Often referred to as a Metroidvania action-adventure title, Hollow Knight saw the light of day approximately five years ago. The game's unprecedented success caught Team Cherry off guard, and perhaps rightly so, as the developer's golden child went on to receive numerous awards in the first two years of its release. When a sequel titled Hollow Knight: Silksong was finally confirmed, Team Cherry remained diligent in keeping the community up to date regarding its development. However, the initial display of transparency quickly took a nosedive and left many fans wondering what happened to the highly anticipated successor.
Originally conceived as a downloadable expansion, Hollow Knight: Silksong was supposed to introduce the first true shift in the franchise's perspective, offering players a unique opportunity to experience the kingdom of Pharloom through the eyes of a new playable character, Hornet. As Team Cherry began to unwrap the ideas it had envisioned for the DLC, a harsh realization that most of them would not make the cut left the developer no choice but to expand on the unreleased Kickstarter content, turning it into a full-fledged sequel.
The successor to the critically-acclaimed Hollow Knight was first revealed in February 2019, when Team Cherry shared a bevy of information about the overall development progress, including some of the game's core features and how they tie into the previously advertised Kickstarter. Further details were released throughout the remainder of the year, but the trail of entries from the developer's diary eventually went cold around the beginning of 2020. Team Cherry made its next appearance in an interview with EDGE Magazine nearly a year later, after which the whole situation surrounding Hollow Knight: Silksong faded into obscurity.
While the recent Nvidia leak has proven credible to a certain degree, it did not bring fans of Hollow Knight any comfort. Among other AAA and indie titles, Silksong had also somehow made it onto the list. Though its release date read February 2022, the month had passed with no details pertaining to the game's development status, let alone any updates on its potential release. However, the latest Steam leak turned up with more tangible empirical data, despite the disclosed timeframe being hard to digest.
If the leaked information is anything to go by, Hollow Knight: Silksong is allegedly set to release on February 28, 2028. Needless to say, the startling news, regardless of how vague and tentative, caused an uproar in the community. Fans were flabbergasted but still didn't have much to go on. While some entertained the idea with a healthy dose of humor, others were overwhelmed by disappointment and refused to give any such claims a second thought. The fact that the game was not featured in this month's Indie World Showcase further contributed to the aftershock, but there is hope for Silksong yet.
After receiving the Unity Award for the most anticipated game of 2021, the developer commented that the team is looking forward to sharing Silksong with the community while hinting about the potential date being just around the corner. Team Cherry stated, "It can’t be too much longer," regarding the release of more news. Before resorting to radio silence, the developer had to come forward regarding the unforeseen difficulties surrounding the game's development, which gradually increased with the emergence of COVID-19.
Despite not having said much in the intervening period, the year is still young, and upcoming game showcases will provide ample room for Team Cherry to eventually surprise Hollow Knight fans with pleasant news. As a stark contrast to Steam's leak, GOG's mobile page for Silksong was sporting a 2022 release date at the beginning of the year. This aligns with the newly gleaned information about the developer's stance. Until Team Cherry graces the community with a fresh update on the sequel's official status, fans should remember that all good things take time.