosmic prank.

What Keeps Us Hanging On?

Hollow Knight: Silksong – From DLC to Legend, and Still No Release Date 8 Image from Hollow Knight: Silksong, courtesy of Team Cherry

Here’s the kicker, though. Silksong isn’t just some overhyped sequel. It’s the sequel to one of the most beloved indie games of all time. Remember how phenomenal Hollow Knight was? The eerie yet gorgeous art style, the razor-sharp combat, the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack? Now imagine all of that turned up to 11.

Every teaser we’ve seen of Silksong promises a wildly different yet still familiar experience. Hornet is more nimble than The Knight, making the gameplay faster-paced and full of exciting acrobatics. Plus, Team Cherry has added over 150 new enemies, new allies, and a whole new kingdom for us to explore. They even teased detailed NPC quests and a more intricate story! It’s the kind of ambition that makes waiting just a little bit more bearable. (Except, you know, not really because WE WANT IT NOW.)

Is 2025 Finally The Year?

Now here’s where things get interesting. After years of ghosting us, Team Cherry FINALLY resurfaced in 2025 with not one, but several glimmers of hope. First, there was the announcement that Silksong would be playable at Xbox’s Gamescom booth. Yes, you read that right. The first public demo since 2019. Not just a trailer. Not another vague marketing blitz. An actual playable demo. Progress, people!

Then, Team Cherry confirmed plans for a release “before holiday 2025.” Look, I know we’ve been burned in the past with these ETAs, but this feels legit. If they’re giving out playable builds, surely the end must be near, right? RIGHT?!

Why Silksong Matters (and Always Will)

Honestly, whether Silksong drops tomorrow or keeps torturing us until 2030, it remains an icon. Fans have built a freaking community around the wait itself. We’ve got fan art, meme compilations, lore theories, and more clown lore than an actual circus show. Not to mention, Hollow Knight still holds up as one of the greatest games of the past decade, and that legacy gives us faith in Silksong’s eventual greatness.

But hey, for now, we wait. We put on those rainbow wigs, cross our fingers before each game showcase, and cling to these little glimmers of hope. Because there’s no doubt about it. The second Silksong finally graces our screens, and it’s going to be legendary.

TL;DR

Hollow Knight: Silksong was announced in 2019 but has been delayed countless times (without a set release date).
Originally planned as Hollow Knight DLC, it evolved into a full-blown sequel featuring Hornet.
Fans have turned the endless waiting into meme-level art, complete with clown symbolism and all.
Team Cherry recently hinted at a release “before holiday 2025,” and a public demo is scheduled for Gamescom.
Despite the wait, fans know Silksong is worth the hype.

And now, Team Cherry, if you’re reading this, please… throw us one more trailer, just for old times’ sake. (Or, you know, the actual game. That works too.) Until then, we’ll still be here, patiently sipping coffee in our very best clown attire. Cheers.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Gaming and was syndicated with permission.

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