Full story
About Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong is Team Cherry's long-awaited follow-up to 2017's Hollow Knight, one of the most beloved indie games ever made. Originally conceived as downloadable content and gradually expanded into a full-scale sequel, Silksong was first announced in February 2019 and has since become a byword for extended development cycles in the indie space. The September 2026 release arrives after years of silence, tantalizing reveals, and a patient global fanbase that has kept the game at the forefront of community discussion.
Players step into the role of Hornet, the princess-protector introduced as a formidable foe in the original, now the playable protagonist exploring the haunted kingdom of Pharloom. Where Hollow Knight leaned on somber atmosphere and methodical exploration, Silksong emphasizes a faster, more acrobatic combat style built around Hornet's needle and silk-based traversal. Team Cherry has promised more than 200 new enemies, dozens of bosses, a full original score by Christopher Larkin, and a map that rivals or exceeds the scale of Hallownest.
The game launches across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. Team Cherry, still a tiny Adelaide-based studio, has resisted expanding the team significantly, preserving the handcrafted feel that made the first game a phenomenon. Silksong's launch is widely expected to reshape indie release-week sales records and dominate end-of-year awards conversations across the games industry.
Overview
Why this games page exists
Team Cherry's sequel to Hollow Knight, starring Hornet, is one of the most-anticipated indie games of the decade.
Specificity
What makes this countdown specific
Event
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Date posture
September 2026 · Month window · Expected
Source trail
Team Cherry · teamcherry.com.au
Content family
games · Platform
Topic signals
silksong, hollow knight, metroidvania, indie, team cherry
Type
Sequel
Genre
Metroidvania / Platformer
Platforms
PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2
Hollow Knight: Silksong is kept distinct from neighboring games countdowns by its concrete source trail (Team Cherry at teamcherry.com.au), its month window date signal, and its expected confidence label.
The location context for this listing is a global release context. That matters because two pages can share a broad platform label while still serving different reader tasks: travel timing, ticket timing, broadcast coverage, city logistics, or release-window monitoring.
Current event facts on file: type: Sequel; genre: Metroidvania / Platformer; platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2. These details are included in the main article so the timer has venue, source, and schedule context.
Topic signals used for related-page matching: silksong, hollow knight, metroidvania, indie, team cherry. Schema posture: No precise Event startDate.
Evidence pack
Source, schema, and originality audit
Retention class
Expected-date major-event watchlist
Evidence score
9/12 source/detail signals
- Evidence score9/12 signals present
- source name; source URL; source host; public date label; machine date value; 3 fact rows; 5 topic tags
- Source and schemaExpected listing
- No precise Event startDate Source trail: Team Cherry at teamcherry.com.au.
- Date precisionMonth window / Expected
- The page keeps countdown and copy cautious so a broad, expected, or tentative date is not overstated.
- Entity grounding3 facts, 5 tags
- No firm venue or market is attached yet; the template avoids inventing one.
- Editorial depth3 paragraphs, 4 highlights
- A curated why-it-matters note is present, plus visible source and freshness boundaries.
- Generation controlCurated event row
- This row is carried by the event catalog directly rather than a franchise template expansion.
Reference data for this countdown
Reference fields include Hollow Knight: Silksong's source, date, location, tags, and facts. They make it easier to distinguish this page from adjacent games countdowns without adding unsupported claims.
What this countdown tracks
The clock above counts down to Hollow Knight: Silksong in September 2026, Team Cherry's long-awaited Hornet-led Metroidvania sequel, launching across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2.
About this event
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the standalone sequel to Team Cherry's 2017 indie phenomenon Hollow Knight, originally announced as DLC and expanded into a full-scale follow-up. The Australian three-person studio has the launch targeted for September 2026 after a development window that has stretched longer than any 2010s indie sequel in recent memory. The game stars Hornet, a fan-favorite character from the original, exploring the new kingdom of Pharloom.
Hollow Knight has sold over 15 million copies as a foundational entry in the modern Metroidvania revival, and Silksong's prolonged silence has become an internet running joke and a sustained barometer of indie game anticipation. Team Cherry has stayed almost entirely quiet during development, with intermittent gameplay drops at major showcases and a 2025 demo finally giving players hands-on time.
What to expect
Per Team Cherry, Hornet replaces the Knight as the playable protagonist, with a more agile, tool-driven moveset built around a needle weapon and silk-based abilities. Reporting from extended demos describes a larger map than the original, multiple new biomes including silk-spun caves and pilgrim-themed cities, an expanded crafting and tool system, and more verticality in traversal. Expect Christopher Larkin to return for the soundtrack, hand-drawn animation throughout, and the original's signature blend of melancholy atmosphere and tight challenge.
Past releases
- Hollow Knight (2017): launched on PC and later expanded to consoles, becoming one of the best-selling indie games of all time.
- Hollow Knight free DLC packs (2017 to 2018): Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster, all delivered free post-launch.
How to watch
Hollow Knight: Silksong launches in September 2026 on PC (Steam, GOG, Humble), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The game is also expected to be cross-buy across Xbox generations. An exact day in September is expected closer to release.
Related countdowns
For other 2026 Metroidvania and indie standouts, see the Hades II full release countdown and the Crow Country / horror 2026 indie window. For other major 2026 Switch 2 releases, see the Metroid Prime 4 Beyond countdown.
FAQ
When does Hollow Knight: Silksong release? September 2026 worldwide; exact date pending. Where can I play Silksong? PC, PlayStation 5/4, Xbox Series X|S/One, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and day-one on Game Pass. Is Hollow Knight: Silksong confirmed? Yes. Team Cherry has confirmed the September 2026 window and demoed the game extensively. Do I need to have played Hollow Knight first? No. Silksong is a standalone sequel; familiarity with the original adds context but is not required.
Why it matters
Silksong is the most anticipated indie game of the decade, a seven-year wait ending with a Metroidvania that defined a genre's modern era.
The details
Key highlights
- Venue
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2
- Format
- Handcrafted 2D Metroidvania with acrobatic combat
- Headliner
- Hornet, the princess-protector of Hallownest
- Audience
- Hollow Knight devotees and Metroidvania enthusiasts
Reading the timer
How to use this games countdown
Hollow Knight: Silksong sits inside the games calendar as a platform date that readers may revisit as the public details firm up. This page keeps the tracked date, source quality, location context, and release confidence in one place so the countdown is useful without implying more certainty than the source provides.
Right now the key public signal is September 2026, with expected status and month window precision. That distinction matters. A confirmed datetime is very different from a month-level or date-only signal, and people planning watch parties, travel, ticketing, launch coverage, or newsroom publishing need that nuance instead of a misleadingly precise timer.
We are tracking Hollow Knight: Silksong from Team Cherry plus the official event source. For this page, that means the safest way to read the countdown is as a reference layer: use the timer for awareness, then use the source, precision, location, and event facts together before you commit to travel, viewing plans, promotional scheduling, or time-sensitive announcements.
The most practical reading of this countdown is: Hollow Knight: Silksong is being watched for a globally tracked release or event page, and the current page focus is the main platform milestone rather than every surrounding rumor or speculative date. Type: Sequel. Genre: Metroidvania / Platformer.
Hollow Knight: Silksong needs game-specific context because launch timing often depends on platform readiness, preload access, editions, and staggered unlock rules. A countdown page is most useful when it reminds players and writers that a release date can still hide multiple real moments: embargoes, early access, patch windows, and region-based activation. This page currently tracks genre: Metroidvania / Platformer, platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2. That extra context helps separate Hollow Knight: Silksong from other silksong, hollow knight, metroidvania, indie countdowns that would otherwise look interchangeable.