So, the wait for Silksong wasn't just a meme. It was a lifestyle. For years, we sat through every Nintendo Direct and Xbox showcase with our clown makeup ready, just waiting for Team Cherry to say literally anything.
Then September 2025 happened. The game actually came out. It felt weird, right? Like seeing a cryptid finally step into the light.
But if you thought the Hollow Knight Silksong announcement cycle was over just because the game is sitting in your Steam library, you’re wrong. Team Cherry just dropped a holiday bombshell. They aren’t moving on to a new project yet. Instead, they’re doubling down on Pharloom with a massive, free expansion called Sea of Sorrow.
The Sea of Sorrow Announcement: What Is It?
Basically, Team Cherry is doing exactly what they did with the original Hollow Knight. They’re taking a game that’s already huge and making it bigger for zero extra dollars. Honestly, in 2026, finding a developer that doesn't charge $20 for a "Battle Pass" or a "Skins Pack" feels like a fever dream.
Sea of Sorrow is a nautical-themed expansion.
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Think shipwrecks. Think bioluminescent deep-sea horrors. Think Hornet probably getting some kind of new movement tool because, let's face it, she's going underwater. The announcement confirms new bosses, fresh areas, and "extended progression." We don't have a hard date yet, but Team Cherry says to expect it sometime in 2026.
Wait, Why Is the Original Hollow Knight Getting an Update Too?
This was the part of the announcement that actually caught people off guard. While everyone was screaming about the Silksong DLC, the devs slipped in news about the Hollow Knight: Switch 2 Edition.
If you own the original game on the first Switch, you get the upgrade for free. They’ve basically ported all the tech improvements they built for Silksong—smoother frame rates, sharper resolutions, and better lighting—back into the original 2017 game.
It’s not just for Nintendo players, though. PC players on Steam and GOG can already jump into beta builds that add 16:10 and 21:9 ultrawide support. If you’ve ever wanted to see the City of Tears in 4K at 120fps without the game chugging, this is it.
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The Silksong Success Story (By the Numbers)
Since the September 4, 2025 launch, Silksong has been an absolute juggernaut. We’re talking over 7 million copies sold. And that doesn't even count the "millions more" playing through Xbox Game Pass.
For a team of three people (Ari Gibson, William Pellen, and Jack Vine), that's insane.
Why It Took So Long (The Real Story)
There was a lot of talk during development about "development hell." People thought the game was stuck or that the team was fighting. Turns out? They were just having a good time. In a late 2025 interview with Bloomberg, Ari Gibson famously asked "What is Jira?" when asked about project management software.
They didn't use Trello. They didn't have a corporate roadmap. They just kept adding content because they liked the world they were building. The game grew from a small DLC to a sequel that arguably has more bosses than the original.
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What to Do Now
If you’ve already beaten the main story and found all the endings, you’re probably looking for a reason to go back. Here is how you can prepare for the 2026 content:
1. Check the PC Beta If you’re on Steam, right-click Hollow Knight, go to properties, and look at the "Betas" tab. You can test the new engine updates right now.
2. Watch the Sea of Sorrow Teaser Team Cherry’s blog post has a few frames of the new areas. Pay attention to the background—there are hints of a "Plasmium" mechanic that looks suspiciously like a new energy type for Hornet's tools.
3. Clear Your Save File The Sea of Sorrow expansion usually integrates into the main world, much like The Grimm Troupe did. You might want a fresh save ready to see how the new nautical paths connect to the existing map of Pharloom.
The Hollow Knight Silksong announcement of new DLC proves Team Cherry isn't finished with this world. While we wait for the 2026 release of Sea of Sorrow, the best move is to head back into the original game and see how the new technical updates feel. The "Switch 2" enhancements are a legitimate game-changer for the platforming precision the series is known for.