Why did Hollow Knight: Silksong take so long to make?

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We made it, gang! Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally here after a mammoth eight-year wait.

Without a doubt, among the games eagerly awaited, particularly since GTA 6, Team Cherry’s sequel to their 2017 indie hit has taken quite some time to develop.

If you haven’t experienced the initial game yet, you’re overlooking something wonderful (regarding whether you should play it before Silksong arrives is a different matter). It’s astonishing to know that many others have enjoyed it already, making the extended period for the sequel rather puzzling.

However, why was the development of Silksong prolonged? Due to its intricacy, we’ve prepared a concise summary to fill you in on the essential details.

Why did Silksong take so long to make?

There are a few reasons, so strap in. First things first, let’s go through how Silksong came about.

Originally, Silksong was planned as an expansion pack for the initial Hollow Knight game. However, as Team Cherry continued to incorporate additional features, the scale of the project grew excessively large.

At this stage, it was decided that we would scrap the DLC plan altogether and instead develop Silksong as a standalone complete game on its own.

Following that point, I hadn’t picked up many insights regarding the game’s development journey… until a fresh chat with Bloomberg where the creators finally spilled the beans about why our favorite game took an eternity to land in our hands.

Initially, it appears that Team Cherry found great enjoyment in their work on the project. As Ari Gibson, one of the co-founders, put it, “We’re having a blast. This whole thing serves as an outlet for our creativity. It’s just nice to create fun projects,” he explained.

Next, it was crucial for the team to ensure that Silksong met the expectations set by its hype, but given their small size, this process wouldn’t move swiftly.

Gibson mentioned that there were no issues or delays with the project. Instead, it has been continually advancing. However, he noted that being a compact team necessitates extensive time investment in game development. He also assured there weren’t any major controversies contributing to the progress.

The third primary factor contributing to the prolonged duration is essentially because, much like how it transitioned from being a Downloadable Content (DLC) expansion to a standalone game, the project continued to expand in size.

Regardless of William Pellen’s initial belief that the project would be completed within a year for a period of two to three years, the team persisted in adding additional content, leading to an extended development timeline.

More content also means more aspects of the game that require polishing.

In Pellen’s explanation, he emphasized that every part of the game must meet a specific quality standard. This includes how the different systems work and connect with each other, as well as any behind-the-scenes elements that become apparent later in the game. He used the term “multiplicative” to indicate that the process of integrating new elements becomes increasingly complex as more content is added.

In summary, a compact group delightfully developed an expansive game that kept growing, with a focus on delivering the high-quality experience that their dedicated followers anticipated.

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2025-09-01 15:46