Team Cherry Talks Hollow Knight Silksong DLC, Sharpe’s Return And Life After Hollow Knight

Summary:

Team Cherry has finally lifted the curtain a little on what comes after Hollow Knight: Silksong’s launch, and it is good news if you are not ready to put your needle away just yet. The studio is actively working on DLC for Silksong, exploring ideas that range from smaller add ons to larger expansions that echo what Godmaster did for the original Hollow Knight. At the same time, the team is careful not to promise a date, preferring to tinker away until those ideas feel right rather than locking themselves into a schedule that could compromise quality. Alongside these plans sits the long awaited return of Steel Assassin Sharpe and other cut backer creations, which are now being positioned as natural fits for future expansions instead of forgotten scraps on a design document. While all of this is happening, Team Cherry is also talking openly about the urge to try something new, maybe a different genre or fresh universe, without abandoning the strange kingdoms and towering bosses that made Hollow Knight special. Silksong’s DLC and the studio’s next steps are woven together, painting a future where fans get more adventures with Hornet while the creators also give themselves room to grow.

Team Cherry is already shaping Hollow Knight Silksong DLC

Team Cherry has confirmed that work on Hollow Knight: Silksong’s DLC is not some vague idea that might happen one day but an active project on their desks right now. In recent conversations they describe themselves as busy building downloadable expansions that grow naturally from Silksong’s finished adventure, rather than bolting on disconnected side stories. For players, that means we can expect ideas that feed off the game’s fast movement, demanding combat and layered world design instead of simple filler bosses or recycled arenas. The team talks about multiple possibilities on the table, from focused additions that spotlight a specific area or character to bigger pieces that reframe how Hornet’s journey feels as a whole. Even though details stay under wraps, the tone is clear: Silksong is not a one and done experience, and Team Cherry is treating its post launch life as seriously as the main adventure.

Why Team Cherry is not rushing a release date for Silksong DLC

One of the firm points that keeps coming up is that the studio will not be pinned down to a release window for Silksong’s DLC, and honestly that stance makes sense once you listen to how they work. Hollow Knight and Silksong both grew far beyond their original scope because new ideas kept proving too interesting to drop, and that habit does not mix well with strict deadlines. Rather than announce a date and then crunch to hit it, the team would rather quietly experiment until the structure, pacing and challenge feel right, especially now that expectations around Silksong are sky high. They also know players are tired of inflated promises followed by delayed patches or thin expansions, so staying quiet on a timing front is a way of keeping trust intact. It might test patience in the short term, but it greatly raises the odds that when DLC finally appears it will arrive in a strong and confident state.

How the studio approaches expansions after Hollow Knight’s Godmaster

Anyone who remembers how Godmaster reshaped the original Hollow Knight knows that Team Cherry does not treat DLC as a simple bundle of arenas or costumes. That expansion wrapped up loose threads, introduced intimidating challenges and gave veterans a fresh reason to push their skills to the limit. When the developers now talk about Silksong’s future, they clearly carry that experience in the back of their minds. They mention ideas that sit on a spectrum from smaller additions to expansions that echo Godmaster in ambition, which hints at experiments with new boss gauntlets, alternative routes or story fragments that change how players read the world of Pharloom. Importantly, they frame these possibilities as things they are exploring rather than promises carved in stone, which keeps their creative options open. The philosophy is simple: every add on should feel like a meaningful new layer, not just a checklist of enemies reused in slightly different arenas.

What Silksong DLC could focus on for returning players

While the developers stay cautious about hard specifics, there are clear clues about the kind of experiences they want returning players to have. They talk about building more reasons to revisit the world once you have already rolled credits, which strongly suggests new routes, remixed encounters or sequences that ask you to look at familiar spaces with fresh eyes. Hornet’s movement set practically begs for arenas that test vertical navigation, parry timing and resource management at the same time, so expanded challenges that weave those elements together feel like a natural fit. There is also ongoing discussion of how to respect players who enjoy discovery as much as raw difficulty, which could translate into new quests that push you to follow environmental hints, chase rumors from quirky NPCs or unravel secrets that slip through the cracks during a first run. In short, it sounds like DLC that aims to reward curiosity and mastery together.

