As 2024 continues, so does the wait for Hollow Knight: Silksong. Announced back in February 2019, this sequel to the acclaimed indie Metroidvania Hollow Knight has become its fans' fixation in the ensuing years. The 2017 original blindsided many players with its appealing 2D art style and snappy gameplay, and Hollow Knight: Silksong looks to be carrying forward everything that made the original so great. Even with a slightly more agile slant to new protagonist Hornet’s platforming, Silksong should be both different and familiar enough to give veterans and newcomers the first-time Hollow Knight experience all over again.

That is, when it's ready. Passing the fifth anniversary of a game’s announcement sans release date is typically a bad sign, even if occasional developer and QA updates have assured the public that Silksong isn't dead. At this point, both Elden Ring and its DLC Shadow of the Erdtree completed the same announcement cycle that Silksong is still going through, which speaks volumes of how overdue Silksong feels. Signs of Hollow Knight: Silksong’s return have been mounting recently, but its absence has become such a phenomenon that it's going to need to be careful when and how it reveals itself.

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Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Reveal Is A Higher Weight Class Than Most

While Hollow Knight: Silksong has proven time and again that it can show up whenever it wants, an influx of digital storefront developments in 2024 surrounding the game suggests it will be ready to do so soon. Combine that with the approaching early-June Summer Game Fest, around which the game industry tends to host their highest profile news showcases, and there is reason to believe that Silksong's release date announcement is just around the corner. If true, that's great news for Hollow Knight fans, but it may not be ideal for other games.

Most Gaming News Can't Compete With Hollow Knight: Silksong

Describing the anticipation for Hollow Knight: Silksong as a phenomenon is no exaggeration, with the game routinely trending on social media after Nintendo game presentations, even small Indie Directs, for several years running. Somehow, this indie title from small Australian developer Team Cherry has become such a well-known name that it can override discussion of current game news while completely absent. When Hollow Knight gets the ball rolling again, this will probably translate to a disproportionately huge online response, likely to the detriment of any news around it. Team Cherry should keep this in mind when planning Silksong’s return, as it could cannibalize talk of nearby games.

How Hollow Knight: Silksong Can Keep Its Reveal From Causing Problems

Fortunately, there are several avenues open to Hollow Knight: Silksong to keep the aftershocks of its reveal from overturning other titles’ marketing. The first is to place Silksong’s announcement away from any other major gaming events. Although this would disappoint fans with another Summer Game Fest no-show, Silksong’s prepared trailer could simply drop on social media in the second half of June 2024 without losing much of its impact. This way, Hollow Knight: Silksong won't risk dominating general events like the Summer Game Fest kickoff. Xbox’s 2022 conference is associated with a Silksong delay, so it especially should keep its distance.

Silksong Has Enough Lingering Hype For That To Carry Its Announcement

Of course, avoiding the game industry’s biggest news events altogether is impractical, especially if it has any prior marketing agreements. Instead, Hollow Knight: Silksong could offset its impact with something equally reserved and audacious. A logo and release date feel like a given, but that also means they’re technically all that Silksong needs to show. Given Hollow Knight’s emphasis on discovery, the less seen in future trailers, the better. Whether it’s packaged as an original animation or echoes Metroid Prime 4’s reveal with a minimalist trailer, Hollow Knight: Silksong can avoid overshadowing other games’ press with some characteristic creativity.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Franchise

Hollow Knight

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , PC , macOS , Linux

Developer(s)

Team Cherry

Publisher(s)

Team Cherry

Genre(s)

Metroidvania

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