Team Cherry Reveals Hollow Knight Silksong 7-Year Dev Story 2026

After seven years of waiting, I finally understand why Team Cherry took so long to develop Hollow Knight: Silksong. The September 4, 2025 release date announcement came with a fascinating Bloomberg interview where Ari Gibson and William Pellen pulled back the curtain on their marathon development journey. As someone who’s been part of the “Silksanity” phenomenon since the beginning, I found their explanations both enlightening and surprisingly relatable.

What struck me most about their revelations wasn’t just the scope expansion or technical challenges – it was their refreshingly honest admission that they simply underestimated everything. “We did genuinely believe that was the case,” Pellen told Bloomberg about their missed 2022 release window, and I believe them. Having followed indie game development for years, I’ve seen this pattern before, but rarely with such transparency.

The Real Reasons Behind Silksong’s Seven-Year Development

Team Cherry’s explanation boils down to five interconnected factors that created a perfect storm of development delays. First, their tiny team size – we’re talking about just 2-3 core developers – meant every creative decision had massive time implications. When Ari Gibson admitted, “If I don’t stop drawing, this is going to take 15 years to finish,” he wasn’t joking. I’ve watched enough indie development documentaries to know that small teams often struggle with scope control, but Team Cherry’s situation was extreme.

The second factor was their complete creative freedom. Unlike many developers constrained by publisher deadlines or financial pressure, Team Cherry’s success with the original Hollow Knight (15 million copies sold) gave them unprecedented independence. “We’ve been having fun. This whole thing is just a vehicle for our creativity,” they explained to Bloomberg. While I appreciate this artistic integrity, it’s also why we waited seven years.

Third, and perhaps most significantly, was the transformation from DLC to full sequel. When Silksong was first announced in 2018, it was supposed to be additional content for Hollow Knight. But as development progressed, the scope exploded. The game now features over 200 new enemies, 40+ bosses, and approximately 100 benches scattered throughout an entirely new kingdom. That’s not DLC – that’s a massive standalone experience that dwarfs many full-priced releases.

The fourth reason involves their perfectionist approach to game design. Every enemy, every animation frame, every particle effect had to meet their exacting standards. Gibson revealed that nearly every concept sketch he created ended up in the final build because they couldn’t help but implement every cool idea. As a gamer, I love this attention to detail, but as someone waiting for the game, it tested my patience.

Finally, their communication strategy – or lack thereof – compounded the wait. Team Cherry deliberately stayed quiet to avoid spoilers and manage expectations. While I understand their reasoning, the radio silence fueled speculation and made the wait feel even longer. The community filled this void with memes, theories, and the aforementioned “Silksanity” culture.

The Original Hollow Knight Was Supposed to Be “Very Small”

Here’s something that blew my mind: the original Hollow Knight was never meant to be the sprawling masterpiece we got. In a recently published 2018 Source Gaming interview, Team Cherry revealed their first game was planned as a “very small” project. Their Kickstarter asked for just AU$35,000 but raised $58,000 – and that extra funding changed everything.

This context makes Silksong’s development story even more fascinating. Team Cherry essentially repeated history, but on a much larger scale. Just as Hollow Knight grew beyond its initial scope, Silksong transformed from DLC into something that might surpass the original. The difference? This time they had financial security and established fan expectations.

I find it particularly interesting how their success became both a blessing and a curse. The financial freedom allowed them to pursue their vision without compromise, but it also removed the constraints that often force developers to ship. As someone who’s worked on creative projects, I know that unlimited time and resources can paradoxically make finishing harder.

Why Team Cherry’s Development Philosophy Actually Makes Sense

Despite the frustration of waiting, I’ve come to appreciate Team Cherry’s approach. Their philosophy of “having fun” during development might sound cavalier, but it’s produced one of the most beloved metroidvania games ever made. When developers enjoy their work, it shows in the final product.

The enhanced features they’ve revealed justify the extended development time. Hornet alone has more animation frames than the entire original Hollow Knight. The new kingdom of Pharloom features multiple towns with quest systems, creating a more structured narrative than Hallownest’s environmental storytelling. The unique world design challenges required completely reimagining gameplay systems from scratch.

What’s remarkable is how Team Cherry maintained their creative vision despite mounting pressure. With Silksong becoming Steam’s most wishlisted game and the community growing increasingly anxious, they could have rushed something out. Instead, they stuck to their guns, even when Microsoft incorrectly promised a 2022 release.

The Impact on Indie Game Development Culture

Silksong’s development has become a case study in indie game creation. It demonstrates both the possibilities and pitfalls of creative freedom. Other indie developers I’ve spoken with view Team Cherry with a mixture of admiration and caution – they’ve achieved the dream of complete creative control, but at what cost?

The “Silksanity” phenomenon has created its own subculture within gaming. Reddit’s r/HollowKnight community has developed an entire mythology around the wait, complete with inside jokes, coping mechanisms, and philosophical discussions about game development. It’s simultaneously hilarious and slightly concerning – I’ve never seen a community sustain such intense anticipation for so long.

