Hollow Knight Silksong hype drives Gamescom crowds

A look at how Hollow Knight Silksong dominates conversations at Gamescom and what it means for its long wait.

Hollow Knight Silksong hype drives Gamescom crowds

At Gamescom Opening Night Live, the standout moment was the confirmation that Hollow Knight Silksong is real and that a fuller reveal will arrive later this week. Host Geoff Keighley opened the show with the news and a brief 30-second clip showing Hornet leaping and battling bug enemies. It is the first real footage since the 2019 reveal trailer, and the six-year wait has turned every update into a social event. Fans lined up at the Xbox and Nintendo booths on media day, sharing photos and videos of the queues and turning the event into a live spectacle.

Meanwhile, observers say Silksong may push the series in its own direction while keeping the core feel of the original. Eurogamer's Dom Peppiatt noted Hornet movement and the game challenges appear to build on the series quirky difficulty curve. Nintendo Life confirmed Switch 2 support for 120Hz in TV mode, signaling a push for modern performance across platforms. Across social feeds, fans share demo clips, booth photos, and memes, while the game is slated to arrive later this year on PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox, with Game Pass at launch. The title has already toured exhibitions such as ACMI in Australia. Team Cherry has kept quiet about a precise date, which has fueled the hype, and some see Silksong as a test of whether indie teams can manage expectations while delivering polish.

The hype around Silksong shows how fan communities can keep a game alive for years, turning events into showpieces as much as announcements. The promised full reveal and the live queues at Gamescom turned a demo into a social moment that helps sustain anticipation. The timing matters too: if GTA 6 moves further into next year, Silksong has breathing room to dominate the rest of 2025.

But there is a risk in riding hype too long. The real test will come with the full release, where expectations may outpace what Team Cherry delivers. The original game is cited as a guide, with a noted shift in difficulty and a distinct movement system. If Silksong can carve out its own identity while honoring the classic feel, the lengthy wait could be read as patience rewarded rather than promise unmet.

Highlights

The next reveal will test fans faith in the game and the studio's ability to deliver on its promises.