Where We’re At in 2026
If you’ve been waiting for Silksong, join the line it’s been a long one. Initially announced back in February 2019 as a DLC turned full sequel to Hollow Knight, the game quickly became one of the most anticipated indie titles in recent memory. Then… silence. What started as a hopeful 2020 release spiraled into a years long guessing game. Fans scoured Nintendo Directs, Xbox Showcases, and developer tweets for any sliver of news. Rumors ran wild ranging from surprise shadow drops to theories that the game had been rebooted internally.
Team Cherry, for their part, kept things tight lipped. Statements were sparse but consistent: the game’s coming when it’s ready. In 2023, a delay was officially confirmed with the team citing a need to polish and finalize an increasingly large and complex world. Since then, updates have been few, but real. In late 2024, a gameplay demo shown behind closed doors hinted at smoother traversal, refined combat, and a world far more vertical than Hallownest. It wasn’t public, but it was something.
As of mid 2026, the most recent gameplay showcase came during an indie highlight reel in March. It showed Hornet dashing through a rust red biome, using a grappling line in combat and dodging mid air projectiles. It was short, sharp, and gave fans a glimpse of progress but still no date.
Team Cherry’s stance hasn’t shifted: “We want it to be worth the wait.” That line has been repeated in multiple forums, blogs, and press replies since 2022. At this point, the community is divided between the patient and the restless, but no one’s stopped caring.
Hornet Steps Into the Spotlight
Hornet isn’t just a reskin of the Knight she’s a faster, more expressive character with a completely different rhythm to how she moves, fights, and explores. Where the Knight was silent and mysterious, Hornet is vocal, agile, and carries more narrative weight. She’s a noble born protector with her own goals and past, and that alone reshapes how the story unfolds.
Movement wise, Hornet is all grace and speed. She doesn’t take cautious hops like the Knight. She flips, dashes, and clambers through the world with a flow that feels closer to an acrobat than a bug knight. A major change lies in her ability to mantle up ledges and string together long distance moves in one smooth chain. The traversal system encourages momentum you’re meant to stay in motion.
As for combat, the needle isn’t just a more elegant version of the nail it changes how you think about range and rhythm. Hornet’s attacks are quicker, but they require tighter timing and more spatial awareness. Plus, the addition of tools and abilities means fights are more tactical, not just reflex based. It’s less about brute repetition and more about choosing the right moment to strike, dodge, or deploy one of her silk based powers.
Ultimately, Hornet’s design pushes you to be bold. She rewards players who commit to movement, learn enemy patterns, and play with tempo. Picking her up will feel familiar at first and then very different.
The World of Pharloom
If Hallownest was a crumbling labyrinth of sorrow, Pharloom looks like a kingdom built on ambition and secrets. It’s more alive, more active, and sharper in tone, at least from what we’ve seen. The architecture is sleeker, and there’s a holy or ritualistic edge to everything, from enemy design to environmental storytelling. Where Hallownest was a tomb, Pharloom feels like a fortress still being defended.
Verticality is a major shift. In Hallownest, you moved side to side with bits of elevation. Pharloom demands you look up and down. The world is stacked. Early footage shows layers upon layers climbing towers, descending through bells, threading through hanging gardens. It’s not about exploring a ruin anymore. It’s about scaling or infiltrating a place that still has its purpose, its rules.
Biomes are more diverse, too. We’ve seen mossy undergrowths, lava lit factories, wind warped cliff towns, and eerie cathedrals. There’s a stark sense of contrast between regions, hinting at different factions or philosophies within the kingdom. That contrast may not just be visual it might shape gameplay flow, mission structure, or storytelling choices down to the smallest detail.
Pharloom isn’t just a new setting. It’s a statement. And every revealed zone so far suggests that Hornet’s journey won’t just be about survival, but about navigating a living, conflict rich world with its own brutal logic.
Enemies and Boss Encounters
The foes in Hollow Knight: Silksong aren’t just obstacles they’re a living, breathing part of the world of Pharloom. Team Cherry has made it clear that enemy design in Silksong isn’t about repetition but immersion, challenge, and atmosphere.
Smarter AI and Unpredictable Combat
Gone are the days of easily telegraphed attack patterns. Enemies in Silksong showcase:
Reactive behaviors: Some foes adjust based on your movement or style of attack
New timing windows: Parrying and dodging require sharper instincts
Multi phase enemies: Even standard opponents may evolve mid fight
This increase in complexity means more dynamic encounters, even outside of boss fights.
Confirmed Bosses and Mini Bosses
The confirmed boss list continues to grow with each reveal, featuring uniquely animated and stylistically distinct enemies built for spectacle and punishment.
Key showcases so far include:
Lace: A recurring rival boss with fast paced, aggressive tactics
Trobbio: A strange, theatrical creature using props and misdirection
The Huntress: A spider like predator with dialogue options and branching outcomes
Mini boss encounters are also more frequent and often tied to exploration rewards or lore progression.
