Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Surprise Sept. 4 Drop Forces Multiple Indies to Delay Releases
Team Cherry announced a surprise release date for Hollow Knight: Silksong — it’s due on Sept. 4 — and the two-weeks’ notice has already prompted several indie developers and publishers to move their launch plans. As a result, multiple smaller games shifted release windows to avoid direct competition with the highly anticipated Metroidvania sequel.
Release date and history
Team Cherry set Hollow Knight: Silksong’s release for Sept. 4 and gave about two weeks’ advance notice. The project was first announced in 2019 as an expansion, later grew into a full game, and received hints in 2022 that it might arrive within a year. For that 2022 hint, see this coverage from The Verge.
Silksong had an indefinite delay announced in 2023, and since then it has not been a regular presence at major events. Meanwhile, the original Hollow Knight has sold an estimated 15 million copies — a notable benchmark for an indie title.
Which games moved and new dates
Within 24 hours of Team Cherry’s announcement, at least two titles that were planned for the same window announced delays: CloverPit and the Metroidvania Aeterna Lucis. Then several other projects changed plans.
Publisher Devolver Digital moved Bennett Foddy’s Baby Steps back two weeks. Developer Sunny Side Up shifted the cozy adventure Little Witch in the Woods to Sept. 15. The action roguelike Megabonk is now set for Sept. 18. Finally, publisher Ysbryd Games pushed the Persona-inspired tactics RPG Demonschool to Nov. 19.
How the announcement affected press and coverage
Press outlets and editorial teams often plan coverage calendars in advance, assigning writers and scheduling playtime. Consequently, a major surprise release like Silksong can force outlets to reprioritize, since a large portion of attention is likely to focus on the new release.
Smaller publishers and indie developers rely heavily on concentrated review coverage and word of mouth during release week. Therefore, moving a launch to avoid overlapping with a blockbuster indie can be a strategic decision aimed at preserving visibility and sales.
Official statements and quotes
Ysbryd Games, when announcing the delay for Demonschool, said in a news release: “Crueler still, that we should find out with such short notice.”
Demonschool developer Necrosoft Games posted on Bluesky and wrote: “We aren’t mad at Ysbryd but at the situation. Dropping the GTA of indie games with 2 weeks notice makes everyone freak out.” See their Bluesky post here.
Separately, Megabonk’s developer Vedinad described Silksong as “peak” on X.
[Release Date Update]
Little Witch in the Woods has been rescheduled:
September 4 → September 15, 2025.We sincerely apologize, and promise to make your wait worthwhile. pic.twitter.com/qhFgxEDwvl
— Little Witch in the Woods (@SunnySideUp_DEV) August 26, 2025
🚨🚨 UH OH MEGABONK DELAY
Megabonk is delayed due to Silksong (peak) announcing they are releasing on the same date, so i am pushing my launch back a little bit.
the new date is september 18, be there or be square 😎https://t.co/xIFgdTI4Du#gamedev pic.twitter.com/LnQc4Q6TgC
— bonk (@MegabonkGame) August 23, 2025
Team Cherry did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
