After years of anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally has a release date of September 4, 2025. In an interview with Bloomberg, developers Ari Gibson and William Pellen of Team Cherry shed light on why the sequel has taken almost seven years to reach completion. Contrary to speculation about delays or production struggles, the team insists the lengthy timeline was the result of their creative process rather than development issues.
Gibson explained that the project never faced a halt or major setback. Instead, the extended production stemmed from the studio’s small size and the sheer scale of the game they envisioned. “It was never stuck or anything. It was always progressing. It’s just the case that we’re a small team, and games take a lot of time,” Gibson said. Both developers described the experience as joyful, emphasizing that they were consistently inspired by new ideas, which often expanded the project further. Pellen noted that the team could have continued indefinitely, but eventually decided to stop adding content in order to complete the game.
Throughout the conversation, the developers highlighted their unconventional approach. They spoke about ideas rapidly transforming into in-game content, sometimes leading to entire new towns, quest systems, or characters being added. Gibson admitted that he eventually had to stop sketching concepts, as nearly every design ended up in the final build. The process, while lengthy, ensured that Silksong would rival or even surpass the original Hollow Knight in scale and depth.
Beyond development insights, Team Cherry revealed that Silksong has already sold 15 million copies ahead of its launch. The game will be released on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2. It will also be available on day one through Xbox Game Pass.
With Team Cherry maintaining that the extra years were spent nurturing creativity rather than fighting setbacks, Hollow Knight: Silksong appears to embody the same careful craftsmanship that defined its predecessor. The wait may have been long, but the developers believe the end result justifies the journey.
