Let’s be real for a second. When Hollow Knight: Silksong finally dropped on September 4, 2025, half the internet was crying tears of joy and the other half was just crying because they kept dying to Moorwing. It was a bloodbath. Team Cherry doesn't really do "easy," but even they realized that the opening hours of Pharloom were basically a brick wall for anyone who hadn't spent the last five years speedrunning the original game.
The Hollow Knight: Silksong early game patch (specifically Ver. 1.0.28497) wasn't just some boring stability fix. It was a massive vibe shift for how the game actually feels when you're first waking up in the Moss Grotto.
Why the Early Game Needed a Tweak
Honestly, the difficulty spike at the start was kind of wild. You’re playing as Hornet. She’s faster, she’s taller, and her moveset is way more complex than the Knight’s. But if you’re coming in fresh, getting used to the way she "binds" silk instead of focusing soul is a lot to take in while a Sister Splinter is trying to turn you into a pincushion.
A lot of players were complaining that the "runbacks"—that long walk from a bench back to where you died—were just cruel. You'd lose your rosaries, get frustrated, and basically want to chuck your controller out the window. Team Cherry heard the noise. They didn't make the game "easy mode," but they smoothed out the jagged edges that were making people quit before they even saw the Citadel.
The Big Boss Nerfs
If you played the launch version, you know the pain of Moorwing. That bird was a menace. The patch gave him a "slight difficulty reduction," which basically means his hitboxes are a bit more fair and you have an extra millisecond to react to that dive-bomb.
Then there’s Sister Splinter. She’s one of those early "skill check" bosses. The patch didn't rewrite her AI, but it tuned her damage and telegraphs so you aren't just getting combo'd into oblivion. It makes the fight feel more like a dance and less like a mugging.
What’s Actually in the Patch?
It’s not just about bosses. The Hollow Knight: Silksong early game patch touched a bunch of small things that add up to a way better experience.
- Sandcarvers: These little jerks deal less damage now. Thank god.
- Rosary Rewards: They bumped up the amount of cash (rosaries) you get from relics and certain deliveries. Early game poverty was a real issue if you wanted to buy tools.
- Bellway Prices: Traveling around Pharloom is cheaper now. Those mid-game Bellway and Bell Bench prices got a "slight reduction" to keep you moving.
- Bug Fixes: A huge one was the Snitch Pick not giving rewards correctly. That’s fixed. Also, if you ever got stuck "cloakless" after the Slab escape, you’re safe now.
The patch also fixed a weird soft-lock with Lace in the Deep Docks. Imagine finally getting to a major rival fight and the game just breaks. Not ideal. They also tweaked the Multibinder and fixed instances where Hornet would get pushed through the floor by enemies. Standard launch-window chaos, really.
The "Git Gud" Debate
Of course, as soon as the patch notes hit Steam and GOG, the forums exploded. You’ve got the purists saying Team Cherry "sold out" and the casuals saying the game is finally playable.
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The truth is somewhere in the middle. Even with the nerfs, Silksong is still significantly harder than most modern games. The "slight" in "slight difficulty reduction" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. You still have to learn patterns. You still have to master the silk system.
Why It Matters for 2026
We’re now heading into 2026, and Team Cherry has already announced the Sea of Sorrow expansion. That's going to be free, it's nautically themed, and it's probably going to be hard as nails. The early game patch was necessary to make sure the 7 million people who bought the game actually stick around long enough to see the new content.
If the base game is too punishing at the five-hour mark, nobody is going to care about a DLC expansion a year later. By fixing the early game flow, they’ve ensured the community stays active. Plus, with the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the original Hollow Knight coming this year, there's a huge wave of new players about to jump into the franchise for the first time. They need a smooth entry point.
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Actionable Tips for New Players
If you’re just starting your journey through Pharloom now that the patches have settled the dust, here’s how to handle the early game:
- Don't ignore the Couriers: Since the patch increased rosary rewards for deliveries, these are now the best way to fund your tool upgrades early on.
- Abuse the Silk system: Unlike the first game where you had to be careful with Soul, Hornet generates Silk fast. Use your Silk Skills. Don't hoard it.
- Check the Options: The recent updates added things like film grain and dithering levels. If the game feels a bit "noisy" visually, you can actually tune that now.
- Explore the Moss Grotto fully: A lot of the early balancing was designed to reward exploration. If a boss is killing you, go find a Spool Fragment or a new Tool. It makes a world of difference.
The Hollow Knight: Silksong early game patch might seem like a small correction, but it saved the game's momentum. It turned a potentially frustrating launch into a polished masterpiece that’s still dominating the charts months later.
If you haven't touched the game since the first week because you got stuck on a boss, now is the time to go back. It’s still the same brutal, beautiful world—it just respects your time a little bit more. Keep an eye out for the Sea of Sorrow updates as we get closer to the mid-2026 release window.