Silksong Sparks Frenzy Among Fans

Fans of Hollow Knight have endured a lengthy wait for updates on its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong. The anticipation has grown so intense that even a casual reference, such as the one Xbox included in a recent ID@Xbox post, can spark excitement among those hoping for a 2025 release.

On Xbox Wire, ID@Xbox director Guy Richards published an article highlighting how the program has paid over $5 billion to independent developers. The piece primarily celebrates the success of previous ID@Xbox launches, including titles like Phasmophobia, Balatro, Another Crab's Treasure, and Neva. Then, in a section about upcoming games, we get this notable mention:

"Looking ahead, our lineup is incredible with upcoming games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Descenders Next, and FBC: Firebreak to play across the whole Xbox universe… and of course Hollow Knight: Silksong too!"

This essentially confirms that Hollow Knight: Silksong will launch sometime between the moment I write this and the distant future. While the other mentioned games are certainly intriguing—Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is scheduled for April 24, Descenders Next for April 9, and FBC: Firebreak has a tentative 2025 release window—this could suggest that Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally within reach.

Given that it has been nearly six years since the game was announced, fans are understandably eager to learn when Silksong might arrive. Let's take a look at how the Silksong community is responding to this latest reference.

"Where's the bait?" one commenter inquired on the Silksong subreddit. Another posted, "Silksong being mentioned by Xbox?" accompanied by an image from Squid Game Season 2 where the protagonist Seong Gi-hun declares, "I have played these games before!"

There's a noticeable mix of humor and irony within such communities, where members have bonded over the shared experience of waiting for news. Another post highlights this dynamic, pointing out that "we"—the devoted Silksong followers—have become a "circus at this point," illustrating the sentiment with the Patrick Star and Man Ray meme format.

The prevailing hope, or perhaps the running joke, is that news about Hollow Knight: Silksong will surface on April 2 during Nintendo's Switch 2 Direct. It's worth noting that developer Team Cherry added fuel to the fire with some ambiguous posts around the official Switch 2 reveal. While believers cling to hope, skeptics voice their doubts. "We are an [$8] Mega Buffoon Pack," one user replied to the circus meme.

Expectations and skepticism come in many forms. But my favorite reaction to Xbox's offhand remark, "and of course Hollow Knight: Silksong too!"—and all the speculation and cycles it has triggered—came from Reddit user u/cerberusthedoge: "We got Hollow Knight Silksong 2 before Hollow Knight Silksong."