Silksong is finally here and it stands on its own
After years of waiting, wild fan theories, and more than a few joke countdowns, Hollow Knight Silksong is finally out in the wild. Instead of being some impossible, world changing sequel, it turned out to be something a bit more grounded but still awesome. It is simply a very good game that knows exactly what it wants to be.
Silksong drops you into a brand new kingdom with a fresh style and a different playable character, but it still feels like a cousin to the original Hollow Knight. It is part sequel and part completely separate adventure, and that mix is not an accident.
According to Team Cherry, this was the plan from the start. Silksong was built to live alongside Hollow Knight, not replace it. The idea is that each game can be its own self contained journey in the same universe rather than just a linear part one, part two, part three story.
That approach has some real perks for players. You do not need to remember every lore detail from the original game to enjoy Silksong. You can pick up either title and still have a full experience, even if you have gaps in the story or have been away from the series for years.
Team Cherry’s vision for future Hollow Knight games
The most interesting part comes from a printed interview with co director Ari Gibson in a guidebook for the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. In it, Gibson explains that Silksong was designed to stand shoulder to shoulder with Hollow Knight rather than just follow in its footsteps.
He says that Silksong and Hollow Knight really complement each other, but you should not feel like you are missing anything if you play them out of order. You can finish Silksong and then go backwards to the original and still have a great time without feeling like you ruined the intended order.
Gibson goes a step further and talks about the future. If there are ever more Hollow Knight games after Silksong, Team Cherry hopes they all follow the same pattern. In other words, they want a collection of games that just exist alongside one another. The order you play them in would not matter. Each one would be a complete journey in the same world that clicks nicely with the others.
For fans, that could mean:
- Less pressure to play every single entry perfectly in sequence
- More freedom to jump into whatever game looks most fun
- Stories that are connected by theme and world rather than strict chronology
- More experimental ideas that do not have to serve a giant ongoing plot
This also fits Team Cherry’s history. They are clearly not obsessed with traditional sequels. Silksong itself started life as planned downloadable content for Hollow Knight before it grew into something much bigger. Instead of releasing a simple DLC add on, they built a new full game with its own identity.
So when Gibson uses the word ever about potential future Hollow Knight titles, it carries some weight. Silksong took around six years to arrive after its announcement, and likely even longer if you count early development. After a project that huge, it makes sense the team might want flexibility and room to explore new ideas rather than lock themselves into a numbered sequel grind.
What this could mean for the series and its fans
Because the interview appears to have been done before Silksong launched, it reads like a snapshot of Team Cherry’s mindset as they were wrapping things up. They knew the wait had been long. They knew players had built entire conspiracy boards and rituals out of the silence. And still, they were quietly focused on making another self contained experience that could stand proudly next to Hollow Knight.
There is also a creative angle here. If your favorite band only ever plays the same songs, it gets old fast. The article’s writer admits they were deeply into the whole Silksong theory craze, but they are also excited to see what else Team Cherry might try in the future. More bug adventures would be fun, but so would something totally different from the studio.
Team Cherry is known for a relaxed and careful development pace. They communicate sparingly, ship when they are ready, and avoid overhyping every step. If that continues, any possible future Hollow Knight projects or completely new games might be a long way off. Think less yearly franchise and more occasional event release.
For players, that might be a good thing. The world of Hollow Knight has already proven it can support multiple standalone experiences, each with its own flavor and tone. Silksong’s separate kingdom, new quests, and distinct vibe show how much space there is to explore without needing to tear down or overwrite what came before.
So where does that leave us now that the long wait for Silksong is over? With a clearer picture of how Team Cherry sees its universe. Not as a straight line of sequels, but as a shelf of games you can pick up in any order. If they do return to Hollow Knight again, it will likely be with another story that feels complete on its own, living right beside the others rather than stacked neatly in a numbered list.
And if the studio decides to wander off into some completely new direction before that happens, it would not be surprising. Either way, do not expect the community theory boards and corkboards covered in red string to disappear. If anything, we will probably be back at it again a decade from now, trying to guess what Team Cherry is cooking up next.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/team-cherry-says-that-if-there-were-ever-other-hollow-knight-games-after-silksong-theyd-all-be-self-contained-and-exist-alongside-one-another/
