After years of waiting, Hollow Knight: Silksong made a quick but exciting appearance at Gamescom 2025's Opening Night Live. Team Cherry's long-awaited sequel to the hit Hollow Knight has been quiet for ages, leaving fans desperate for news. The Gamescom reveal, hosted by Geoff Keighley, gave us a glimpse of new Hornet gameplay and a promise that Silksong will drop in 2025. Here’s the scoop on what went down, including the latest release date announcement and trailer.

A Long-Awaited Sequel

Hollow Knight: Silksong puts Hornet, the tough-as-nails princess from the first game, front and center. Set in the eerie Pharloom kingdom, it’s a full-blown Metroidvania with silk-based moves, tricky platforming, and over 200 new enemies. Originally planned as DLC, it grew into a massive sequel. Delays have dragged since its 2019 reveal, with Team Cherry needing extra time to polish the Silksong release—they've emphasized it wasn't in "development hell" but that the devs were working hard to expand its scope. Fans stayed patient, even as updates dried up, but recent playtesting hints got hopes up for this Gamescom 2025 moment.

The Gamescom Reveal: 30 Seconds of Action

Keighley kicked off Gamescom 2025 with a bang, confirming Hollow Knight: Silksong hits in 2025 and showing 30 seconds of Hornet gameplay. The clip had Hornet tearing through a fiery, lava-filled area, dodging attacks and taking on a huge crowned insect boss. Her needle strikes and silk-binding moves looked slick, with explosions and crumbling rocks adding flair. The visuals keep that gorgeous hand-drawn style, but with cooler effects like embers and dynamic combat. The music, with epic orchestral hits, sounds as haunting as ever.

Fan Reactions: Hyped but Hungry

Fans lost it on X and Reddit after the Silksong Gamescom 2025 reveal. Some posted memes about finally ditching the "clown" label, while others griped about the short clip after such a long wait. Outlets like IGN called it a teaser but loved the 2025 confirmation. A playable Silksong demo at the Xbox booth (August 20-24) and Nintendo’s Switch 2 setup let attendees try Pharloom themselves, hyping up the Silksong release date buzz. Hands-on impressions praised Hornet's acrobatic moveset, including new sprinting abilities that unlock additional combat options, though much of the full moveset remains locked in the demo.

What's Next for Silksong?

Team Cherry’s got more coming. The big announcement on August 21, 2025, at 7:30 AM PT delivered a full Silksong trailer and a firm release date of September 4, 2025. It’s locked for PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and Switch/Switch 2, with day-one Xbox Game Pass access. Early demo feedback praises the bigger scope, over 40 bosses, and Christopher Larkin’s killer soundtrack. The game supports 120Hz for smoother performance, but no physical edition has been announced yet, and there will be no pre-launch review codes. Team Cherry has ambitious plans for post-launch DLC and content updates in the months and years ahead. For now, Hollow Knight: Silksong looks like it’ll live up to the hype. Keep an eye out for more details!