Steel Assassin Sharpe and other cut ideas returning in expansions

One of the most exciting pieces of news for long time followers is that Steel Assassin Sharpe is no longer a ghost from early marketing but a clear candidate for upcoming expansions. Team Cherry admits that Sharpe and two companion assassins were set aside while Silksong ballooned in size, simply because squeezing them into the base adventure risked overloading an already dense experience. Rather than forcing them in, the studio decided to give these characters room to breathe later, and DLC is the obvious home for that plan. Recent interviews describe Sharpe as “waiting in the wings,” a phrase that suggests the team has a concrete vision for how the assassin will challenge Hornet. On top of that, the developers reaffirm their intention to deliver promised backer ideas like the Village of Lions, again hinting that expansions will not just recycle existing bosses but fold in long awaited elements that have been on hold for years.

The creative itch to explore worlds beyond Hollow Knight

Alongside all this DLC talk, Team Cherry is remarkably open about another truth: they do not want to become a studio that only ever makes Hollow Knight games. When they look ahead to life after Silksong’s add ons are finished, they talk about experimenting with new genres, fresh universes and mechanics that would not fit neatly inside Pharloom or Hallownest. That does not come from boredom with their current world, because they repeatedly stress that making another Hollow Knight would still be a joy. Instead it reflects a healthy creative itch to test how their strengths translate elsewhere. They love building vast maps, eccentric characters and towering bosses, and they are curious what happens when those strengths are poured into a different flavor of game, maybe something that bends genre expectations in a way they have not tried before. For fans, that means the future likely holds surprises that still feel familiar at their core.

Big worlds, strange characters and giant bosses as a shared thread

Whenever the developers describe hypothetical future projects, the same ingredients keep bubbling back to the surface. They talk about big explorable worlds that reward poking into corners, casts filled with slightly oddball personalities and huge encounters that feel like duels as much as boss fights. In other words, even if the studio hops to a new universe or tweaks genre, the underlying design heartbeat will probably still feel recognisable to anyone who loved Hollow Knight or Silksong. Think of it as a signature flavor rather than a strict formula. Maybe the next project leans harder into action, puzzles or even storytelling structures that look very different from a classic Metroidvania map, yet the sense of journey, risk and discovery would carry across. That promise helps soften any worry that a move away from Hollow Knight might abandon what made the earlier games stand out for so many players.

Lessons learned from years inside Pharloom and Hallownest

Seven plus years spent shaping Silksong on top of the original Hollow Knight have taught Team Cherry a lot about what works for them and what does not. They have navigated fan hype, long silences, exhibition demos, release pressure and the realities of supporting a breakout hit while still being a small studio. Those experiences now feed directly into how they think about DLC and future projects. They have seen how feature creep can stretch timelines, so they are more cautious about announcing ambitious add ons too early. They have also watched how players latch onto certain characters, secrets and combat encounters, which gives them sharper instincts about where extra development time will have the biggest impact. All of that hard earned experience becomes a toolkit they can carry into expansions and whatever new world comes next, ideally leading to smoother development and more confident releases.

Balancing fan expectations with the team’s wellbeing

There is another thread that sits just below the surface in recent interviews: a desire to balance the intense expectations around Silksong with the human reality of being a small group based in Adelaide. Hollow Knight grew into a phenomenon, and Silksong carries that weight into every trailer, showcase and patch. It would be easy for the studio to chase every request, promise every feature and try to hit every major gaming showcase, but they have clearly decided that pace is not sustainable. Choosing not to commit to DLC dates, being honest about maybe skipping certain events and talking frankly about the appeal of new projects are all signs that they want to avoid burning out. That kind of honesty might disappoint fans who crave constant updates, yet in the long run it gives Team Cherry the breathing room needed to keep making games with the care and personality that people fell in love with in the first place.

Why a new franchise might arrive before a third Hollow Knight

Given everything they have said, it is entirely possible that the next big release after Silksong’s DLC is not “Hollow Knight 3” but something different. The developers consistently frame future plans as a mix of returning to their insect kingdoms someday and exploring brand new concepts, and they sound genuinely curious about that second path. After finishing multiple large projects in the same universe, many creative teams benefit from changing scenery for a while, which often leads to fresher ideas even if they circle back later. For players, a new franchise from Team Cherry could feel like discovering a new favorite band that still has the same musical DNA. You might get different weapons, different traversal systems or a different tone, but the craft behind level layout, combat reads and quiet environmental storytelling would still be there waiting to be recognised.

