After six years since its announcement, numerous delays, and years of fervent anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally set for release on September 4th. As the launch of Silksong approaches, a Reddit thread from a decade ago, concerning the original Hollow Knight, serves as a remarkable reminder of the immense journey both the franchise and its developer, Team Cherry, have undertaken over the past ten years.
This particular thread, posted by Reddit user crazy_loop ten years ago, featured a trailer for the original Hollow Knight before its 2017 release, accompanied by a deeply personal message.
`Last year my best friend quit his full-time job to chase his dream and make a fully fledged video game,` the post revealed. `Today he just released a trailer and it looks beyond amazing.`
While a new trailer for Hollow Knight: Silksong would undoubtedly ignite the internet in 2025, the reaction in 2015 was considerably more subdued, to put it mildly. Many prospective players appeared indifferent.
Initial Reception: A Market Saturated?
The most upvoted comment on the post suggested that the game was likely `a fine game, but the market is currently saturated with side-scrolling platformers so I feel his game may not do as good as he hopes.` Another user conceded the game looked enjoyable but expressed reluctance `to be raining on a parade,` adding that Hollow Knight seemed to lack the `innovation and individuality of something like Limbo.` They concluded: `probably not going to be huge.` A different user dismissed the game as `cliche.`
What a profound difference a decade can make. Within that same Reddit discussion, there were certainly individuals who disagreed with the notion of a `saturated` market and recognized the potential for Hollow Knight to be truly special. Some even expressed immediate interest in purchasing it based on the trailer alone. However, the prevailing sentiment largely suggested that while Hollow Knight looked decent, it might struggle to find a significant audience. A few commenters speculated it might achieve a modest sales boost from appearing on Reddit`s front page.
The Unstoppable Rise: Hollow Knight Today
Fast forward to the present: Hollow Knight has now sold over 15 million copies, is achieving its all-time peak for concurrent players on Steam, and its sequel is such a monumental event that numerous other games have strategically announced delays to avoid conflicting with Silksong`s release. This is quite an achievement for the follow-up to a small indie title that, judging by that old Reddit thread, many anticipated would merely be another entry in the vast metroidvania genre.
Despite Hollow Knight`s monumental success and the widespread fan anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong will be priced at just $20, which is only $5 more than the original. Silksong is slated for launch on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and Switch 2 (with a complimentary upgrade for Switch 2 owners). It will also be available on Game Pass from day one.