[Photo of Hornet from Hollow Knight: Silksong. Photo credit to Hollow Knight: Silksong]

After six years of anticipation following its initial showcase, indie studio Team Cherry released Hollow Knight: Silksong on September 4, 2025, the sequel to its 2017 hit Hollow Knight.

Upon its release, Silksong achieved remarkable commercial success, selling over 5 million copies within three days and crashing digital storefronts like Steam and the Nintendo eShop due to high demand.

The anticipation surrounding Silksong was so immense that many indie games scheduled to release or update around September postponed their plans. 

Team Cherry’s short notice forced other indie developers to adjust release plans.

Hollow Knight is a single-player video game developed and published by Team Cherry in 2017. The player can control a nameless knight exploring Hallownest, the fallen kingdom plagued by a supernatural disease.

Various elements, including the OST, UI, storytelling, and controls, with a cheap price and continuous free updates, were lauded by numerous webzines, critics, and gamers for their outstanding quality that goes beyond the level of indie games. 

These features led players to anticipate and wait for Hollow Knight’s sequel, or at least a second playable character, eagerly.

Three months later, Team Cherry announced stretch goals for funding to raise funds on Kickstarter.

In response to this fervent demand, the reward for over $56,000 of funding was a second playable character with its own unique quests and abilities, and the eager fandom quickly reached its goals.

In May 2017, future content was revealed along with a thank-you note for selling over 100,000 copies, and in-game motions featuring Hornet as a playable character are said to be in the works.

However, Team Cherry kept fans waiting for the Hornet DLC for nearly two years, sharing only intermittent development updates during that time.

Finally, on February 11, 2019, the studio announced that it would be revealed three days later on Valentine’s Day, resulting in the sequel announcement.

Three days later, the reveal trailer for Hollow Knight: Silksong, the official sequel featuring Hornet, was finally released. 

In 2022, a new trailer rekindled hopes for the game’s release, but continued development delays postponed it once again.

In summary, the game was originally planned for a release in the first half of the year, but was still in development to improve its quality. 

They would update fans once the release date was set. Most fans, rather than complaining, showed support despite the delays. 

During this extended wait, the internet communities created various memes and humor about their waiting for Silksong. 

The phrase "Silksong when?" became a running joke across livestream chats, symbolizing the prolonged anticipation. 

One fan, for 1679 consecutive days, posted daily videos announcing all the news about Silksong.

In April 2025, a surprise announcement lasting just over five seconds during a Nintendo Direct confirmed a release within the year. 

The fandom, having waited so long for the official announcement, responded with mixed emotions, equal parts joy and half bewilderment.

It rapidly gained 100,000 likes in less than ten minutes.

Then, on August 22nd, the release date was finally confirmed as September 4th, 2025, along with a trailer video. 

As this was a surprise announcement made just two weeks before the release date, the fandom reaction was more shocking than joyful.

Hollow Knight: Silksong’s release not only marked a victory for Team Cherry and its devoted fans but also demonstrated how one small indie studio could capture the world’s attention.