Hollow Knight: Silksong hopefuls cry "SKONG" and issue a “Code Red” alert after indie showcase mentions the sequel, only to have the Metroidvania no-show yet again

Hollow Knight
(Image credit: Team Cherry)

Hollow Knight fans parched for more Silksong news are no strangers to disappointment when it comes to the big trailerthon showcases, but this week's Triple-I Initiative stung extra hard.

The Triple-I Initiative was an event organized by some of the biggest names in the indie scene, with the developers behind Slay the Spire, Dead Cells, and more coming together to debut dozens of trailers from independent teams. Hollow Knight: Silksong hopefuls already had one eyebrow raised before the show, but they went into a frenzy when the pre-stream countdown teased the sequel.

"What's the name of this highly anticipated Metroidvania with an insect again?" one cheeky, loading screen-style message joked in the stream's countdown timer. In fairness, the countdown broadcast several similar, quippy, unserious messages, such as: "thuis lpoadfing tilp was grenerrted byy AI."

CODE RED I REPEAT CODE RED THIS IS NOT A DRILL from r/Silksong

Of course, that didn't stop fans from going into overdrive. One Reddit post officially declared a "Code Red" as the community raised its hopes once more for the first Hollow Knight: Silksong trailer in almost two years. Defeated memes about clown makeup ensued, as expected. But the community went one step further this time, with countless Twitter accounts spamming the word "SKONG" underneath posts from Triple-I.

This isn't the first time that a Silksong tease went nowhere, though. The Game Awards 2023 raised expectations with a mention of a "small team from Australia," only to dash those hopes immediately. Silksong snoopers are so used to disappointment that preparing clown makeup has become a community in-joke before any industry event.

Things seem to be looking up for the subterranean sequel, however, since an Xbox store page for Silksong recently went live on April Fools Day, no less. Xbox marketing manager Tao Sila even confirmed that the new listing was no joke. A sign of things to come? Or business as usual?

Our annual reassurance let us know that Hollow Knight: Silksong is “still in development.”

Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

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