This extended development cycle also raises questions about communication strategies. While Team Cherry’s silence maintained mystery, it also created anxiety. Other indie developers have taken note, with many opting for more regular, if carefully controlled, updates. The lesson seems to be that some communication is better than none, even if you’re trying to avoid spoilers.

Comparing Silksong to Other Long-Development Indies

To put Silksong’s timeline in perspective, I looked at other indie sequels with extended development cycles. Cuphead’s Delicious Last Course took five years just for DLC. Axiom Verge 2 had a five-year gap from the original. Spelunky 2 took eight years after the first game. When you consider that Team Cherry is creating something far more ambitious than most of these titles with just three people, seven years starts to make sense.

The key difference is that Team Cherry announced too early. They revealed Silksong in 2019, thinking they were closer to completion than they actually were. This created a unique torture for fans – knowing the game existed but having no idea when it would arrive. I’ve experienced this wait myself, checking for news daily during the darkest periods of silence.

Technical Evolution and Platform Challenges

Developing for multiple platforms adds another layer of complexity that’s easy to overlook. Silksong needs to run flawlessly on everything from Steam Deck to Nintendo Switch 2, from high-end PCs to last-gen consoles. For a tiny team, optimizing across this range of hardware while maintaining their artistic vision is monumentally challenging.

The gaming hardware landscape has evolved dramatically since Hollow Knight launched in 2017. New rendering techniques, improved particle systems, and enhanced animation tools have all become available. Team Cherry has had to balance adopting new technology with maintaining their established aesthetic.

Financial Success as a Double-Edged Sword

Team Cherry’s financial independence from Hollow Knight’s success (over 15 million copies sold) created an unusual situation. Most indie developers dream of this freedom, but I’ve seen how it can become paralyzing. Without financial pressure, the only deadlines are self-imposed, and perfectionists like Team Cherry can always find something to improve.

The Bloomberg interview reveals that Gibson eventually had to force himself to stop creating new content. “I eventually had to stop sketching concepts, as nearly every design ended up in the final build,” he admitted. This level of creative indulgence is only possible when money isn’t a concern, but it’s also why we waited seven years.

Community Culture and the Birth of “Silksanity”

I’ve been active in the Hollow Knight community throughout this wait, and watching “Silksanity” develop has been fascinating. The term perfectly captures the collective madness of waiting for a game that seemed perpetually “coming soon.” The community created elaborate coping mechanisms – from daily clown makeup memes to philosophical discussions about the nature of anticipation.

What’s remarkable is how the community has largely remained supportive of Team Cherry despite the wait. Most gaming communities would have turned toxic by now, but Hollow Knight fans seem to understand that greatness takes time. This mutual respect between developers and players is increasingly rare in modern gaming.

The September 2025 Release: What to Expect

With the September 4, 2026 release date finally confirmed, we’re entering the endgame of one of gaming’s longest development sagas. The game will launch simultaneously on PC (Steam), PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and the new Nintendo Switch 2. Day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass ensures millions will experience it immediately.

Based on everything revealed, Silksong will be massive. Over 200 enemies, 40+ bosses, and approximately 100 benches suggest a game that could easily provide 30-40 hours of content, possibly more for completionists like myself. The multiple towns with quest systems indicate a more structured narrative than the original’s environmental storytelling approach.

The pressure on Team Cherry is immense. Seven years of development has created astronomical expectations. But their track record and commitment to quality give me confidence they’ll deliver something special.

Lessons for the Gaming Industry

Team Cherry’s journey with Silksong offers valuable lessons for both developers and publishers. First, creative freedom without constraints can be both liberating and paralyzing. Second, small teams can create incredible things, but they move at their own pace. Third, community patience has limits, even for beloved developers.

For other indie developers watching Team Cherry’s journey, the lesson isn’t to take seven years making your game. It’s to understand your own creative process, set realistic boundaries, and communicate appropriately with your audience. Team Cherry’s approach worked for them, but it’s not universally applicable.

Final Thoughts: Why the Wait Was Worth It

After analyzing everything Team Cherry has shared about Silksong’s development, I’ve come to peace with the seven-year wait. They weren’t procrastinating or mismanaging the project – they were creating art. In an industry increasingly dominated by annual releases and live-service monetization, Team Cherry’s dedication to crafting a complete, polished experience feels almost revolutionary.

Yes, they could have shipped something years ago. They could have expanded their team, divided the work, and met a traditional development timeline. But that wouldn’t have been Team Cherry, and it wouldn’t have been the sequel Hollow Knight deserves.

As we count down to September 2026, I’m not just excited to play Silksong – I’m excited to experience what seven years of passion, creativity, and perfectionism can produce. Team Cherry didn’t just develop a game; they crafted an experience that will likely define metroidvania games for the next generation. And for something that ambitious, seven years might have been exactly the right amount of time.