Silksong Mention Ignites Gamer Excitement

Fans of Hollow Knight have endured a lengthy wait for updates on its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong. This prolonged anticipation has become so intense that even a passing reference, such as the one Xbox made in a recent ID@Xbox post, can rekindle hopes for a 2025 release.

In a post on Xbox Wire, ID@Xbox director Guy Richards highlighted how the program has paid over $5 billion to independent developers. The article primarily reviews the success of past ID@Xbox launches, including titles like Phasmophobia, Balatro, Another Crab's Treasure, and Neva. Then, in a section about forthcoming games, we encounter 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 type these words and the end of time itself. That said, the other games mentioned are intriguing as well. 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 within closer reach than some might think.

To some extent, it's understandable why fans are growing impatient for news about Silksong's release, given that nearly six years have passed since its initial announcement. Now, let's take a look at how the Silksong community is responding to this latest reference.

"Where's the bait?" one commenter questioned on the Silksong subreddit. Another user remarked, "Silksong being mentioned by Xbox?" and accompanied the post with an image from Squid Game Season 2, in which the protagonist Seong Gi-hun declares, "I have played these games before!"

There's a noticeable blend of humor and irony within communities like this, where members have essentially bonded over the shared experience of waiting for updates. Another post highlights this dynamic, pointing out that "we"—the steadfast Silksong hopefuls—have become a "circus at this point," using the Patrick Star and Man Ray meme to drive the point home.

The prevailing hope, or perhaps joke, is that news about Hollow Knight: Silksong will arrive on April 2 during Nintendo's Switch 2 Direct. To their credit, developer Team Cherry did fuel speculation with some cryptic posts around the official Switch 2 reveal. While believers cling to hope, skeptics continue to voice their doubts. "We are an [$8] Mega Buffoon Pack," one commenter replied to the circus meme.

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