The Significance of February 14 for Hollow Knight: Silksong

Highlights

Game development is a non-linear process with cycles of iteration and setbacks, which can be risky when announcing a title early on.

Hollow Knight: Silksong, the much-awaited sequel to Hollow Knight, has faced significant delays during its development and has remained uncertain throughout most of 2023. The time taken for the development of Silksong has exceeded that of the original Hollow Knight, and there are no signs of its release before February 2022.

The delays in the game's release are primarily caused by the pandemic and the larger size of the game compared to the original version. Game development is a complex and iterative process, and it can be risky to announce a title during its early conceptualization phase. As development continues and the wait for the game extends, the initial excitement and anticipation among gamers may diminish, which goes against the developer's original intentions. Despite these challenges, Hollow Knight: Silksong remains one of the most highly anticipated games, and it will reach a significant milestone in its development next year. On February 14, 2024, it will be five years since the game was initially announced.

Nearly two years after the release and widespread critical acclaim of Hollow Knight, Team Cherry unveiled the highly anticipated sequel, titled Hollow Knight: Silksong, in a developer update and video on February 14, 2019. Initially planned as a DLC expansion, the project rapidly transformed into a full-fledged follow-up to the beloved modern Metroidvania game, generating tremendous excitement among indie gaming enthusiasts. However, since the initial announcement, the game has faced numerous significant setbacks in its development, leading to a prolonged period of uncertainty throughout most of 2023, with Team Cherry largely refraining from providing updates.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Has Already Eclipsed The Original's Development Cycle

The Hollow Knight games, created by a team of just two people, have been remarkable Kickstarter success stories. However, the development time for Silksong has already exceeded that of the original game. Hollow Knight was initially announced and funded through Kickstarter in 2014 and was released in 2017. Team Cherry continued to support the game with numerous free DLC updates until its arrival on the Nintendo Switch, coinciding with the final DLC expansion. Shortly after its release on the Switch, Silksong was announced in February 2019.

At nearly 5 years of concurrent development, Silksong has far surpassed the 3 years of gestation before release that the original Hollow Knight had. And, with no concrete update from developer Team Cherry, it's unclear if the title will be released before February 2024, marking the 5-year point since its announcement. Team Cherry has acknowledged that players can expect Silksong to be a true sequel with a variety of new mechanics and a substantial experience. However, it's important to note that the delays in the game's release are partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also the game's larger scale compared to the original.

Why February 14, 2024 Might Be a Day To Watch for Hollow Knight: Silksong Fans

2023 has been an exceptionally busy year in the world of gaming, with exciting releases coming almost every month, and sometimes even multiple releases in a week. Just last week, two highly anticipated games hit the market on the same day. With such intense competition, it's possible that Team Cherry made the decision to take their time with polishing Hollow Knight: Silksong to ensure it reaches the same level of quality as, if not surpassing, the original game. By pushing the release to 2024, they give the game the opportunity to thrive and succeed, without having to directly compete with heavy hitters like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Even if this turns out to be the case, Hollow Knight: Silksong will still have to contend with other highly anticipated indie titles, such as Hades 2, which recently announced an early access period in 2024. The five-year development journey is no small feat, especially for an indie game created by a small team like Hollow Knight: Silksong. However, if taking some extra time is what it takes for Team Cherry to deliver an experience equal to or even better than the original Hollow Knight, then Silksong can take all the time it needs.

Silksong, the highly anticipated sequel to Hollow Knight

Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PC, macOS, Linux

Developed by Team Cherry and published by Team Cherry

Genre: Metroidvania