When Hollow Knight got its start as a Kickstarter project in 2014, with a modest budget of $35,000 AUD (approximately $26,600 USD), few would have expected the game to rise to the high watermark it holds for indie games. Developer Team Cherry created a world that resonated with fans and critics alike, with intricately linked areas and an entire bug kingdom filled with lore. After making such an impact on the Metroidvania genre, it did come as a surprise that Team Cherry plans to move on from Hollow Knight after the release of the sequel, Silksong. A decision that is already leaving fans pining for more adventures featuring the Knight and Hornet.
As more details about Hollow Knight: Silksong are beginning to emerge, Team Cherry has revealed that it is working on another project outside of the Hollow Knight universe. While this untitled project is in its earliest stages of development, news that it would not be set in the Hollow Knight universe struck a nervous chord for fans.
Why Not Keep the Franchise Rolling?
Fans have really taken to HollowKnight, with sales totaling nearly 3 million since the game released in 2017. There are a lot of folks out there who have entered the Hallownest looking for adventure. With numbers like that and critical acclaim to boot, continuing to mine the depths of the Ancient Basin, or exploring the frontier of the Kingdom's Edge, would be a strategy that a number of developers would follow and a path that fans would likely understand and welcome.
Already, the hype surrounding Silksong shows that people are excited to dive back into the world Team Cherry has created. Giving Hornet a chance to shine here is a great way to expand the lore of the franchise. Not only will Hornet have dialogue, but there will be a number of side quests for her to take on, leading to more new discoveries. There is an argument to be made that the world of Hollow Knight is just starting to open up, and that there could be a lot more story to be told after Hornet's time in the spotlight. The fact that Hornet's story started as DLC and has become a full-fledged game shows that Team Cherry has a lot of ideas for its Hollow Knight world.
Could a Break be the Right Call?
On the flip side, by shifting gears and trying something different, the indie developer could deliver a totally new and exciting IP. Given Team Cherry's success with the Metroidvania genre, the developer could bring its same level of care and attention to a different genre. Team Cherry director Ari Gibson has alluded to a game that involves a large world to discover while interacting with a number of unique characters. This doesn't give a clear indication what the game might be, but it does sound like it could be different enough.
The upside of this shift away from Hollow Knight is that it will give fans a chance to see what else Team Cherry can do. The company may have struck gold with Hollow Knight, but what it has in store next could also impress. This would be a similar move to what fellow indie developer Sabotage Studio is doing by tackling classic SNES-era JRPGs after its first game was a NES-styled action platformer. Sabotage's The Messenger received praise for paying homage to titles like Ninja Gaiden, and the studio's new title Sea of Stars is already shaping up nicely in its homage to 16-bit RPGs.
While fans may be a little disappointed by the news that Team Cherry is looking to try something different after Silksong, there is still a lot to look forward to. Not only is Hollow Knight: Silksong on the way with a number of new features, but a new title that seems like it will give the developer a chance to flex its creative muscle in other areas could be just as exciting. The news that a different title is on the way after Silksong doesn't mean that Team Cherry is done with the Hollow Knight franchise either. It might just mean that a potential third act could be a little further off.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is in development for PC and Switch.
