Silksong’s Surprise Launch and the Joy of Knowing Nothing

In 2026, the video game industry still talks about Hollow Knight: Silksong’s 2025 launch as a strange, wonderful anomaly. Team Cherry didn’t follow the usual script. There were no review codes sent out weeks in advance. There was no lengthy marketing campaign. The launch date appeared just two weeks before the game did. Critics and players alike went in blind. That single decision changed how the community experienced the game, and it changed how the internet talked about it.

Normally, a big release builds a consensus before anyone can buy it. God of War in 2018 is the classic example. The review embargo lifted on April 12, but the game didn’t arrive until April 20. For eight days, critics tweeted, podcasted, and generally shouted that the game was extraordinary. By launch, expectations were sky-high. Most players loved it, but a vocal minority was ready to tear it down. That’s the usual rhythm: critics get early code, reviews drop, fans react, then the game launches and everyone forms their own opinion.

Silksong skipped that rhythm entirely. The launch date was announced only two weeks ahead. No review codes were available before release. Critics went in as knowing as fans, and they gained access at the same time, too. Once everyone got in, they were confronted with a nails-tough metroidvania soulslike. That made getting a solid read on the game as a whole slow going. Even in 2026, the only real early consensus is that Silksong is hard.

Aspect
Typical big release
Hollow Knight: Silksong

Review codes
Sent weeks early
None

Embargo
Lifts days before launch
No embargo

Launch date
Known months or years ahead
Announced two weeks ahead
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