Desperation does weird things to people. If you’ve spent any time lurking in the hollowed-out halls of r/Silksong, you know that "weird" doesn't even begin to cover it. We are talking about a community that has moved past mere impatience and straight into a sort of digital occultism. The Silksong subreddit ritual ban sacrifices started as a joke, a way to vent the collective frustration of thousands of fans waiting for Team Cherry to finally drop a release date for the sequel to Hollow Knight. But then it became something else. It became a culture.
It’s been years. Thousands of days since the 2019 reveal. In that vacuum of information, the subreddit curdled.
You’ve probably seen the posts. They usually follow a grim, hilarious pattern. A prominent community member, or sometimes just a random user with a lot of karma, offers themselves up to the moderators. The "sacrifice" is simple: ban me until the game comes out. It’s a self-imposed exile meant to appease the "gods" (Team Cherry) in hopes that a blood offering—or at least a loss of posting privileges—will trigger a blog post or a trailer. It sounds insane because it is. But in the world of indie gaming, it's one of the most fascinating examples of community-driven lore ever recorded.
The Origins of the Great Ban Craze
Where did this actually start? It wasn't a single event but a slow descent into madness. Initially, the sub was full of fan art and "copium" memes. You know the ones—clowns. Everyone putting on digital clown makeup before every Nintendo Direct or Xbox Showcase. When the clowning stopped being funny, the rituals started.
The Silksong subreddit ritual ban sacrifices gained real traction around 2022 and 2023. It was a pivot from passive waiting to active, albeit useless, participation. The logic is flawed but poetic: if we reduce the number of people waiting, the "wait" itself becomes smaller. Or, more realistically, it's just a way for people to take a break from the "is it out yet?" cycle by forcing themselves out of the conversation.
Think about the user "Prim_all_Radiance" or the various "daily" posters who committed to drawing Hornet every day until the game released. When those people stop, or when they ask for a ban, the community treats it like a funeral. There are eulogies. There are "F" chats. It’s a performance.
Why the Silksong Subreddit Ritual Ban Sacrifices Work (Psychologically)
Honestly, it’s about control. We have zero control over Team Cherry’s development cycle. Ari Gibson and William Pellen are notoriously quiet. They don't do weekly dev logs. They don't tweet. They just work. For a fan base used to the "always-on" nature of modern social media, this silence is a vacuum. Nature abhors a vacuum, and so do gamers.
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We fill it with noise.
The sacrifices are a form of "gamified" waiting. By turning the act of not being able to post into a "ritual," the community creates its own content. It’s a meta-game. You aren't just waiting for Silksong; you’re participating in the Great Ban of '24. It makes the silence feel like a choice rather than a punishment.
The Role of the Moderators
The mods of r/Silksong deserve a raise, or at least a long nap. They have to actually manage these requests. While some subreddits have strict rules against "attention-seeking" posts, the Silksong mods leaned in. They understood that the sub would die of boredom without these antics. When a user "sacrifices" themselves, the mods often play along, issuing the ban with a flair of dramatic irony.
It’s not just bans, though. The rituals evolved.
- Some users promised to delete their accounts.
- Others vowed to stop eating certain foods.
- A few even tried to "sacrifice" the subreddit itself by voting to turn it into a Pikmin or Zoteboat themed sub.
The "Sacrifice the Sub" Movement
At one point, the irony reached a breaking point. The Silksong subreddit ritual ban sacrifices moved from individuals to the collective. There was a genuine, high-effort movement to delete the entire subreddit. The argument was that if the subreddit disappeared, Team Cherry would be forced to speak to "save" the community.
It was a digital "scorched earth" policy.
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It didn't happen, obviously. But the fact that the poll had thousands of upvotes tells you everything you need to know about the state of the fandom. It’s a mix of genuine love for the first game and a creeping, nihilistic humor that only comes from checking a "News" tab for 1,500 days and finding nothing but "No news today."
Is This Toxic or Just Funny?
People outside the bubble often look at the Silksong subreddit ritual ban sacrifices and see a toxic community. They see entitlement. They think gamers are "demanding" a product and acting like children when it doesn't arrive.
But if you’re actually in the sub, it doesn't feel like that.
It feels like a wake. A very long, very funny wake. Most of the people "sacrificing" themselves are the game's biggest fans. They aren't angry; they’re just exhausted. The rituals are a pressure valve. Instead of sending angry emails to the developers, they ban themselves. It’s actually a remarkably healthy way to handle obsession, if you think about it. You’re removing yourself from the source of the stress.
The Contrast with Other Fandoms
Compare this to the Elden Ring "Great Hollow" period. Before that game launched, the Elden Ring sub was also insane. They invented fake bosses (Glaive Master Hodir). They made up entire lore entries. But the Silksong rituals are different because they focus on the absence of the player. It’s more ascetic. It’s more "monk-like."
Looking Ahead: What Happens When Silksong Actually Drops?
There is a legitimate fear in the community. What happens to the rituals when the game is real? When the Silksong subreddit ritual ban sacrifices are no longer necessary, a part of the sub's identity will die. For years, being a Silksong fan has meant being a part of this weird, sacrificial cult.
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When the game launches, the sub will shift to guides, boss strategies, and "look at this secret" posts. It will become a normal gaming subreddit.
That’s a good thing. But there will be a nostalgia for the madness. People will remember the "Great Ban" years as a weird time in internet history where thousands of people pretended to be in a sacrificial cult because of a bug with a needle.
Practical Steps for the Weary Fan
If you find yourself tempted by the Silksong subreddit ritual ban sacrifices, or if the lack of news is genuinely bumming you out, here is how to handle it like a pro.
- Don't actually delete your account. It’s a temporary feeling. The game will come out eventually, and you’ll want those saved threads and connections.
- Mute the sub if you need to. You don't need a moderator to ban you. You can just... leave. Use the "Mute" feature for a month. It works wonders for your mental health.
- Play the clones. There are so many incredible Metroidvanias out there. Nine Sols, Haiku the Robot, and Animal Well are all fantastic and actually exist right now.
- Accept the "No News" cycle. Team Cherry is a tiny team. They are perfectionists. The more time they take, the better the game will be.
The rituals are fun, but the game is the goal. Stay sane out there, and maybe keep your account active for when that "Release Date" trailer finally drops. Because when it does, that subreddit is going to explode, and you’ll want to be there—not sitting on a 999-day ban list.
The best way to "sacrifice" for the game isn't to leave the community, but to support the indie scene while we wait. Diversify your library. Stop checking the sub every hour. The game doesn't exist yet, and no amount of "sacrificial" bans will change the code on Ari Gibson’s computer. Treat the subreddit rituals as the performance art they are, but don't let the void stare back too hard.