Hollow Knight: Silksong

Lore & Background

Hollow Knight: Silksong takes place after the events of Hollow Knight and continues the story of Hornet in the kingdom of Pharloom, a ruined religious kingdom afflicted by the 'Haunting', a madness that reanimates corpses through Silk. Hornet, a descendant of the Weavers, is captured by veiled bugs and brought to Pharloom. She escapes and decides to ascend to the Citadel at Pharloom's summit to uncover the reason for her capture. During her journey, she encounters Lace, a being strung entirely of silk, who attempts to stop her. The game reveals that the Weavers were spider-like bugs who served the godlike Grand Mother Silk before rebelling, trapping her in the Cradle. Hornet eventually confronts Grand Mother Silk, with multiple possible endings: she may bind the deity's power and become monarch, be consumed by a parasite, or, if she fulfills most wishes, work with the Caretaker to craft a Soul Snare that opens a portal to the Void. In the third act, the Void drags Grand Mother Silk and Lace into the Abyss, and Hornet, with help from the Knight, rescues Lace and frees Pharloom from the Haunting.

Reader's Guide

Hollow Knight: Silksong is significant as a major independent game sequel that expanded from a Kickstarter stretch goal into a full standalone title. Its development by the three-person Team Cherry—co-directors Ari Gibson and William Pellen, technical director Jasmine Vine, and composer Christopher Larkin—demonstrates the capacity of small teams to produce critically acclaimed, commercially successful games. The game sold over seven million copies by mid-December 2025, with millions more playing via Xbox Game Pass. Its gameplay retains the 2D platforming and combat of its predecessor while introducing new mechanics such as equippable Tools divided into three color categories, Crests that modify Hornet's attack moveset and tool capacity, and Silk-based healing and skills. The game's high difficulty received mixed opinions, but its graphics, soundtrack, story, world design, and gameplay were acclaimed. The first of several free expansions is scheduled for 2026.

Did You Know?

• Hollow Knight: Silksong was originally planned as downloadable content for Hollow Knight, funded as a stretch goal during the 2014 Kickstarter campaign.
• The game was released on 4 September 2025 for Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
• The game's soundtrack was composed by Christopher Larkin, who also composed the soundtrack for Hollow Knight.
• By mid-December 2025, the game had sold over seven million copies.