Hollow Knight: Silksong Will Release Before Holiday 2025, Not Tied to Xbox Ally Launch, Developer Says

Hollow Knight: Silksong, the long-awaited sequel to 2017's Hollow Knight, is set for launch in 2025, but there's been some confusion around the timeline. After a long stretch of silence from developer Team Cherry, the Metroidvania action title was confirmed to launch in 2025 at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct presentation in April. On Sunday, at Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft announced that Hollow Knight: Silksong would be a launch title for the new Xbox-branded ROG Ally handhelds releasing in Holiday 2025. Now, Team Cherry has finally clarified that the game will launch before the holiday season kicks in later this year.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Launching Before Holiday 2025

Following the reveal of the new handhelds at the showcase, Xbox president Sarah Bond said, “the highly anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available at launch and in Game Pass when the Ally releases later this year.” The ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X are planned to launch in Holiday 2025, which confirms that Silksong will be available during the same window as a launch title.

But Team Cherry has clarified that the game is not tied to the launch of the upcoming handhelds and will arrive before the holiday season begins this year.

“I confirmed BEFORE Holiday – we are not tied to a console release,” Matthew Griffin, who handles marketing and publishing for the title at Team Cherry, wrote on Silksong's official Discord channel (as spotted by Eurogamer)

The update marks the first time Team Cherry has confirmed that Hollow Knight: Silksong will launch at some point in 2025. While the studio has confirmed a broad release window — before Holiday 2025, a release date is yet to be announced. The game is, however, confirmed to launch across PC (Linux, Windows, Mac), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. It will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass, as well.

Hollow Knight: Silksong was first announced in 2019 and was delayed indefinitely in 2023. Team Cherry practically maintained radio silence on the title, but confirmed it was in development, before it finally showed up at Nintendo Direct in April with a confirmed release window of 2025.

The game follows Hornet, the former princess of Hallownest who appeared as a side character in the first game. Silksong is set in a new kingdom, where Hornet must take on deadly enemies as she journeys to the citadel at the peak of the kingdom.