Hollow Knight: Silksong Proves Small Teams Can Save the Gaming Industry

All images courtesy of Team Cherry

The recent September 4, 2025, release of Hollow Knight: Silksong has taken the gaming world by storm. It’s already attained exceptional critical and commercial success. Silksong captivates players with its enchanting visuals and complex levels of gameplay. This highly anticipated sequel to 2017’s Hollow Knight transcends mere continuation —  it shows that small development teams are capable of competing in an industry often dominated by big studios. 

Anybody still believing that only large corporations can produce groundbreaking titles should try Hollow Knight: Silksong. Here’s how this game is reaffirming indie developers’ potential to shape gaming’s future.

1. It Sets a New Benchmark for Design and Difficulty

Team Cherry, an Australian three-member indie studio, is responsible for bringing Hollow Knight: Silksong to the global gaming world. Silksong, like its Hollow Knight predecessor, exemplifies the evolution of indie game development, with heavy inspiration from the Japanese Metroidvania genre of the mid-1980s. Silksong shares high difficulty, boss pattern recognition and the early weakened state of your character with FromSoftware’s groundbreaking 2022 Elden Ring title, another game that was successful upon its release. 

Elden Ring 

Hollow Knight: Silksong’s evolution echoes the design philosophies seen in Elden Ring, where you’re encouraged to travel a sprawling open world at your own pace, locating secret paths and engaging in formidable encounters. Both games emphasize player tools and respect your intelligence by rewarding exploration and dexterous gameplay. Team Cherry’s commitment to crafting a rich, interconnected world in Silksong pays homage to its predecessors and showcases how indie studios innovate within established genres. 

Metroidvania 

The Metroidvania genre, characterized by exploration, interconnected worlds and the gradual acquisition of abilities, laid the groundwork for modern open-world games like Hollow Knight: Silksong. Just as players navigated the intricate environments of classics like Metroid and Castlevania in the 1980s, Silksong’s elements invite gamers to explore expansive landscapes filled with secrets and challenges. Team Cherry builds on its Metroid-like features by introducing Hornet, whose acrobatic gameplay enriches the fluidity and speed of exploration to create a more dynamic experience. 

By integrating the essence of classic Metroidvania gameplay with trendy design principles, Team Cherry has produced a title that resonates with nostalgic players and newcomers alike. 

2. It Has Competitive Sales and Ratings

Within its first month of release, Hollow Knight: Silksong sales are an estimated 4.2 million copies — almost a third of the original Hollow Knight’s total units. In comparison, the most recent FromSoftware game, Elden Ring: Nightreign, sold around 5 million units in its first two months of release. 

While FromSoftware is hardly an indie studio, it departs from typical commercially driven AAA gaming studios. Team Cherry’s title is comparatively outselling its larger, semi-indie rival’s high-achieving new release. This bodes well for smaller studios trying to solidify their place in the evolving gaming landscape and save the industry from pure commercialism.

Hollow Knight: Silksong reviews are incredibly positive so far. The respected Metacritic website gives it 92/100 based on over 30 critic scores, and it scores 9/10 based on over 4,000 user ratings. One user calls Silksong gameplay punishing but in a way that never feels unforgiving, while another says its visuals are a feast for the eyes. 

3. It Represents a Movement, Not a Moment

Silksong’s success undeniably reflects a bigger, more positive trend in the gaming industry. Alongside other recent critically acclaimed indie games created on tight budgets, Team Cherry showcases a shift toward producing profound, complete experiences that reward your time and investment. Titles like Elden Ring have also thrived by prioritizing quality and passion, offering elaborate worlds and immersive gameplay that resonate with anyone spending valuable screen time. 

This trend shows that gamers appreciate developers who pour their souls into crafting meaningful ventures instead of chasing trends to earn quick profits. As players increasingly look for games that provide the complete experience — rich narratives, immersive settings and formidable gameplay — you’ll see a renaissance of imagination and invention. 

Silksong stands forward as a shining light in this movement, compelling established and indie developers to engage in more passion-driven projects that upgrade the gaming experience and encourage a loyal community.

Indie Gaming’s Rise in Prominence

Indie game creators are gaining popularity, driven by easier access to development tools and distribution platforms like Steam. Players increasingly seeking unique gaming experiences are shifting away from traditional large production model games in favor of a growing number of more immersive and compelling indie titles, like Hollow Knight: Silksong. This title’s positive sales and reviews signal a significant, ongoing trend away from pure commercialism. Small indie teams like Team Cherry might just save the gaming industry.