Team Cherry Issues First Kickstarter Update In Six Years For Hollow Knight Fans
Developers outline Silksong code distribution, supported platforms, and communication plans.
Summary
- Kickstarter backers from 2014 will receive Hollow Knight: Silksong codes for PC, Switch, and Switch 2.
- The game launches September 4 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Game Pass.
- This is the first Kickstarter update in six years, finally confirming code distribution.
Kickstarter backers of Hollow Knight are finally getting Silksong codes. Straight from Team Cherry. In a fresh note to the original campaign, the studio confirmed that everyone who backed Hollow Knight on Kickstarter in late 2014 will receive a download key for Hollow Knight: Silksong. Over 2,000 people funded that first leap. A long wait, sure. A clean answer, at last.
Related
The update
First official Kickstarter post in six years. The studio published a new message to backers, marking the long-silent return with a clear promise.
The post lives here: Kickstarter update. The details are tight, focused, and specific.
Team Cherry’s exact wording matters, so here it is:
“We’ll be reaching out in the (very) near future to find out your platforms of choice and the best email addresses to send your copy/s. Keys will be provided as either PC (Steam and DRM free) or Nintendo Switch (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2),” Team Cherry said in the Kickstarter update.
Who gets what
Backer keys are limited to PC and Nintendo Switch.
That includes Steam, DRM-free, Switch, and Switch 2. PlayStation and Xbox versions launch September 4 with the full retail rollout, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Game Pass, but the Kickstarter keys won’t cover those.
A little awkward for console-only backers, yet the studio is up front about the boundary.
Action item for backers: watch your inbox. Team Cherry will request preferred platform and best email for delivery. Answer fast, get your code fast. Simple.
The context
Six years since the last Kickstarter ping. The previous public note, posted right after E3 2019, talked about a playable Silksong demo.
That link still works: previous Kickstarter update. Time capsule energy. Funny twist, the gamescom 2025 demo on the show floor is, by multiple accounts, very close to that 2019 slice.
Reviews and timing
Review timing looks tight. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier posted that reviews probably won’t land before launch.
The reasoning, reportedly from Team Cherry’s side, aims for fairness to the original backers. If critics played too early, it would undercut the people who funded the game first.
Sensible stance. Also stressful for editors. Hello caffeine.
State of the hype
Hollow Knight numbers popped. The original game just spiked to over 22,000 concurrent players on Steam. That is a big nostalgia pulse, plus a warm-up routine for Silksong.
The ripple effect is already visible: at least three indie studios shifted their release windows to dodge Silksong week. Smart survival strategy. No one needs to be flattened by Hornet’s needle.
Quick take
The promise is clear. Backers get codes for PC or Switch, Team Cherry will email to confirm platform and delivery, and everyone else can buy in on September 4 across PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch with Game Pass in the mix. The studio’s quote is precise, the boundaries are set, and the rollout plan reads like a team that finally wants fewer questions in their inbox.
What I like
- Transparency, finally. The quote sets expectations with platforms, stores, timing.
- Parity mindset. Holding reviews to avoid leapfrogging backers keeps the optics clean.
- Backer focus. Steam, DRM-free, Switch, Switch 2 choices cover the biggest early demand.
What bugs me
- No PlayStation or Xbox keys for backers. Some day-one supporters live on console only. They funded the dream and still need to buy again on that ecosystem.
- Six-year radio silence. Understandable during tough dev cycles, sure. Communicating a tiny heartbeat every year would have saved headaches.
Backers: confirm platform and email when Team Cherry pings you. Players on console ecosystems: plan for September 4.
Review readers: expect day-one or post-launch coverage, not a week early. Everyone else: the needle is threaded, the code is coming, and Hornet looks ready to go again.
Links to keep handy:
- Campaign page: Hollow Knight on Kickstarter
- New update: First Kickstarter update in six years
- Old update: E3 2019 demo note
So Backers get Silksong codes on PC and Switch, retail hits September 4 everywhere else, hype is peaking, and the studio finally said the quiet part clearly. About time.
PS5 disc buyers may still need a large internet install despite owning physical media.