Enemy Design and Atmosphere
Silksong’s enemies are deeply tied to its setting. Pharloom is a kingdom marked by decay and ascent, and that contrast is visible in everything from animations to attack logic. Expect to see:
Biome specific enemies: Distinct silhouettes and behaviors that reflect their surroundings
Lore informed combat: Creatures echo the themes of ambition, isolation, and transformation
Environmental synergy: Enemies that use vertical terrain more intelligently, including slopes, ladders, and layered arenas
Together, these elements elevate Silksong’s tension and immersion. Every battle feels earned, every victory meaningful. Enemies aren’t just designed to test reflexes they’re crafted to enrich a world that’s as mysterious as it is hostile.
Expanded Crafting and Abilities
Silksong isn’t just a retread of Hollow Knight it’s pushing forward with a deeper, more flexible toolkit. Hornet’s arsenal is already shaping up to be more adaptive than the Knight’s ever was. Expect an expanded set of tools tied closely to traversal and combat. Things like needle based grapples, deployable distractions, or even alchemy inspired gadgets have been hinted at each one a small twist that opens new ways to navigate, fight, or outsmart. These aren’t simply upgrades; they’re options that support different play styles right out of the gate.
The charm system, as players knew it, is in flux. From everything we’ve seen, it looks like Silksong is introducing a parallel system, likely more modular. Think less about brute stacking (like Fragile Strength x Quick Slash) and more about strategic synergy sytems that make you pick how you want to move through a biome, not brute force it. Whether it’s bundles, badges, or bespoke buffs, the new setup seems more tightly integrated with Hornet’s nature agile, reactive, and resourceful.
Resource management’s getting a quiet overhaul, too. Healing won’t be as spammy Team Cherry seems intent on making each decision in combat feel tighter than before. Rumblings of a stamina system or cooldown style approach have surfaced, suggesting players will need to think and move carefully. The end result? Combat that’ll be faster, but also riskier less rhythmic, more high wire. You’ll have time to breathe, but only if you earn it.
What Fans Still Hope For
At this point, Hollow Knight: Silksong has become less of a release and more of a ritual. Every major gaming event sparks rumors of a surprise reveal. Every silence from Team Cherry stretches the thread thinner. As of mid 2026, there’s no playable demo, no open beta, not even a new trailer since late 2025. Updates are rare and come mostly in the form of vague studio assurances “it’s progressing,” “it’s not canceled,” “we want it perfect.”
Speculation around multiplayer or online components still floats around forums, but there’s no official mention. Most fans agree it’s likely a single player focus again. Still, a shared mode even just leaderboards or time trials could add replay shelf life and feed the community obsession.
As for an actual launch window? Best guess: late 2026, possibly even early 2027. Team Cherry has consistently held their line on not releasing until it’s ready. That’s both admirable and frustrating. If you’re burnt out on hoping, you’re not alone. But if history tells us anything, it’s that this team’s silence often signals intent, not absence. So we wait not blindly, but with eyes open and fingers crossed.
How It Compares to 2026’s Lineup
Even with years of silence and delays, Silksong still holds its ground and then some. It’s rare for an indie title to keep this level of hype rolling past its original window, but Silksong isn’t typical. In 2026, we’ve seen no shortage of standout indie releases. Games like “Deep Signal” and “Lightless Shore” are tightening the gap, with sharp design and fresh ideas. Still, few manage to blend precision, tone, and lore like Team Cherry.
Compared to the polished sheen of major studio releases, Silksong offers something else: identity. It doesn’t chase trends or over correct for mass appeal. That’s exactly why it stands out. While publishers pump out safe bets and cinematic clones, Silksong keeps its vision weird, sharp, and laser focused. It feels handcrafted because it is.
The game sits in that rare space where passion meets polish, reminding players that you don’t need a billion dollar budget to make something unforgettable. Whether or not it lands atop the charts, it already won something harder: a community that still cares.
See more top titles: Most Anticipated Games Releasing in Fall 2026
Why It Still Matters
The Legacy of Hollow Knight in the Metroidvania Genre
Over the years, Hollow Knight has earned a reputation as one of the finest examples of modern Metroidvania design. Its impact is hard to overstate:
Atmospheric worldbuilding set a new standard for environmental storytelling.
Gameplay depth and difficulty offered a rewarding experience for both casual and hardcore players.
Art direction and sound design elevated the genre beyond its traditional pixel art roots.
Many indie titles released since 2017 have drawn direct inspiration from Hollow Knight, making it a foundational influence in the current indie scene.
What Silksong Could Bring to an Indie Dominated Year
In a year packed with big budget releases, Silksong represents something different. It offers:
A handcrafted, detail rich experience without the need for cinematic spectacle.
A chance for players to engage with a game not defined by microtransactions, battle passes, or live service models.
A potential benchmark for other indie developers, showing that success doesn’t require compromise.
If Silksong delivers on its promise, it could redirect attention back to tightly focused, artist driven games at a time when gaming is leaning heavily into AAA production.
Final Thoughts: Patience, Payoff, and Perfectionism
Team Cherry’s long development cycle and steady silence have tested even the most patient fans. But their emphasis on polish, precision, and creative control signals one thing clearly:
They are building this game on their own terms.
The wait, while frustrating, is likely contributing to a more meaningful final product.
Rather than aiming for quick relevance, they’re aiming for timeless impact.
In the end, Silksong isn’t just another sequel. It’s a chance to redefine what a follow up can be and why it’s worth waiting for.