Today's Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase might have featured a new Plants vs Zombies remake, Monster Hunter Stories 3 and a pair of new Square Enix HD-2D titles, but there was one game conspicuous by its absence. Again.
Hollow Knight: Silksong fans tuning in were left disappointed by yet another video game showcase passing with no further word of Team Cherry's highly-anticipated, long-awaited sequel.
And to be fair to the fans, there was cause to think today might finally bring Silksong's much-desired release date. A Nintendo Direct earlier this year confirmed the game would arrive in 2025, raising hopes of a fresh appearance today. And, just days ago, Microsoft announced that Silksong will be playable via a fresh Xbox demo in a couple of weeks at Gamescom.
Amid this backdrop, hopes were high — but, as we now know, they were in vain. Reaction to the Nintendo Direct on the Hollow Knight and Silksong subreddits has, perhaps to be expected, not been positive.
The top thread currently on the Silksong reddit is a meme of a cat laughing open-mouthed, pointing at the screen. "It's never been so over", "The cycle of pain", "Silksong isn't real" read a selection of the comments.
"I've genuinely lost so much hype for this game," wrote reddit user YeetHead10. "I was so excited last year but now I've just moved on."
"No you havent," replied DirtySlutMuffin. "You're here complaining."
"At least this is consistent in my life," CringeNaeNaeBaby2 said, referring to the constant disappointment around Silksong they faced. "You know when they go to jail, spend years trying to get out, then beg to be readmitted after being freed? I'm gonna beg for Silksong to be unreleased. I need the longing, the spite keeps me alive. I'm gonna drop dead when Silksong comes out."
Most fans simply seem upset at their own frustration, though a few have suggested Silksong developer Team Cherry should be doing more to set expecations.
"I feel like people would be taking it better if Team Cherry themselves gave more frequent updates," wrote reddit user ChocoGoodness, "instead of letting us wait for Nintendo or Xbox or whatever to announce it."
Officially, all we know of Silksong's arrival is that it will launch before Christmas 2025, and not be tied to the release of the ROG Ally X handheld.
For everything that was shown today, here's our roundup of the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase presentation in full. See you at Gamescom Opening Night Live, Silksong fans?
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