What this means for future players on Nintendo Switch 2 and beyond

Looking ahead, all of these plans sit inside a hardware landscape where Silksong is already a standout presence on platforms like Nintendo Switch 2, other consoles and PC. DLC that taps into Hornet’s agility, the dense layout of Pharloom and the game’s exacting combat could give those systems fresh life years down the line, much like how updates pulled players back into Hollow Knight long after its initial launch. Switch style handheld play in particular benefits from replayable challenges, boss rematches and optional routes that you can chip away at during shorter sessions, which is exactly the kind of material Team Cherry is sketching out. At the same time, their curiosity about new genres hints that future projects will likely follow Silksong onto modern platforms rather than being locked to one ecosystem. In practical terms, fans who invest time in this world now are likely building a relationship with a studio that plans to stay in their library for a long while.

Conclusion

Team Cherry stands at a fascinating point in its journey. On one side, the developers are fully engaged with Silksong’s future, shaping DLC that aims to bring back long teased characters like Steel Assassin Sharpe, revive backer ideas and give veterans new challenges worth mastering. On the other, they are openly dreaming about new worlds, fresh genres and projects that step outside the familiar shadows of Hallownest and Pharloom while keeping their signature love of big maps, strange personalities and towering bosses. By refusing to rush release dates and being honest about their limits, they are trying to protect both the quality of what we play and the wellbeing of the people making it. For players, that balance promises more time with Hornet in the near term and the exciting possibility of entirely new adventures once those expansions land, all built by a team that clearly still cares deeply about surprising and challenging its audience.

FAQs

Is Hollow Knight Silksong DLC officially confirmed by Team Cherry?
- Yes, the studio has publicly confirmed that DLC for Hollow Knight Silksong is in active development. In recent interviews they talk about working on expansions that build on the existing adventure, exploring ideas that range from smaller add ons to larger releases that could sit alongside something like Godmaster in terms of ambition. What they have not done is lock in a release date, preferring to share plans in broad strokes while they continue to experiment.
Why will Team Cherry not share a release window for the Silksong DLC?
- The developers have explained that after spending years growing both Hollow Knight and Silksong beyond their original scope, they are very cautious about promising timelines too early. Announcing a window would create pressure to trim ideas or crunch to hit a date, which clashes with their iterative way of working. By avoiding specific timing, they keep the freedom to adjust scope, polish tricky encounters and make sure each expansion feels worth the wait instead of shipping something rushed just to meet an announced schedule.
Will Steel Assassin Sharpe really return in a Silksong expansion?
- Team Cherry has directly addressed Sharpe in interviews, stating that the assassin was set aside during development but is “waiting in the wings” for a future appearance. They describe Sharpe and two allied assassins as elements they are excited to reintroduce, and multiple reports now frame DLC as the most likely home for that comeback. While exact details of the encounter are still under wraps, fans can reasonably expect Sharpe to feature in at least one planned expansion rather than remaining a cut idea forever.
Does Team Cherry still want to make more Hollow Knight games after Silksong?
- The team has a genuine fondness for Hollow Knight and says that being asked to make another game in that universe would still feel like a joy. At the same time, they emphasise that they do not want to be known solely as “the people who make Hollow Knight.” Their current stance is that they will finish Silksong’s DLC, consider ideas set in the same universe for later, and also seriously look at completely fresh projects. So a future return to Hollow Knight is possible, but it will likely share space with brand new creations.
Could the next big release from Team Cherry be a new franchise instead of Hollow Knight 3?
- Based on the way the developers talk about future plans, a new franchise arriving before any third Hollow Knight entry feels very plausible. They mention wanting to explore different genres and themes while keeping familiar strengths like large worlds, odd characters and memorable bosses. That mix of curiosity and caution suggests that once Silksong’s DLC is wrapped up, their next major release could take place in a different setting altogether, even though they leave the door open to returning to their insect kingdoms further down the line.